It is so important to continue to share and talk about how vital it is to take time to heal your body after pregnancy and childbirth. A lot has happened but the crucial first step is to close your Diastasis Recti and heal your abs. This is the article I wrote for Whitney Ports’ blog when my eldest kids were still toddlers and I still give out the same advice!

Want to know more about Diastasis Recti and access 500+ on-demand pre and postnatal Pilates workouts? – Start your 14 day FREE trial today.

How have your abs changed & what do you need to do to repair them?

I’m a mum of two toddlers so I know how crazy life with little ones can be – the juggling is real. As a pilates instructor, I know how important it is to correctly strengthen and prepare the body during pregnancy, and safely reconnect and reactivate the body postpartum. I founded the online studio Bodylove Mamas as a dedicated space for strong mamas to be able to access workouts that are tailored to their exact condition, Prenatal, Postnatal, and Beyond – anytime, anywhere. I met Whitney during her pregnancy and we’re now working together during her busy postnatal period to address the reconnection of core and strengthen her for the challenges of being a new mum. The first and crucial step is to reactivate the core and ab separation that occurs during pregnancy.

So as if being a new mama didn’t throw enough challenges at you – you now have to navigate the process of healing your abs. You’re time-starved, sleep deprived, and the idea of getting into gym gear and working out is almost laughable! As a mum I get it, but as a Pilates instructor, I want to educate you on how & when it is best to start repairing your core and make it super easy for you to do! (in your PJs)

Before we get started with the moves a few tips;

1. You can begin these gentle core breathing exercises the day after you have given birth! The sooner you begin, the quicker you will progress.
2. Belly band, Spanx – whatever sort of support wear you prefer, wear it! Immediately and as much as you can bare. The core muscle we are targeting to repair your abs is called the Transverse Abdominus (TVA). This muscle actually looks like a corset, wrapping around your midsection. It cinches, lengthens, and importantly pulls the separated abs closer together. By wearing support underwear you are effectively “faking it – til you make it”.
3. Your Pelvic Floor is part of the core repair process – don’t ignore it or you will pee in your pants every time you sneeze, or cough you get the drift.
4. Slow & steady wins the race – it’s not fair but there is no quick fix for reconnecting your abs. Consistency, patience, and dedication to your progress is the only way.
5. Learn how to assess your abs – Diastasis Recti refers to the separation of the 6-pack layer of your abs & the stretching of the connective tissue that runs down the midline of the body called your linea alba. You need to learn how to assess how far apart your abs are so you can track your progress.
6. NO CRUNCHES or PLANKS – please. This will only create a larger Diastasis. All in good time!

Learn more about Diastasis Recti – how to test & how to heal here

THE 5 MOVES

Belly Button to Spine

SET-UP – Get seated comfortably in neutral – on a physioball, yoga block, or household chair – just make sure your weight is evenly distributed on your sitting bones.

INSTRUCTIONS

• INHALE – through your nose and allow your belly to fill up with air and your stomach muscles to completely relax.
• EXHALE – a long, slow, even breath out your mouth as you imagine your TVA wrapping around your midsection, pulling your belly button in all the way to the spine, knitting the two sides of the abs together.

REPS – 20

TIP –  If you are having trouble feeling the wrapping sensation of the TVA – wrap a scarf around your midsection. As you exhale pull each side of the scarf away from the body. This process is called Splinting.

TVA Counting

SET-UP – on all fours – wrists under shoulders, knees & hips, and spine & pelvis in neutral.

INSTRUCTIONS

• INHALE – through your nose and allow your belly to fill up with air and your stomach muscles to completely relax down toward the ground
• EXHALE – a long, slow, even breath out your mouth as you imagine your TVA wrapping around your midsection, pulling your belly button in all the way to the spine – keep your belly button on your spine and begin to count out loud. Start by counting to 10 and build to 25.

TIP – Make sure you are verbalizing the counting. The goal of this exercise is to be able to maintain the belly button spine connection while you breathe. Holding your breath creates tension in the body and strain on the organs.

Bird Dog

SET-UP – on all fours – wrists under shoulders, knees and hips, and spine and pelvis in neutral.

INSTRUCTIONS

• INHALE – through your nose and allow your belly to fill up with air and your stomach muscles to completely relax.
• EXHALE – a long, slow, even breath out your mouth as you imagine your TVA wrapping around your midsection, pulling your bellybutton in all the way to the spine, knitting the two sides of the abs together, then reach your left arm and right leg out away from the body. Nothing in the spine should change.
• INHALE – through your nose again and bring the arm and leg back to the start position.
• EXHALE- out your mouth again and switch.

REPS – 8 on each side

Pelvic Tilt

SET-UP  – Lie on your back with your knees bent and find a neutral position of your pelvis by placing the heel of your hands on your hip bones and your middle fingers reaching toward your pubic bone. You want these three points to be in line with each other.

INSTRUCTIONS

• INHALE – through your nose and feel your ribcage expand out and up to the sides.
• EXHALE – a long, slow, breath out your mouth, feeling first your pelvic floor lift, next your TVA knits together and oblique and 6 pack also activating to hollow out your low abs and gently rock your pelvis back off your sitting bones – creating a small C shape between your bellybutton and pubic bone.
• INHALE – again and gently rock back to the start position by lengthening the pubic bone way from the belly button.

REPS – 15

CHALLENGE – Maintain the pelvic tilt and add a head float. This is not a crunch, the range of motion is small. You must maintain the belly button to spine connection and pelvic tilt and on the next exhale you nod your chin and float the head and tops of the shoulders up. Reps 8

Bridging

SET UP – on your back, pelvis and spine in neutral. The knees are bent, feet are parallel and in line with the sitting bones.

INSTRUCTIONS

• INHALE – through your nose and prepare for the movement.
• EXHALE  – out your mouth and first feel your pelvic floor lift, your belly button pull into your spine to gently tilt the pelvis back to connect ribs and hips. Maintain this connection and slowly articulate the spine as you peel the pelvis up.
• INHALE – again through your nose and maintain the hip lift and deep core wrapping.
• EXHALE – again out your mouth and slowly articulate the spine back down vertebrae by vertebrae.

REPS – 1

Words are taken from this article written by Ali Handley.

Have you recently had a baby and want to safely but effectively start moving your body again? Join Ali and new mama Mel in our NEW Fourth Trimester collection of workouts here.