Core Rehab

Diastasis recti (a.k.a. ab separation ouch!) is a common issue for many women, postpartum and beyond. But there are* fixes. Allow the experts to help you reunite your abs - and make them stronger than ever!

- By Jennifer Nied

Last winter, I watched my abs slowly fade away. I was maintaining my workouts and eating habits, yet my belly was growing with a baby on the way. Pregnant and overjoyed, a six-pack was the last thing on my mind. But I'd be lying if I didn't admit I also developed a fear of "breaking" my core and hurting my future fit-mom goals, to the point where I avoided ab moves entirely in my early preggo sweat routine. I knew staying active was healthy for mom and baby, so I sought out a prenatal trainer to ease my worries.

Dealing with your abdominals separating is actually a very real thing in pregnancy and postpartum. In fact, 66 percent of women will experience it in the third trimester and it's more common in those who have a C-section or give birth to multiples. Diastasis recti (DR) is the technical term for this gap (diastasis = separation) of varying size and depth along the connective tissue that holds the left and right side of the rectus abdominis muscle tightly together. In severe cases, DR looks like a rounded pooch and can lead to health concerns like lower back pain and pelvic floor dysfunction. Ask your doc to look for it six weeks postpartum, or try the finger check (see "Gauge the Gap") on your own.

Life-threatening? No. Life-altering? Most definitely. "Diastasis recti can make a difference in the way everything else in your body works," says certified personal trainer Sarah Bradford, founder of Luna Mother Collective.

But the gap doesn't have to be permanent there are evidencebased routines for getting your core clicking again. "Putting in the work can make you a better athlete and stronger than prebaby," says certified personal trainer and pre-and postnatal corrective exercise specialist Brooke Cates, founder of The Bloom Method. Ready?