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Heather Jeffcoat on Livestrong.com
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diastasis recti exercises
Diastasis recti exercises can help you repair ab separation while strengthening your core and pelvic floor muscles. Image Credit: FatCamera/E+/GettyImages
While researching this article about diastasis recti exercises, Livestrong author Amy Marturana Winderl, CPT reached out to me for some advice. Here is a brief synopsis of the article, with a link to the full article below.

Kasia Gondek, PT, DPT, CSCS

Do You Have Ab Muscle Separation? These 10 Diastasis Recti Exercises Can Help Fix It.

For how common it is, diastasis recti (DR) is a condition that's surprisingly misunderstood.

In short, DR is what it's called when your abdominal muscles separate — specifically, the two sides of your rectus abdominis (your "six-pack muscles"). Separated stomach muscles occur as a result of too much pressure inside the abdomen (intra-abdominal pressure). That's why it's extremely common during pregnancy.

As your pregnant belly grows, it puts pressure on the connective tissue in the middle of your tummy called the linea alba. Over time, the linea alba stretches, causing the two sides of your rectus abdominis to separate, explains Kasia Gondek, PT, DPT, CSCS, a women's health physical therapist at Femina Physical Therapy.

"When you gain weight in any other instance of life, you don't pick where. When you are pregnant, in 9 months you gain 30 pounds or so, and that's centralized through your core. Because of this, there is a level of separation that will occur," says Kristie Alicea, CPT, a pre/postnatal fitness specialist and founder of ABC Fit Collective.

However, pregnant people aren't the only people who are affected by DR. Abdominal separation can occur in people of any gender, especially those who carry a lot of visceral fat in the belly area, have poor core engagement or hold too much pressure in their abdomen during heavy lifting, Alicea says.

Fortunately, you can help minimize and repair abdominal separation with diastasis recti exercises. But first, here's how to test for DR and common signs to look out for.

Click here to read the full article on diastasis recti exercises at Livestrong's website.

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I was hopeful but frankly skeptical when the doctor treating me for Interstitial Cystitis recommended that I go to Heather for physical therapy. Medication and diet helped control my IC symptoms, but I had never heard of physical therapy being used to treat IC. The education and treatment I received from Heather was a revelation. She explained that the pain I experienced with IC had helped create a cycle of muscle guarding which affected the entire pelvic area. I had no idea of the amount of tension being held there. No wonder my husband and I had not been able to have sexual intercourse for years!

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I wanted to let you know that my pelvic floor held strong and gave me no trouble whatsoever in my trail race this morning (12 miles)! In a way, I felt like I ran better than ever because my core feels so rock solid from all the exercises you have me doing. That was especially valuable on the technical downhill - I just flew down the trail because I had confidence in my balance and form. Thank you for helping me get back to doing what I love.

-- A.W., age 32
(completed Post-partum Renewal Program using the InTone biofeedback/stim unit)

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