Diastasis Recti: Healing and Rebuilding Your Core
What Diastasis Recti Really Is
Diastasis recti happens when the connective tissue that holds your left and right abdominal muscles together stretches and weakens. This creates a gap in the middle of your stomach, often showing as a bulge or ridge when you sit up, cough, or strain.
You may think of it as a cosmetic issue, but it is much more than that. When your abdominal wall separates, your core stability weakens, your posture changes, and you may struggle with everyday activities like lifting, bending, or even breathing deeply. For many women, diastasis recti appears after pregnancy, but men and women who gain significant weight or perform heavy lifting can develop it too.
How to Recognize It in Your Body
The most obvious sign is a midline bulge in your stomach that becomes more noticeable when you rise from lying down or when you strain your abdomen. But diastasis recti also affects how your body feels. You may notice your back aches more often, your core feels weak, and your belly looks rounded no matter how much you exercise. For postpartum women, this can feel discouraging when you expect your stomach to shrink but instead notice a persistent ridge.
Other signs include bloating, digestive discomfort, or poor posture. In some cases, diastasis recti contributes to pelvic floor dysfunction, which may cause urinary leakage or heaviness in your pelvis.
Myths and Facts About Diastasis Recti
One common myth is that crunches and sit-ups will fix your separation. In reality, these movements increase pressure on your abdominal wall and make the gap worse. Another myth is that diastasis recti always requires surgery. The truth is that many cases improve significantly with physiotherapy and proper exercises.
You may also hear that diastasis recti is only a postpartum issue. In fact, men, athletes, and people who gain weight quickly can develop it. Understanding these facts helps you avoid harmful advice and focus on what actually helps you heal.
Why It Happens to You
During pregnancy, your growing uterus pushes against your abdominal wall, and pregnancy hormones soften your connective tissue. This makes it easier for the abdominal muscles to separate. Outside of pregnancy, obesity, rapid weight gain, or heavy lifting without core support can overstretch your tissue. Even certain exercises — especially those that put intense pressure on your abdomen — can increase your risk.
How Doctors Diagnose Diastasis Recti
You can check for diastasis recti yourself by lying on your back, bending your knees, and lifting your head slightly. Place your fingers along your midline. If you feel a gap wider than two finger widths, you likely have diastasis recti. But a doctor or physiotherapist can confirm it more accurately. They may measure the gap with their hands or use ultrasound to assess how severe the separation is.
Treatment Options That Actually Work
The good news is that diastasis recti often improves with the right care. Your doctor or pelvic floor physiotherapist will guide you through safe exercises that activate your deep core and pelvic floor muscles. These exercises focus on drawing your abdomen inward gently, not forcing it outward. They may include guided breathing, transverse abdominis activations, and controlled pelvic tilts.
Abdominal binders or supportive garments may provide comfort, especially in the postpartum period. In severe cases, where the separation remains wide or you develop hernias, surgery may be necessary. Abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck surgery, repairs the connective tissue and restores abdominal strength.
How Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy Helps You Heal
Your core and pelvic floor work together like partners. When your abdominal wall weakens, your pelvic floor often struggles too. A pelvic floor physiotherapist can design a program that strengthens both at once. Through gentle manual therapy, guided breathing, and tailored exercises, they help you reconnect with your deep core muscles and restore function.
Pelvic floor physiotherapy also reduces symptoms like back pain, poor posture, and pelvic heaviness. By retraining your core and pelvic floor, you not only heal the separation but also prevent further injury.
Living Day-to-Day with Diastasis Recti
Diastasis recti affects how you move through your day. You may notice that lifting your baby, carrying groceries, or even getting out of bed feels harder than it used to. Your core provides the foundation for all movement, so when it weakens, you feel the impact in simple tasks. Clothes may fit differently, and the bulge in your stomach may make you feel self-conscious.
With treatment, you will gradually notice changes in your daily life. As your abdominal and pelvic floor muscles regain strength, your movements feel more stable and less painful. Tasks that once felt challenging like bending, standing tall, or breathing deeply, become easier again.
Prevention and Long-Term Care
Even after you start to heal, you need to protect your abdominal wall. Avoid high-pressure core exercises such as sit-ups, crunches, and heavy planks until your pelvic floor physiotherapist confirms your core can handle them. Learn to move mindful; exhale when you lift, engage your core when you stand, and maintain posture while you sit or walk.
Maintaining a healthy weight, staying active, and practicing core-safe exercises protect your midline long term. Eating a balanced diet also supports connective tissue health. Prevention is about making your core part of your lifestyle, not just part of your workout routine.
What Recovery Really Looks Like
Healing takes time, and you should set realistic expectations. You may see some improvement in just a few weeks of pelvic floor physiotherapy, but full recovery can take months. The separation may not close completely, but that doesn’t mean you can’t live without pain or instability. Many people with a small remaining gap still enjoy strong, functional cores.
Recovery also looks different for each person. Some heal primarily through exercise and pelvic floor physiotherapy, while others require surgical support. What matters is restoring balance, strength, and function so that your body works the way it should.
The Emotional Side of Healing
Diastasis recti affects more than your body. It affects how you feel about yourself. If you’re postpartum, you may feel discouraged that your body doesn’t “bounce back” as quickly as you expected. If you’ve developed it outside of pregnancy, you may feel frustrated that your workouts or weight gain led to a change you weren’t prepared for.
These emotions are valid. Healing diastasis recti is about rebuilding confidence as much as rebuilding muscle. Working with supportive professionals, connecting with others who share your experience, and celebrating small progress can help you feel empowered. Over time, as your body grows stronger, you will learn to trust your core again — and that confidence is as important as any physical repair.