Diastasis and training. Is it possible or not?

Many mothers after childbirth develop a rounded, flabby belly that does not want to go away even with active abdominal pumping. This could be diastasis - separation of the rectus abdominis muscles.

During pregnancy, significant changes occur in the structure of the abdominal tissue: the uterus increases in size, putting pressure on the abdominal walls and causing them to stretch. Normally, the expansion between the abdominal walls should not exceed 2 cm, but even these 2 cm cause discomfort in women, giving rise to complexes and self-doubt.

To prevent the occurrence of this unpleasant phenomenon, it is necessary to wear a bandage while in position.

How to determine if you have diastasis?

Lie on your back, bend your knees, and place your feet on the floor.
Raise one hand up and place it on the back of your head.
With the fingertips of your second hand, touch the midline of the abdomen, extending upward from the navel.
Raise your head from the floor, point your chest towards your pelvis and tighten your abs.
Begin to feel your fingers along the entire midline of the abdomen, moving up and down from the navel.

If you only feel your tense abs, then you don’t have any diastasis. If you feel that your abdominal muscles are spreading to the sides, and a soft depression a couple of centimeters wide has appeared between them, alas, you may have diastasis, and you need to see a doctor.

What should you not do if you have diastasis?

pump up the press from a lying position (twisting)
straight planks and push-ups on straight legs
work in the gym with heavy weights
exercises "bicycle" and "scissors"

For diastasis, reverse plank and vacuum exercise are allowed.

If you lose less than two fingers, then you can pump the press, but carefully.

Taking care of the beauty of the abdomen after childbirth

Particular attention should be paid to the transverse abdominis muscle:

Will fit sitting and standing trunk flexion on a vertical block or simulator.

Isolation of the abdominal muscles. Lie on your back, bend your legs at the hips and knees. The feet are pressed firmly to the floor and positioned shoulder-width apart. The arms are freely extended along the body. Bring your spine into a neutral position by tightening your abdominal muscles and drawing your belly button toward your spine. The spine remains motionless. Breathe freely. Gradually increase the time of muscle tension.

Straightening the raised leg. The thigh is in a vertical position, the lower leg is parallel to the floor. Straighten one leg so that the distance from the heel to the floor is 30-60 centimeters (beginners may not straighten the leg completely). As you master the exercise, the degree of leg extension at the knee joint should be increased.

IMPORTANT: All exercises for diastasis must be performed with correct breathing, smoothly and comfortably, without using the force of energy.

If you do not have diastasis, then you can perform any abdominal exercises, following these simple recommendations:

When crunching on the floor, you should be tearing off vertebra by vertebra, curling up into a ball, not sitting down. The lower back should be pressed to the floor. Bend your legs and place your feet as close to your buttocks as possible. In this position, the iliopsoas muscle is completely disabled. And let now you can only slightly lift your shoulders and shoulder blades off the floor. But it’s the press that works for you.
When lifting your legs while lying down, your lower back is pressed to the floor. Reduce the height of your leg lifts or lift them bent instead of straight, but your lower back should be pressed to the floor.
Be sure to exhale completely at the end point of the range of motion. The abdominal muscles cannot contract fully if there is air in the lungs.
Do the exercise until you feel a burning sensation.

How to remove belly fat

Nutrition. If you eat everything, but at the same time courageously pump your abs every day, then you will no longer see them. Training is only 30% of success, the rest is nutrition!

The first week we leave the goodies only until lunch
The second one is only for breakfast
Gradually we remove everything harmful in general

Lots of recipes for baking and desserts. The main rule is that everything is sugar-free. Remove it from your diet and replace it with natural and healthy sugars.

proteins 50 (2 g per kg of weight)
fats-20-30 (at least 1 g)
carbohydrates-30 (at least 2.1 and completely carbohydrate-free is practiced by athletes during the preparation period)

It is very important not to remove fats from the diet, especially for women. We try to get the bulk of it from unsaturated fats. An excellent source of fat is fish oil (fatty fish or pure fish oil), vegetable oils - flaxseed oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, etc.

Products whose consumption should be greatly reduced or should be avoided altogether - lard, fatty meat, domestic animal fat, butter, margarine, etc.

Workout. It is impossible to lose weight in just one area while remaining the same in others. Fat burning does not occur locally. By training your whole body, you will significantly speed up the approach to the desired result. Ideal option: three basic (circuit) workouts per week + cardio.

Don’t be fooled by miracle diets, hoops, body wraps, etc. Success loves stability. Introduce sports and proper nutrition into your life. And then you won’t need to google “how to lose weight for the holidays in a week.”

Diastasis is a stretching of the anterior abdominal wall due to sudden loads on the abdominal muscles and connective tissue. If the body is athletic and accustomed to stress, then it is less susceptible to stretching due to the fact that the muscles hold the load well and do not allow the linea alba to stretch. The linea alba is the same connective tissue that does not have a single gram of muscle in its composition, so it is simply impossible to “pump up” it in the usual sense of an athlete. But the abdominal muscles are the main line of defense. And if they are strong enough, then the likelihood of stretching is very small.

The most common cause of diastasis is pregnancy. In second place, for both women and men, is severe obesity, especially in people whose body is predisposed to the accumulation of fat in the abdominal cavity. Third place is the consequences of sudden weight loss. Severe stress, illness or some other factors can force you to lose weight quickly; the skin will not have time to tighten - you will get sagging of the anterior abdominal wall. Also, the impetus for the development of the disease can be strong physical activity to which the body is not accustomed.

