DIASTASIS RECTI: who else has this!? Here are some beginning moves to start when you feel ready to start bringing those abs back together postpartum. Remember this video is sped up by 4x... these moves are SLOW and CONTROLLED. Descriptions of moves below.
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1. Single leg lift: Lie on your back with one leg straight and the other bent. Place your fingers on your lower abdomen. Contract the lower abs, and while exhaling, lift the straight leg up in the air and back down. Do 3 sets of 8-10 on each leg.
2. Heel Slide: Lie on your back with both legs bent. Contract the lower abdominal muscles and as you exhale, slide on heel down the floor. Go as far as you can until you begin to feel your lower back lift off the floor. Pull the heel back in to starting position. Do 3 sets of 8-10 on each leg.
3. Back curl: Lying on your back, you should feel a natural arch between the floor and your lower back. Pull this arch flat to the floor, and gently release. Focus on using those innermost muscles. Try 3 sets of 8-10. (It's kind of hard to tell from this video, but I'm hoping the description will help!)
4. Bent Knee Fall Out: Lie on your back with both knees bent. Contracting stomach, exhale and lower one knee slowly down toward the ground without letting your hips roll, and return leg back to the center. Try not to have any movement in the leg. Do 3 sets of 8-10 each leg.
Exercises to avoid after your abs separate during pregnancy, and also after giving birth for 6 weeks:
Planks
Sit-ups
Heavy lifting or movements involving twisting of the spine
Crunches
Reverse curls
Roll-ups
Backbends
**Any exercises causing strain on the midline or causing the belly to push outward
️First and foremost, allow your body to heal, and love it the whole way through. You just grew a baby!
