In this world of infinite illnesses and disorders, the maximum number of people are affected by one or the other. Most of the disorders can be cured by surgery or proper medications. But before taking any step, you must consult your doctor.
In this article we are going to discuss diastasis recti. Are you the one suffering from diastasis recti? Here are all the causes, symptoms, myths, treatments, effects and Exercises related to it.
What is meant by Diastasis recti?
It is made up of two words Diastasis refers to separation and Recti means rectus abdominis muscle or 6 pack muscle.(separation of muscles)
The splitting up or detachment of abdominal muscle is called Diastasis recti. In which your abdominal muscles are pulled apart and pooch appears on your belly.
The thin connective tissue between the two muscles is called Linea alba. In the case of diastasis recti the connective tissue becomes thin and due to extreme stress or pressure the muscles are pulled in opposite directions.
As a result bulge or pooch appears over the stomach and can be felt easily.
Causes and Symptoms and effects:
Its symptoms may include
- Pain in your back
- Constipation is also a symptom
- You may feel difficulty in breathing
- Urine leaking can also
- Poor posture of the body is also a symptom
Its main causes include
- Obesity or excessive fat
- Heavy weight lifting or bodybuilding
- In pregnant women due to severe internal pressure.
- It can also be due to genetics
The main effects are:
- You can not perform various exercises.
- Sexual pain may be felt.
- Difficulties can occur in digestion of food.
- Hernia can also be an effect of this disease.
Occur in Men? ( Myth or reality)
Do men suffer from diastasis recti? The answer is Yes! There is no doubt that it is most common in pregnant females and according to a study an average 60 to 80 percent pregnant women suffer from it but it also occurs in men. So it is less common in male but it exists. It is also found in newborn babies.
5 Hacks and Exercises to cure it:
Natural healing takes approximately some weeks to even months in different people according to their natural healing ability but exercises boost natural healing to a great extent.
1: Try Pelvic Clock or Kegal exercise:
This exercise is done to control or prevent urinary incontinence. It helps to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles supporting the bladder, small intestine and rectum. All the steps of the exercise should be performed correctly.
- Put you back straight on your mat and fix your feet on the floor.
- Make sure that your knees make a 90-degree angle with your abdomen.
- Now by using the abdominal muscles try to rotate your hip.
- Take into account that your legs do not move and your feet remain fixed.
Try it 10 to 12 times a day. Your muscles will continue to draw closer.
2: Act like you have to blow 100 ‘Candles’
This exercise may sound quite funny at once but trust me it really works. You have to be consistent while performing it.
- Sit straight like you have iron bars in your back.
- Inhale as much air as possible.
- Now feel like you have to blow 100 candles in a single breath.
- Exhale deeply till your abdomen tightens and your muscles are pushed closer.
- Continue this position for few seconds and repeat it 10 times
3: Squeezing Abdomen:
This exercise is performed in order to squeeze the abdomen area which is very beneficial to prevent diastasis recti.
- Fix your elbows and toes on the ground.
- Lift your abdomen and the whole body above the ground.
- Inhale deeply until your abdomen is squeezed completely.
- Continue this state for few second and the repeat the process
Do it as many times as possible to get an instant recovery. It is the most effective exercise to put back your muscles together.
4: Do ‘GODDESS’ exercises.
In order to get rid of diastasis recti, you can try this exercise at home. Follow the steps mentioned below.
- Stand straight with your feet apart.
- Bend down your knees such that your knees move outwards than your ankles.
- Now make your booty move back a little.
- Now raise your one arm as in side bend and exhale.
- Switch your sides 2 more times and repeat the process.
5: Reverse Marching exercise:
It is very effective exercise for diastasis recti. It targets the muscles of the abs and lower back.
- Lie down on your exercise mat with your back straight.
- Now exhale slowly and lift your one thigh up.
- While lifting your thigh your knee should make 90-degree angle with your thigh
- Now keep the knee fixed and continue to move your thigh towards your abdomen while exhaling.
- Now your thigh will rest at 90 degrees with the floor.
- Repeat the cycle various times it involves abdominal muscles and brings them closer.
Squats are also very useful for diastasis recti . It is the exercise in which you have to stand straight with both of your arms in front of you. Now you have to bend down your knees and move your hip region backwards. Inhale, exhale and tighten up your muscles . The tightening up of ab muscles will put them back together.
Am I suffering from diastasis recti?
You can check it now by performing a small activity. First of all check if there is any pooch on your stomach. In case of yes, check out and confirm it by performing the activity given below
- Lie down on the floor with your back straight and your thighs perpendicular to the floor.
- Now exhale slowly and lift your head upwards towards your thigh.
- Put your hand on your belly and notice the changes taking place.
- Do you feel any depression between the two muscles? If yes then measure it with the help of your fingers. If it is greater than 2.7cm then you are probably suffering from the disease.
Is surgery the only solution?
The answer is No, surgery is the last option if the condition is too bad to try anything else. It can be put back together by simple exercises as given above. You may also contact your doctor for proper medication and report. Natural healing is the best ever solution for it. Let it heal naturally and boost up your natural healing with the recommended exercises.
Exercises to avoid:
The exercises you should avoid include several hard push ups, crunches and front planks because they put severe stress on the abdominal muscles and move them apart. When you will perform wrong exercises your muscles will pull apart and cause pain.
Conclusion/End Results:
The sole purpose of the above exercises is to put back your rectus abdominal muscle at its original place. These ab muscles are the superficial muscles of the abdomen and they are affected in the case of high stress and pressure. These exercises are 100 percent effective. These all exercises push your rectus abdominis muscle to come closer and these muscles make your abs strong. Surgeries are also performed to put these muscles together but it occurs in rare cases. We make sure to provide you the best ways to heal naturally by making a small effort daily. These exercises only require only 20 to 25 minutes daily.
Which of the above exercises you found easy and effective?