If you have diagnosed yourself with an early form of diastasis and the doctor has confirmed it, it is not yet time to panic and look for a plastic surgeon and sign up for abdominoplasty - you can still solve it with home exercises, doing the right exercises for diastasis after childbirth: not only physical, but also breathing.

Exercises for diastasis after childbirth

As noted above, almost every woman after her first birth receives minor diastasis. The reason for this is the weakness of the body and unpreparedness for the stress that it had to endure during the period of gestation of the rapidly developing fetus.

If the sprain is minor, then it can be corrected at home by performing specially designed exercises, the purpose of which is to eliminate diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles as effectively and quickly as possible.

When you find yourself at home after the maternity hospital and get into the usual rhythm of life, set aside a few minutes a day in your schedule to cure diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles at home. The set of exercises consists of:

Compression.

Starting position - lying on the floor, legs bent at the knees, a long towel stretched under the lower back. You need to take it at the ends with both hands and cross your arms - as if bandaging your waist for a few seconds. This should be done while exhaling, raising your head and shoulders.

Leg bending.

Lie down on the floor again, arms along your body. Make sure your lower back and feet are pressed to the floor. Bend your knees alternately.

In addition, it is recommended to twirl a hoop or jump rope, whichever you prefer. Each exercise is recommended to be performed 10-15 times in 2-3 approaches, morning and evening. At first, training should be done every other day, when the body gets used to it, you can switch to a daily regimen.

It is important to understand that they are effective only in the initial stages of diastasis. If the third degree of the disease is diagnosed, you should not waste time on them, immediately begin preparing for the operation.

Self-activity during treatment

In addition to the above physical exercises for treatment, there are also breathing exercises, which are a little more difficult to perform and require quite long training to achieve good technique and effectiveness.

However, not all exercises aimed at working the anterior abdominal wall are equally effective.

Now let’s try to figure out what exercises cannot be done with diastasis and why:

“Pump up your abs.”

A standard exercise known to many: the legs are held in a bent knees position by something or someone, and the upper body is raised. Doing this is extremely contraindicated, since a very strong load is placed on the stretched, and perhaps on the verge of rupture, rectus muscles, which will not lead to anything good, but on the contrary, will only aggravate the problem.

Leg lift.

Lifting straightened legs while lying on the floor is also contraindicated due to the fact that the exercise creates strong tension on the rectus muscles, especially when performed slowly. This exercise cannot be done painlessly even for healthy people, and in case of illness it is even harmful.

Simultaneous lifting of arms and legs.

The body “twists” again, the rectus muscles tense - with diastasis this is extremely unnecessary.

"A hundred".

The exercise involves lifting your legs bent at the knees - it’s the same as with a regular straight leg raise: you shouldn’t do this if you don’t want to aggravate the disease and lead to surgery.

So, what will you answer if you are asked “is it possible to do a plank and pump up your abs with diastasis”? The correct answer is no. Why? Because loading the abdominal muscles is not a treatment, but a harm to them, connective tissues and the body in general during diastasis.

Is it possible to detect illness at home?

Testing for diastasis at home is very simple and does not require any special tools or even improvised means. Just lie down on a flat surface and, slightly raising your shoulders and head, use your fingers to feel your stomach along the vertical line that passes through the navel. If your fingers sink to a depth of half a millimeter, there is no problem, this is normal. Up to 2 centimeters - there are prerequisites for the development of the disease; it is better to stop physical activity and begin to slowly perform the exercises recommended for treatment.

It will be easier to understand further, taking into account the generally accepted classification of the discrepancy (namely the discrepancy - in width) of the rectus abdominis muscles:

1st degree - 5-7 cm. Within 4-8 weeks it is possible to be completely cured with exercises.
2nd degree - 7-10 cm. Consultation with a doctor is necessary. Self-medication may also help, but most likely suturing will be prescribed.
3rd degree - 10 cm+. Here only a plastic surgeon can help you; you will have to undergo abdominoplasty.

The extreme degree of development of diastasis is unpleasant not only because the abdomen sag and causes significant aesthetic damage to the body, but also the likelihood of a hernia and displacement of internal organs, which even sounds creepy, but in reality everything is completely terrible.

So if your life or work involves physical activity, you are rapidly gaining weight or become pregnant - feel your stomach regularly - if you diagnose the disease at an early stage, then running, yoga, bodybuilding or gymnastics will help get rid of diastasis, while to eliminate advanced forms you will have to use “heavy artillery” and undergo a serious and complex operation, as well as a long and difficult recovery period.

The problem of stretching the rectus abdominis muscles is familiar to many, especially women who have given birth. However, even some men faced similar diagnoses. Many people are interested in whether it is possible to play sports after such a phenomenon, whether they should do abdominal exercises with diastasis, or whether it is generally better to postpone physical exercise until better times. It is not only possible, but also necessary to choose suitable activities, remembering to take special care so as not to aggravate the situation.

When to start exercises to eliminate diastasis: why and how

Most often, this phenomenon can occur in women after childbirth. Due to the high load on the muscles during pregnancy, they completely relax. The rectus abdominis muscles diverge, the skin becomes flabby, stretches greatly, sags, and its appearance becomes, to put it mildly, unaesthetic.

