Pregnancy asks a lot of your body. Just ask your core! As your baby grows, your abdominal wall expands, your connective tissue stretches, and your deep core muscles work overtime to provide support, from your ribs all the way down to your belly button.
For many people, these natural changes can lead to diastasis recti, a separation of the abdominal muscles. And while this condition is incredibly common, it doesn’t mean you’re stuck with the discomfort.
With the right support, which includes pelvic floor physical therapy for diastasis recti, you can feel more connected to your body again, support healing, and even reduce the risk of things getting worse.
Want help rebuilding your core safely? Inside the V-Hive, you’ll find expert-guided exercise programs designed specifically for diastasis recti and pelvic floor recovery.
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What is diastasis recti?
Diastasis recti is the separation of your rectus abdominis muscles. These muscles run in a straight line down your abdomen (often referred to as the “six-pack” muscles) and meet at your midline near your belly button.
The right and left sides of these muscles are connected by a band of connective tissue called the linea alba. During pregnancy, the linea alba stretches and thins to make room for your growing baby.
This is a totally normal change. But sometimes, that stretch becomes a bit more than your body can tighten on its own. And for some, the muscle separation can stick around well after recovering in the postpartum.
What are the symptoms of diastasis recti?
Diastasis recti doesn’t always cause symptoms. But when it does, it can affect both how your core looks and how it functions.
Common symptoms include:
- A gap along the midline of your abdomen
- Doming or “coning” when sitting up or engaging your core
- A sense of weakness through your core
- Ability to sink fingers into midline of abdomen, often measured in finger widths
- Poor posture or decreased trunk stability
Because your abdominals are just one part of a larger system, diastasis recti may also be linked to pelvic floor dysfunction and intra-abdominal pressure issues. So, you might also notice symptoms like low back pain, urinary incontinence, or a feeling of heaviness.1
Not sure if your symptoms are related to diastasis recti or pelvic floor dysfunction? The V-Hive can help you connect the dots and guide your next steps.
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Why pelvic floor physical therapy for diastasis recti is important
One of the best ways to improve diastasis recti is through exercise. But it’s not just about doing random core workouts. You need to follow a structured, intentional exercise program that’s tailored to your body.
Research shows that recovery depends more on how your body coordinates movement, breath, and pressure than on avoiding specific exercises.
For example, exercises like curl-ups or crunches are often labeled as “bad.” But when done correctly — and with proper transversus abdominis activation, breath control, and pelvic floor coordination — they can actually improve abdominal muscle function and increase muscle thickness.2,3
This is why pelvic floor physical therapy (PT) is so important. A pelvic floor physical therapist can:
- Assess your core and pelvic floor function
- Teach proper breathing mechanics and pressure management
- Guide safe and effective diastasis recti exercises, including targeted core strengthening exercises
- Build a personalized and progressive rehab program
- Help restore core stability and functional strength
Pelvic floor therapy for diastasis recti is both safe and effective for improving both function and symptoms.
Explore guided pelvic floor and core workouts inside the V-Hive.
Can you prevent diastasis recti?
Diastasis recti is not 100% preventable. That’s because things like your genetics, body size, and the number of pregnancies you’ve had all play a role.
And since nearly all pregnant people will have some amount of abdominal separation by their third trimester, the goal isn’t usually prevention.4 Instead, it’s important to reduce the severity of your diastasis recti and support better recovery in the postpartum.
What actually helps prevent diastasis recti?
There’s a lot of conflicting advice around diastasis recti exercises. It’s easy to feel like you’re either doing too much, or not enough.
Instead of avoiding movement or certain exercises, focus on building strength, coordination, and pressure control throughout your entire core with well-designed core strengthening exercises. Here are some strategies that can help.
Breathing and pressure management
Breathing plays a key role in your core strength and function.
Holding your breath during movement increases pressure through your abdomen (intra-abdominal pressure) and pelvic floor. And this can add strain to your linea alba over time.
It’s better to focus on controlled deep breaths and exhaling during effort to help your core respond more effectively. This is important whether you’re lifting, standing, or exercising.
Strengthening deep core muscles
Your transversus abdominis, diaphragm, and pelvic floor muscles form your deep core. Together, these muscles:
- Stabilize your spine and pelvis
- Support your abdominal wall
- Help manage pressure during movement
Research shows that using these muscles during activities that increase core pressure can create better tension across the abdominal wall without excessive strain.2
Incorporating these into your routine through intentional core strengthening exercises is key to improving core strength, tension, and functional stability for diastasis recti recovery.
Being intentional with exercise
Many exercises for diastasis recti can be helpful, but only when performed correctly.
Exercises like pelvic tilts, planks, bridges, and even modified curl-ups can all be appropriate, depending on your ability to control pressure and engage your deep core.
Expert guidance is important, and progression should be based on your individual ability, not just a generic postpartum timeline.
Modifying daily activities
Your core works all day, not just during workouts.
Simple adjustments, like rolling to your side to get out of bed or exhaling when lifting, can reduce strain on your abdominal wall and make a big difference.
How to heal diastasis recti with pelvic floor physical therapy
Diastasis recti is a normal part of pregnancy. But ongoing symptoms don’t have to be.
With a guided approach that includes pelvic floor and deep core strengthening, proper breathing techniques, and pressure management, you can rebuild strength, improve function, and feel more confident in your body again.
If you’re tired of guessing which exercises are safe or best for your symptoms, you don’t have to figure it out alone.
Join the V-Hive today to follow a step-by-step program designed to heal diastasis recti, strengthen your pelvic floor, and rebuild your core with confidence.
Sources
- Hall, H., et al. (2023). Diastasis Recti Rehabilitation. StatPearls.
- Lee, D., et al. (2016). Behavior of the Linea Alba During a Curl-up Task in Diastasis Rectus Abdominis: An Observational Study. JOSPT.
- Gluppe, S. B., et al. (2023). Curl-up exercises improve abdominal muscle strength without worsening inter-recti distance in women with diastasis recti abdominis postpartum: a randomised controlled trial. Journal of physiotherapy.
- Sperstad, J. B., et al. (2016). Diastasis recti abdominis during pregnancy and 12 months after childbirth: prevalence, risk factors and report of lumbopelvic pain. British journal of sports medicine.
