So you ask... “Kate, what exactly is a Diastasis and how does it happen”? A Diastasis or specifically Diastasis Recti happens due to weakness in your transverse abdominals. This results in a protruding abdominal wall and encourages a separation, or diastasis of the recti bellies. Ouch!! Relaxin and progesterone play a major role by softening the collagen fibers in fascia, tendons and linea alba, which make these tissues more elastic and less supportive to your growing uterus. All of these physiological changes coupled with poor body mechanics , poor posture and lack of strengthening exercises also contribute to the occurrence of a diastasis. “So what can I do so that this doesn’t happen to me”? you maybe asking yourself. This month I’m going to give you a few tips on how to strengthen your abs and pelvic floor through a series of simple exercises so you can minimize your lower back pain in pregnancy and beyond, have an easier birth, and prevent a Diastasis.
Exercise 1: Deep Belly Breathing
Sit with your legs crossed and your lower back supported, hands on your belly. Keeping your back and shoulders still-slowly inhale through your nose as you expand your belly. As you exhale through your mouth, draw in your abdominals, bringing your navel toward your spine.
Exercise 2: Contracting
Sit either in a chair or with legs crossed on the floor. Take a nice deep breath. Bring your belly halfway back toward your spine (3rd floor) as the starting position. From the third floor, pull back to your spine (5th floor) and count out loud (exhalation) with each contraction to 25, which is one set. Try practicing this several times a throughout the day until you can easily do sets of 100 throughout the day. Once you are a pro at this your can start the exercise at the 4th floor and pulling back to the spine.
Exercise 3: Pelvic Tilting -or- Cat/Cow pose
Get down on your hands and knees, wrists under shoulders and knees hip-width apart. Keeping your back flat, draw your abdominals up and in, bringing your navel to your spine. Hold for a count of 10-continue breathing normally. Tilt your pelvis under, bringing your pelvic bone toward your navel. Repeat up to 10 times. After completing your final rep, stand up by stepping one foot forward and pushing off your thigh with both hands. -Not only does this strengthen your abs, but your back and upper body as well.
Exercise 4: Elevators -or- Tupler Technique
It’s not only important to breathe correctly when you exercise, it’s also important to learn how to properly draw in your abdominal muscles before any activity, such as picking up your baby. By doing so, you use the transversus abdominis (aka the transverse), the innermost muscle that wraps around your abdomen and back like a corset. Strengthening the transverse protects your back and gives your belly a flatter appearance. The basis of the Tupler Technique is isolating the transverse. Here’s how:
The action of the transverse is front to back. Imagine your transverse is a sideways elevator with six floors. Take a deep breath through your nose as you expand your belly (fully expanded is the “first floor”) and fill your lungs. Exhale through your mouth and empty your lungs as you contract your transverse muscle back toward your spine, muscles pulled halfway toward the spine are the “third floor” and pulled in all the way to the spine is the “fifth floor” (a count of five). As you sit in a chair or with your legs crossed on the floor, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. During the exhalation, bring your navel all the way to your spine (fifth floor). You should hold at the fifth floor and count out loud to 30 while continuing to breathe normally and then repeat 5 more times to complete one set. Gradually try to work up to 50 sets a day.-Also bring your muscles to fifth floor position before you do any exercise moves and/or activities, such as getting out of bed or lifting groceries or baby.
Exercise 5: Squat Combo
Squat combo Holding a fixed object, such as a post or a sturdy chair, stand with your feet farther than hip-width apart. Lower your body into a deep squat, keeping your weight over your heels. (If your heels do not touch the floor, place a towel under them.) Do a Kegel, then draw your abs in as you exhale. Repeat combo 5 times.- This exercise not only strengthens the abs, but the legs and pelvic floor as well.
Exercise 6: Kegels
Squeeze the muscles around the vagina as if you are stopping the flow of urine; hold for 10 seconds, breathing normally, then slowly release. Do 20 reps five times a day.