Diastasis occurs only among women, but can occur even in men. For example, this may indicate an individual genetic predisposition, or exogenous-excessive physical activity with excessively weakened abdominal muscles. That is, they are unlikely to withstand the additional load. Therefore, exercises for diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles must be gentle, and they must be performed very carefully.

According to statistics, one third of all women who give birth may experience diastasis. Most often it occurs with repeated births, polyhydramnios or multiple pregnancies. In men, diastasis occurs much less frequently, but many athletes face this problem, especially those involved in strength sports. Most often, after the excessive load on the abs disappears, the body recovers on its own, but not always. Then special exercises are required to treat diastasis.

A simple test for the problem

If you notice that the skin of your abdomen has sagged a lot, has become flabby, has little elasticity, and is unsightly, there is reason to worry. To determine whether you have this disease, it is best to contact your doctor. However, if this is not possible, you can even decide on your own by passing a short test.

Lie on your back on a fairly hard and flat surface, for example, you can lay it on the floor.
Bend your legs at the knees and place your feet parallel to each other, as close to the buttocks as possible, but not in such a way that it causes discomfort.
Place the fingertips of one hand on the midline above the navel, and the other below it.
Trying to relax your abdominal muscles as much as possible, raise your head and, if possible, your shoulders.

If at this moment you feel a depression under your fingers, then most likely you have diastasis. The deeper and wider this depression, the higher the degree of muscle divergence. There is even an official classification.

From 5 to 6-7 centimeters – first (mild) degree.
From 7 to 8-10 centimeters – second (medium) degree.
More than 10 centimeters – third (severe) degree.

Basically, diastasis does not cause any unpleasant sensations, except for the aesthetic aspect. However, at high levels it can cause pain in the spinal region, be characterized by an excessively wide waist, changes in the shape of the navel (its convexity), and a progressive increase in the size of the abdomen itself. In addition, when the third degree of the disease is advanced, no amount of exercise will most likely be able to get rid of it. You'll have to turn to plastic surgery. Despite the fact that this sounds very impressive, there is no need to be afraid - this is an ordinary operation that can be performed even by novice specialists.

Duration of the recovery period

Many young mothers are interested in how long it will take to do exercises for diastasis after childbirth, how long it will take in total to completely forget about the problem. You should start using complexes after you have discovered a similar problem, but in no case neglect precautions.

Professional physiotherapists do not recommend starting gymnastics for diastasis on your own, without consulting a doctor. In addition, for each workout, it is recommended to first wear a special tightening bandage or elastic belt. It will help avoid injury to already strained muscles.

How long the recovery will last, after which everything will fall into place, depends on many factors and is very individual. Here, preliminary exercises, a properly selected set of exercises, methodicality and regularity of exercises, as well as the degree of diastasis itself will play a role. On average, the process can take from six months to one year.

Contraindications

It is extremely important to understand for yourself what exercises you should not do with diastasis, and what you should definitely leave out of your attention so as not to worsen the situation. First of all, you will have to carefully avoid actions that strain the abdominal press or put pressure on it. At the everyday level, it is completely forbidden to lift weights, suddenly start laughing or coughing, sleep on your stomach, or do classic abdominal workouts. But there is also a list of classic exercises that you will have to give up.

Any exercises that involve emphasis on the elbows or arms (plank, push-ups).
Raising the body from a lying position (classic “swinging” of the press).
Raising and lowering legs while hanging or lying down (bicycle, scissors).
Jumping rope and regular jumping.
Power crunches.
Squats or lunges with weights.
Yoga, which involves applying pressure to the middle of the abdomen.
Tilts to the side, excessive bending back.
Pull-ups on the bar.

These movements need to be removed from your set of regular exercises and forgotten about until the diastasis completely disappears. In addition, it is recommended to take special precautions at first. You will have to get out of bed by first turning over on your side, and from a chair - transferring your weight to one buttock, and then to your leg. You need to control your posture, forbid yourself to slouch, and make it a habit to wear a controlling corset or belt.

Principles of implementation: a set of exercises for diastasis

To make it absolutely clear, you need to be aware that the white line, due to its structure, will never be able to completely grow back. However, taking diastasis under complete control and abandoning the surgical solution to the problem in the early stages of the disease is quite possible. When choosing the right exercises, you should be guided by special criteria that are best learned by heart.

The complex must be selected so that first of all it works the deep muscles: the pelvic floor, the transverse abdominal muscles. Everything in the body is connected, and these movements will help set up the coordinated work of all groups.
Only after the first tip has been completed and you have thoroughly pumped up all the deep muscles, can you proceed to training the rectus and oblique abdominal muscles.
Please note that this is functional training, meaning you need to gain self-management skills that will be used in the future. Therefore, it is very important to understand correct breathing, which is very important for the correct execution of movements.

Our article proposes to consider exercises for women and men with diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles. Let's figure it out together.

Breathing exercises

First, you need to learn how to properly relax your stomach, and at the same time other muscle groups, which modern people usually do not know how to do. Only after this will it be possible to train the deep muscles; without relaxation, nothing will simply happen.

As you inhale, gradually slowly expand your chest. In this case, the stomach should be as relaxed and calm as possible, and mentally straighten the lower ribs to the sides, imagine how your body carries out your commands.
As you exhale, return to the primary position, without any tricks, but almost as slowly.

