One of the most common issues to come up during pregnancy is diastasis recti abdominis, or DRA for short. Healing your diastasis recti can take some time, but McGurk says most women will make a full recovery within a year of delivery. Exercise is one of the most efficient ways to support this healing—but exercising incorrectly can delay the process. For example, “doing crunches without reeducating and strengthening the deeper muscles will worsen a DR,” says McGurk. “This is something that should be monitored by a therapist or trainer before attempting.” What’s more, “returning to exercise ‘as usual’ could worsen or contribute to pelvic floor dysfunctions or lower back pain,” says McGurk. This includes traditional fitness moves that involve flexion of the spine like the Pilates 100s, roll-ups, and crunches; or anything that further stretches the separation like yoga backbends, cobra, camel, and wheel. You should also avoid exercises like box jumps or planks that can stress the rectus muscles. When in doubt, keep your spine in neutral and do your transverse abdominis isolation exercise to check which muscles you’re using. Everybody will respond differently to pregnancy, but it’s good to keep in mind that even if you’re feeling “up for” an exercise or movement, it may not be in your best interest until the diastasis recti are closed. McGurk is a staunch believer that every single woman should see a pelvic physical therapist, ideally at six weeks postpartum. “This type of treatment will facilitate their own healing process; address common postpartum symptoms like pelvic pain and urinary leakage; as well as prevent issues in the future.” Of course, not everyone has an opportunity to see a PT right away, but McGurk recommends seeking help if you’re still dealing with a separation of two fingers width or more at six months postpartum.