The advantages of developing strong abdominal and pelvic floor muscles are numerous while you are pregnant. These exercises when done regularly, can help in preventing a diastasis, stabilize your back muscles, help you to push more effectively during labor, and help to prevent urinary incontinence later. If you have any questions about any of these exercises, feel free to gimme a call -or- set up an appointment and come on in to go over any of these exercises, body mechanics, or postural concerns in person.
Exercise 1: Deep Belly Breathing
Sit with your legs crossed and your lower back supported, hands on your belly. Keeping your back and shoulders still-slowly inhale through your nose as you expand your belly. As you exhale through your mouth, draw in your abdominals, bringing your navel toward your spine.
Exercise 2: Contracting
Sit either in a chair or with legs crossed on the floor. Take a nice deep breath. Bring your belly halfway back toward your spine (3rd floor) as the starting position. From the third floor, pull back to your spine (5th floor) and count out loud (exhalation) with each contraction to 25, which is one set. Try practicing this several times a throughout the day until you can easily do sets of 100 throughout the day. Once you are a pro at this your can start the exercise at the 4th floor and pulling back to the spine.
Exercise 3: Pelvic Tilting -or- Cat/Cow pose
Get down on your hands and knees, wrists under shoulders and knees hip-width apart. Keeping your back flat, draw your abdominals up and in, bringing your navel to your spine. Hold for a count of 10-continue breathing normally. Tilt your pelvis under, bringing your pelvic bone toward your navel. Repeat up to 10 times. After completing your final rep, stand up by stepping one foot forward and pushing off your thigh with both hands. -Not only does this strengthen your abs, but your back and upper body as well.
Exercise 4: Elevators -or- Tupler Technique
It’s not only important to breathe correctly when you exercise, it’s also important to learn how to properly draw in your abdominal muscles before any activity, such as picking up your baby. By doing so, you use the transversus abdominis (aka the transverse), the innermost muscle that wraps around your abdomen and back like a corset. Strengthening the transverse protects your back and gives your belly a flatter appearance. The basis of the Tupler Technique is isolating the transverse. Here’s how:
The action of the transverse is front to back. Imagine your transverse is a sideways elevator with six floors. Take a deep breath through your nose as you expand your belly (fully expanded is the “first floor”) and fill your lungs. Exhale through your mouth and empty your lungs as you contract your transverse muscle back toward your spine, muscles pulled halfway toward the spine are the “third floor” and pulled in all the way to the spine is the “fifth floor” (a count of five). As you sit in a chair or with your legs crossed on the floor, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. During the exhalation, bring your navel all the way to your spine (fifth floor). You should hold at the fifth floor and count out loud to 30 while continuing to breathe normally and then repeat 5 more times to complete one set. Gradually try to work up to 50 sets a day.-Also bring your muscles to fifth floor position before you do any exercise moves and/or activities, such as getting out of bed or lifting groceries or baby.
Exercise 5: Squat Combo
Squat combo Holding a fixed object, such as a post or a sturdy chair, stand with your feet farther than hip-width apart. Lower your body into a deep squat, keeping your weight over your heels. (If your heels do not touch the floor, place a towel under them.) Do a Kegel, then draw your abs in as you exhale. Repeat combo 5 times.- This exercise not only strengthens the abs, but the legs and pelvic floor as well.
Exercise 6: Kegels
Squeeze the muscles around the vagina as if you are stopping the flow of urine; hold for 10 seconds, breathing normally, then slowly release. Do 20 reps five times a day.
The advantages of developing strong abdominal and pelvic floor muscles are numerous while you are pregnant. These exercises when done regularly, can help in preventing a diastasis, stabilize your back muscles, help you to push more effectively during labor, and help to prevent urinary incontinence later. If you have any questions about any of these exercises, feel free to gimme a call -or- set up an appointment and come on in to go over any of these exercises, body mechanics, or postural concerns in person.
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Heaven Sent Childbearing & Healing Arts, LLC
5655 Bryant Street Suite 107
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
(412)880-7172
5655 Bryant Street Suite 107
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
(412)880-7172
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