This type of breathing can be practiced anywhere: at home, at work, during a break between classes at the university, on a bench in the park while walking. You can do the exercise in a sitting position, lying down, standing, whatever you like.

Tadasana or alignment

We borrowed this exercise from Indian yogis, although it also occurs in traditional gymnastics. With it, the load on the abdominal cavity is distributed as evenly as possible.

Stand up straight, place your feet at the width of your own pelvis, turn your toes slightly to the sides.
Using your muscles, slightly pull your kneecaps up and point your sit bones straight down. In this case, the tailbone is slightly curled downwards, but the natural arch of the back is still preserved.
Relax your shoulders, pull them back slightly, keep your hands free, and reach the top of your head toward the ceiling.
It is recommended to stand in this position for 5-10 seconds to 1 minute.

It doesn't hurt to combine this simple exercise with the previous one. The more often you do such movements, the easier and sooner you will be able to return to your usual form.

Another gift from the Indians, which helps relieve the symptoms of diastasis with the help of breathing exercises.

Inhale and concentrate all your attention on the rectus abdominis muscles. Tighten them slightly and then relax them again.
Form a static “muscle wave” while holding your breath.
Try to move the muscle wave thus formed from left to right, as if across the abdomen. Try to complete as many repetitions as possible in one breath hold, but do not overexert yourself. Everything should be as comfortable as possible.
As you exhale, return to the starting position.

Beginners usually manage to make about ten, sometimes twelve, waves of this type. Experienced people who have been practicing yoga for a long time can easily make up to a hundred or even more waves in one breath-hold.

Working with the pelvic floor muscles and Kegel exercises

In addition to breathing practices, it would not hurt to master exercises for diastasis in men and women to work the pelvic floor muscles. As a result of increased abdominal pressure, they may shift slightly, which should not be allowed.

You need to sit in such a way that it is really comfortable, comfortable, but not overly soft. It would be optimal to use a hard chair or stool for this. If it’s convenient, you can sit on the floor with your legs crossed, but only experienced gymnasts or yogis “can” sit in this position for a long time.

Relax as much as possible by placing your hands on your knees.
The back should be straight, eyes closed. Perform several cycles of diaphragmatic breathing, which we have already studied.
At the same time, men squeeze the perineal area, concentrating on it, while inhaling, and relaxing it as they exhale. With women it’s a little different, they should imagine the cervix and try to tighten it.
You can perform about two dozen stages of inhalation and exhalation.

In some cases, the exercise can be varied - squeeze the perineum (cervix) and try to keep the muscles tense for as long as possible.

Skittles

In any position (sitting, lying, standing), tighten the muscles of the perineum. This must be done while inhaling. The time that must be maintained is approximately 10 seconds.
Slowly relax and exhale at the same time.
Perform exactly five repetitions, while increasing the time of muscle contraction so that the last one lasts 25 seconds.

This exercise works well on the pelvic floor. Also, organ prolapse can usually be prevented with just such manipulations. Don’t forget that when combined with breathing practices, this exercise will be many times more effective.

Julia Tupler system

A midwife from the United States named Mrs. Tupler came up with special exercises that are aimed at tightening and strengthening the abdominal wall and pelvic floor. To do this, you need to prepare a fairly long towel.

Lie down on the floor on a pre-spread yoga mat.
Bend your knees, place your feet parallel, as close to your buttocks as possible.
Place a towel under your lower back, cross it around your waist, and take the ends in your hands.
As you exhale, slightly lift your head and shoulders, while pulling the edges of the towel together to compress the waist and diastasis area.
Hold your breath and hold this position for 2-5 seconds.
Return to the starting position.

You need to perform the system daily, doing ten repetitions at a time.

This exercise will not only help you get rid of the symptoms of diastasis, but is also recommended for significantly improving your well-being and preventing spinal diseases, for example, hernia.

Get on all fours. In this case, the back should be straight; it should not be rounded or arched excessively.
As you exhale, arch your back upward, rounding it like a cat, while mentally pressing your stomach to your back and tensing its muscles.
Keeping your stomach tight and drawn in, inhale and bend slightly in the opposite direction.

You can perform from 10 to 15 repetitions at a time. At the same time, make sure that in the intervals between exercises your back is straight and your breathing does not falter. It is recommended to do the movement daily, and if you have the opportunity and time, then it is better not just once, but several times.

This simple movement will not only help correct the problem of diastasis, but will also help work out the muscles of the back, as well as pump up the buttocks.

Lie back down on a yoga mat.
Bend your legs at the knees, feet parallel to each other, as close to the buttocks as possible, but pressed firmly to the floor.
The hands are relaxed, located along the body, palms down.
As you exhale, lift your pelvis and point it as high as possible. In this case, you need to tense your abdominal muscles, pull in your stomach and buttocks. Keep your back straight.
As you inhale, return to your original position and relax.

It also doesn’t hurt to repeat this exercise 10-15 times daily.

Lumbar twist and stretch

This exercise will require special care. In general, it is better for beginners to refuse to perform it until the symptoms of diastasis become less noticeable. In any case, it must be done very carefully, without straining too much, so as not to aggravate the problem.

