Diastasis Recti is very common, especially among postpartum moms. Most people don’t know that they have Diastasis Recti. You can try this simple way to test at home for Diastasis Recti.
What is Diastasis Recti?
- Diastasis Recti is a very common condition in which the large abdominal muscles separate.
Why you should test for Diastasis Recti
It is so vital to test if your abs have separated!
Right after you have a baby most people go right into an ab routine to get back to their pre-baby body back.
If you go hardcore on your abs and they are already separated from that baby bump you could make this separation worse.
Ultimately it will make it way harder and take you longer to get your abs or flat tummy back.
Make sure to test if you have Diastasis Recti first and if you do I have an awesome yoga routine that will help your abs to recover.
Please don’t start doing ab workouts such as planks, crunches, or twisters till your abs are fully healed!
There are certain ab workouts you can do that will help heal your diastasis recti.
First you need to test at home for Diastasis Recti to see if you are among the 60% of women who have it.
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How to test at home for Diastasis Recti?
Wait to test till you are about 2 weeks postpartum.
Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Lift your shirt up.
Put your hand at your sternum in the Linda alba (the line in the middle of your tummy).
Tuck your chin towards your chest and slowly lift only your head off the floor. Don’t do a crunch this is only a head lift. You can repeat a couple of times if needed to get an accurate measurement.
Use 3 fingers and press straight down into your belly just above the belly button. Sorry I accidentally used two, my bad!
Repeat above step just 3 fingers above your belly button.
Retest below the belly button.
Restest all 3 sites, but this time contract your pelvic floor muscles upwards during your exhale breath. Then do your head lift test.
How often should you assess?
- If you are doing an exercise program to heal Diastasis Recti, reassess every 2-3 weeks. This will help you to know if your exercises are helping. If they are not, try something different and talk to your doctor if you would like to.
How do I know if my Diastasis Recti is healed?
- If you have really great tension along your linea alba your diastasis is healed. You may still have a gap but the quality of the connective tissue is what’s important.
After you have tested for Diastasis Recti you can go to my other post that gives you great yoga poses to help aid in your recovery from Diastasis Recti.