The starting position is the same as in the previous movement - lying on your back with your knees bent.
As you exhale, draw in your stomach and turn your head in one direction and your knees in the opposite direction.
Hold the position for a few seconds.
As you inhale, return to the original position.

You need to repeat this exercise about 10-15 times, and do it every day, or even several times, if there is no discomfort or pain in the area of diastasis.

Leg bending and stretching

The exercise can be divided into two separate ones, or it can be combined into one, as it is more convenient for you.

Take a standard lying position with your knees bent.
As you exhale, bend your leg and pull it towards your stomach so that your knee is clearly above your pelvic bone.
As you inhale, lower and straighten your leg so that your foot slides along the surface of the floor.

Repeat the exercises alternately with one leg and then the other. A total of 20-30 repetitions should be obtained.

Precautions for postpartum diastasis

If you have such a disease, first of all you need to try to give up anything that can increase abdominal pressure. You will have to relearn how to lift weights correctly, even the most minimal ones, get out of bed after sleep or even after a chair, brother in the arms of a child. From now on you will also have to sleep and cough with special care, at least until the moment of relative recovery.

Lifting anything heavy, weighing more than five kilograms, is strictly prohibited. But even small weights must be lifted by bending the elbows, and not by lifting with straight arms.
Don't pick up your baby as soon as he starts crying. If you can’t calm him down, first put on a postpartum bandage, or you can simply wrap yourself tightly in a sheet or diaper.
If you have a cough of any nature, be it an illness or you just choked, always place the palm of one hand on your abs and hold it.
Try to always maintain correct posture. You should not slouch or bend excessively.

We have already mentioned getting out of bed, as well as from a chair. You will have to do this slightly sideways for some time, but the muscles will not move further apart, and for this it is worth enduring the inconvenience. Above all, do not forget to sleep on your side or back, otherwise the problem cannot be avoided.

Many women face diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles; special exercises for tightening and strengthening the abdominal muscles will help solve this problem. In this material you will find everything you need to know about diastasis, including an effective training complex for eliminating it.

Causes of diastasis and its prevention

Diastasis is the separation of the edges of the abdominal muscles, which occurs due to stretching of the linea alba. The abdomen looks bulging and saggy. We list the main reasons that cause this problem:

bearing a child and giving birth - due to strong pressure;
excessive physical activity, heavy lifting for a long time;
age-related changes - if you do not strengthen the abdominal muscles, the connective tissue begins to weaken;
violation of metabolism and metabolic processes;
a large amount of excess weight – obesity.

Prevention of diastasis is based on the causes of its occurrence, not counting pregnancy. To prevent its occurrence, you need to lead a correct lifestyle. Watch your weight, eat healthy food and don’t forget about physical activity (any kind of sport - all sports strengthen the muscle corset). Also, don't allow yourself to overexert yourself by lifting heavy weights.

How to identify diastasis?

Women often confuse diastasis with simple weight gain. Therefore, they actively try to lose weight and resort to strength training, including abdominal training. And this, unfortunately, only aggravates the problem and can lead to serious consequences (below we provide a list of what is strictly prohibited for diastasis).

Therefore, you need to know exactly how to distinguish excess weight and weakened abdominal muscles from their discrepancy - diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles. A simple test will help you with this.

You need to lie on your back with your knees bent. Place one hand behind your head and leave the other on your stomach. Lift your upper body off the surface as if you were trying to bring your chest closer to your knees. At this moment, the abdominal muscles begin to work. Feel the central area of the abdomen along the entire length with the fingers of your free hand. If you find an empty area (hollow) that does not tense in this exercise, this is diastasis.

How to detect diastasis

The larger and deeper this empty space, the more serious the degree. A discrepancy of 5 to 7 cm is considered mild. A linea alba that is more than 10 cm long already requires surgical intervention.

You should not delay the treatment of diastasis. If you do not deal with this problem, diastasis will begin to progress. In the future, diastasis can provoke the appearance of a hernia and prolapse of the level of internal organs. Special exercises for women that need to be performed regularly - in the form of a full workout - will help prevent this.

What should you not do if you have diastasis?

You should categorically refuse to lift heavy weights. Avoid slouching and try to keep your back straight. You need to sleep exclusively on your back - so as not to provoke excessive pressure on the abdominal muscles.

Exercises that increase intra-abdominal pressure are strictly prohibited. Among them are almost all abdominal exercises - crunches, bicycles, leg raises and others (in their classic variations). The same applies to push-ups and all kinds of planks. In the complex below, we will offer safer and more effective variations of these exercises to properly tighten the abdominal muscles.

Set of exercises

The set of exercises outlined is intended for women experiencing diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles. These exercises help strengthen the muscle corset and bring the longitudinal abdominal muscles closer together.

Vacuum. Stand straight, tilt your chest forward slightly (bending slightly). Exhale completely. Inhale and draw your stomach in, as if you are trying to pull it towards your spine. Hold this position for 10 seconds, then exhale and relax. Take several quiet inhale-exhale cycles and perform the exercise 5 more times. Before the exercise, you should not drink or eat for at least 1-2 hours.

How to make a vacuum

Partial twist. This exercise is similar to the diastasis test. Lie on your back with your legs bent. Hands at your sides, lower back clearly fixed on the floor. Exhale and lift your upper torso, including your arms. Hold this position for a couple of seconds, lower yourself back to the surface, inhale and relax. Do it 5 times.
Bridge. We remain in a lying position with knees bent. Now we raise the pelvis so that the legs, hips, stomach and chest form a straight inclined line. Lock in this position for 2 seconds and lower your pelvis to the floor surface. Relax your muscles. Repeat 7 times.

Bicycle variation. We again take a lying position. The knees are still in a bent position. Bring one knee toward your chest and straighten your leg up. Then bend your knee back and place your foot on the floor. Repeat with the opposite leg. Do 10 times for each.
Straight line. Now take the “on all fours” position. In one motion, straighten your left leg back and extend your right arm forward. So that they form an even straight line with the back. Hold for 2 seconds and lower them back to the floor surface. Do the same with the opposite leg and arm. Number of repetitions: 10 times on each side.

Cat. Stay on all fours. Leaning on your hands and knees, arch your back slightly and at the same time tighten your stomach. Hold for a couple of seconds. Then bend in the opposite direction with a not too large amplitude - without relaxing the abdominal muscles and keeping it taut. Return to the starting position. Do the movement 4 more times.

Cat

Knee crunches. Lie on your back again with your knees bent. Keep your stomach tucked and your arms extended to the sides. Bend your knees to the left - twisting at the abdomen and waist. At the same time, the back and shoulder blades seem to be “glued” to the floor. Then return to the starting position and twist in the other direction. Do 5 times on each side.

Set of exercises

Some beginners and experienced athletes notice that their abs, even with regular training, are far from ideal. Moreover, it seems that the stomach is getting even bigger. Some trainees continue to stubbornly train the problem area, some give up abdominal training, and others meticulously look for the causes of such muscle “whims”. Let’s take a closer look at one of them – diastasis. This is the divergence of the abdominal muscles relative to the central axis or the so-called “white line” formed by the fibers connecting the muscles.

You can diagnose diastasis yourself, but after home diagnostics it is better to consult a doctor to completely confirm or refute the presence of the problem. The home method looks like this: lie on a hard, flat surface (preferably the floor) so that your back is completely adjacent to it, with your knees bent and your feet fully on the floor. The left hand is under the head, the right hand is in the navel area. Now we raise our head until the abs are tense, and at the same time we probe the stomach along the middle axis with our fingers, smoothly plunging our fingers into it. A large depression, clearly palpable with your fingers between the muscles, is diastasis. The stage is determined by the width of the depression:

Stage I – discrepancy up to 5 cm;
Stage II – discrepancy from 6 to 9 cm;
Stage III – discrepancy of 15 cm or more.

The discrepancy is due to weak internal abdominal muscles - yes, we have those too. The location and appearance of the abdominal muscles depends on their condition. For this reason, diastasis is most common:

In women during the postpartum period:

after caesarean section;
during the second and subsequent pregnancies.

In weightlifters and powerlifters working with heavy weights.

In mothers, the fetus presses on the abdominal wall, stretching the connecting fibers; also, during a caesarean section, there is a high probability of cutting these fibers, which leads to loss of elasticity and loss of their main function - muscle fixation.

Athletes who work with heavy weights experience an excess weight load on the abdominal wall and internal abdominal muscles, which the rest of the muscles simply cannot handle - especially the back. Axiom: a weak, untrained back means an increased likelihood of developing diastasis.

The bad news: at stage III, abdominal exercises are practically useless; it is recommended to resort to abdominoplasty. This is a surgical intervention that restores the normal distance between the straight “cubes” of the press; we will not dwell on it here. Now the good news: correction of stages I and II and a tummy tuck without surgery are quite possible.

The main principle: do no harm!

Many people, especially girls, zealously begin to pump up their abs, trying to regain their shape as quickly as possible. As a result, the initial stage very quickly turns into the second, and the result of vigorous activity can be the third, operable stage and even a hernia. Therefore, before eliminating the problem, you need to know exactly which exercises you can do and which are strictly contraindicated.

A doctor or trainer with a medical education will tell you how to choose the best options for yourself and create an individual complex, and you can ask them to create a training program for abdominal correction. An experienced trainer can give advice on how to train correctly to remove diastasis without overloading the internal muscles and without reducing the dynamics of recovery, and will help you choose the type of exercise individually. The main thing: you need to make sure that he is competent in this matter and has real experience in correcting this problem.

And first:

Rating of the best abdominal trainings successfully used against diastasis, for weight loss and general strengthening of the muscle corset.

It is better to start with exercises that train the internal abdominal muscles and abdominal wall. They will prepare the internal abdominal muscles for the next level of stress in order to minimize pain during more serious training options, increase the effectiveness of the next stage of training and not aggravate the problem.

This exercise is absolutely safe, suitable even for mothers after childbirth; at the same time, it perfectly strengthens the internal muscles and abdominal wall. You can perform the vacuum in any position: sitting, standing or lying down. Draw in your stomach as much as possible, as if trying to reach your navel with your spine, hold in this position for 20-30 seconds, then smoothly relax your abs. You can gradually increase the delay time to 40 seconds.

Advantages:

Safety and proven effectiveness.

Flaws:

The result is not immediately noticeable; for a long time it will seem that there is no improvement at all.

Can also be performed from any position. Take a deep breath, while drawing in your stomach, then release air from your lungs in small portions, keeping your abs tense.

Important! You cannot inhale air “into the stomach”, inflating it - this will create additional pressure on the internal muscles and connecting fibers. We don't need to stretch them, but work through them to strengthen them.

Advantages:

Ease and versatility of execution: anywhere and in almost any position.

Flaws:

The effect is also invisible visually, which creates a certain psychological problem - it seems that the exercise is absolutely useless.

These two training options maximize the use of the internal abdominal muscles. They should be performed daily, giving each one at least 5 repetitions of 2-3 approaches. The duration of the course is from 1 to 2 months. For the first two weeks, it is better to do only them, then, focusing on your own feelings, you can gradually add more intense training to them. After three weeks from the start of training, you can include one exercise in the complex, after another week - the second. A review of the most effective of them was compiled in 2019: two thirds were successfully used to treat diastasis in the middle of the twentieth century and are still relevant today, due to their effectiveness and safety. But research continues, which means new trainings are appearing, the benefits of which are confirmed by an ever-increasing number of patients who have tried them directly on themselves.

Lifting the pelvis while lying down

Lying on the floor, arms extended along the body, legs bent at the knees;
As you exhale, raise your pelvis so that your legs to your knees form a straight line with your body, and as you inhale, lower yourself to the floor.

In the future, you can increase the load by raising one leg together with the pelvis so that it forms a straight line with the body, or placing it on the thigh of the supporting leg.

Important! If there is an umbilical hernia, it is performed in a special bandage* and only after the doctor’s permission. In case of excessive load, characterized by discomfort or pain, the level of pelvic lift should be reduced.

Advantages:

Stimulates blood circulation;
Can be done at home;
Included in the rehabilitation complex after surgical removal of an umbilical hernia.

Flaws:

May cause pain.

* To choose the right bandage, you need to pay attention to the following selection criteria:

Functional. Types of bandages are classified depending on what the product is purchased for. For weight loss and correction of diastasis after pregnancy, fitted lightweight options are suitable; for more pronounced problems, for example, due to working with heavy weight loads, it is better to consider rigid corsets.
Price. Here you can navigate through customer reviews and take into account the popularity of the models in order to create a comparative analysis of which brand of bandage is better to purchase in order to ultimately buy a quality product at a reasonable price. Budget bandages of good quality can be found from Russian manufacturers. The best manufacturers of these products, according to buyers, are Germans. Their bandages are the best, meet all the requirements for convenience and functionality, but for them you will have to pay an order of magnitude higher than for their Russian counterparts.
Characteristics. It is worth paying attention to the material of the product and its characteristics (breathable or denser), taking into account individual preferences and characteristics, study the description to understand whether this or that product is right for you.

Side plank

Well stimulates the oblique muscles, which “push” the rectus muscles towards each other. We do:

Stand on the elbow and the edge of the foot, the thigh lies on the floor, the other hand can be placed on the thigh or rested on the floor if it is difficult to immediately perform the plank without additional support;
As you exhale, raise your thigh, trying to keep your body in one straight line, and as you inhale, return to the starting position.

Important! If it is difficult to perform the plank straight from your feet, you can start doing it while resting on your knees with bent legs.

Advantages:

Unlike a standard plank, it does not allow the press to sag;
Strengthens the lower back.

Flaws:

It cannot be used if the muscle frame is severely weakened or has never been trained - first you need to strengthen it with easier training options.

Crunches with a towel

A lighter version of crunches: a towel here reduces excess stress on the abs. Performance:

Wrap your torso in a towel, lie on the floor, holding the crossed ends of the towel in your hands, legs bent at the knees, feet on the floor;
As you exhale, lift your head, neck and shoulders, at the same time pull your body by the towel, and as you inhale, return to the starting position.

Advantages:

Strengthens the neck, abs and abdominal wall.

Flaws:

It is possible to overstrain the abdominal muscles if they are weakened or have not been previously trained.

Sliding leg crunches from a lying position

This lighter version of side crunches tightens the lower abdominal muscles. Performance:

Lying on the floor, legs straight, hands behind your head;
As you exhale, the legs bend at the knees, the feet do not lift off the floor;
The legs bent at the knees are lowered to the left until they touch the floor;
While inhaling, return to the starting position;
As you exhale, repeat the movement with the other leg.

Important! In the presence of an umbilical hernia, it can only be performed on the recommendation of the attending physician, if he considers it effective in this particular case. If you have a hernia, be sure to wear a special bandage before starting training.

Advantages:

Involves the rectus and oblique muscles;
Recommended for diastasis and umbilical hernia in the initial stage in some cases;
Included in the rehabilitation training complex after hernia surgery.

Flaws:

If done incorrectly, it can make the problem worse.

Wall Squats

Not only the abs are tense, but also the pelvic muscles, increasing blood flow. Performed with a ball:

Press your back against the wall to straighten it as much as possible;
As you exhale, slowly lower yourself to a right angle with your knees bent;
Hold the ball with your knees and stay in this position for 20-30 seconds;
Return to the starting position with the ball between your knees.

You can buy a fitness ball or a regular soccer ball. If you have doubts about which one is better to buy, you can search the Internet for reviews of fitball buyers, or go to the forum: you will probably find people there with a similar problem who have already purchased this equipment for abdominal training. In this case, it doesn’t matter which one is better to buy: for our purpose, any option, both branded and inexpensive, is suitable - the main thing is that it is tightly inflated with air.

Advantages:

Increases blood flow in the pelvic muscles, which has a beneficial effect on the internal abdominal muscles;
Statically strains the abdominal wall.

Flaws:

Before including the exercise in your workout, you should strengthen your abdominal muscles so as not to immediately create excessive stress.

Loads the oblique muscles. Rotation is performed as usual: an average of 15 minutes in each direction. It is necessary to change the direction of movement in order to obtain an even load on the muscles, thereby eliminating asymmetry.

Important! For abdominal diastasis, it is better to use a hula hoop without weights and massage balls.

The average price of this is low - from 200 to 500 rubles, depending on the material. The functionality is the same for all, so you can give preference to a budget model - according to customer reviews, an inexpensive steel hoop is no worse than a more expensive plastic analogue from a well-known manufacturer.

Advantages:

Massage with a hoop stimulates blood circulation in both the external and internal abs, promoting their recovery.

Flaws:

It is ineffective if performed in a single version; it is better to combine it with other trainings.

Lying leg extension

It works well on external and internal muscles; the load is more static than dynamic, which strengthens the internal muscles. Performance:

Lying on the floor, arms extended along the body, you can place them under the pelvis to reduce the load;
Legs bent at the knees, shins parallel to the floor;
As you exhale, straighten your legs, simultaneously pull in your stomach, hold for 10-15 seconds, and while inhaling, return to the starting position.

Important! If you experience excessive tension or pain, you should stop doing it so as not to aggravate the problem.

Advantages:

Strengthening the abdominal wall and connecting fibers.

Flaws:

It is effective only in combination with other exercises.

All of the listed training options are aimed largely at intensive training of the internal abdominal muscles, and influence the external ones indirectly. They can be performed both at home and in the gym; they are universal and suitable for both women and men. You can change training options to increase the dynamics of recovery, since muscle tissue (including internal) gradually gets used to the same type of load, and the effect from them gradually decreases. At the same time, you should always listen sensitively to your body, focus on your own feelings and the doctor’s recommendations. Advice from a specialist will help you decide which exercises cannot be done in your particular case, and which are acceptable.

Regarding exercise in the gym with diastasis of the recti muscles, we can say the following: it is better to train your arms or legs using exercise equipment that partially compensates for the load. Such training will improve blood circulation in all muscle groups, training them and indirectly loading the abdominal muscles and strengthening them. The following are quite suitable for this:

Reduction and extension of legs in the simulator;
flexion and extension of legs in the simulator;
training with dumbbells or in a power rack-simulator for muscle groups of the back, chest and arms.

Prohibited exercises

If you practiced intense physical training before diagnosing diastasis, you will have to forget about it for the entire recovery period. There are also general recommendations on which exercises can be done and which are strictly contraindicated. These recommendations are relevant regardless of the stage of diastasis. So, what exercises should you not do in any case:

standard plank face down;
all types of twists, including lifting legs while hanging or lying down;
twisting with weights or with a roller;
all exercises in the knee-elbow position;
twisting on a large fitball (ball).

The same goes for any weight-bearing exercise:

squats;
deadlift;
floor press;
pull-ups;
hyperextension in the simulator;
jumping (including with a skipping rope);
swing your legs with weights.

Running: is it possible or not?

Jogging or walking is completely acceptable. It is better, of course, to transfer these loads to fresh air; for this, instead of an ellipsoid, you can consider the option of Nordic walking. During cardio exercise, blood flow increases; when performed in the fresh air, muscle fibers are more actively saturated with oxygen, receiving an additional reserve for regeneration. You just need to focus not on the duration, but on the frequency and regularity of such loads. Jogging for 20 minutes every other day or every day will bring more benefits than a 2-hour marathon once or twice a week.

It is important to remember: all trainings are carried out under control, as smoothly as possible. No jerks or swings - only precise, calm, complete movements. Otherwise, you may make the problem worse. During execution, be sure to control your abs, slightly pulling in your stomach so that you feel a slight tension. It is unacceptable to relax your stomach so that the muscles sag.

You should train in 3-4 sets of 5 to 10 repetitions, depending on your condition and sensations, gradually increasing the number of repetitions to 12-15.

It is recommended to divide the training period into time periods of 2 to 3 weeks. At the beginning and end of each interval, you can take measurements of the problem area and before and after photos - this way the positive dynamics will be clearly visible and you will be motivated to continue training.

Control your feelings, under no circumstances perform training through pain, do not act on the principle: “Take more, throw further.” In this case, it will only make the problem worse.

Review your diet, include fiber, fruits and vegetables - a malfunctioning intestine will slow down the process of muscle recovery.

Spending more time in the fresh air - the benefits of oxygen in recovery have already been discussed in the section on cardio exercise.

Have patience. Muscle recovery is a long process, in this case aggravated by damage to the tissues of the internal muscles, so it is necessary to immediately tune in to long-term, methodical work. The first improvements will appear no earlier than 1.5 months after the start of training; it will be possible to completely restore the abdominal muscles in the period from 6 to 9 months.

And the main thing is to remember: the one who walks will master the road. We should use the hidden reserves of our own body, which we sometimes are not even aware of, unfairly neglecting them. You need to become a sculptor of your own body, gradually improving it every day, and believe in the result - only then can you achieve your goal.