Today we’ll be talking about the suitability of pilates for women with diastasis recti. Is it OK to do pilates with diastasis recti? Or is there a risk that you could potentially be making your gap worse?
My name is Dr Raj Arora. I’m a GP. Let’s get into it.
What are the benefits of pilates?
Pilates is known for being a low impact exercise that tones the entire body while improving core strength,flexibility and posture.
Can some pilates poses be harmful to your core?
What if I told you that certain pilates poses could be harmful to your core, and even worsen or even induce abdominal separation
Pilates utilise the foundational techniques similar to deep core breathing, which is a well-known technique to strengthen the core by essentially drawing the navel back to the spine on exertion and engaging the transverse abdominal muscles. Best described as your natural corset.
So as long as you’re doing diastasis recti safe exercises with regularity, they can be very effective. That said, there are many pilates exercises that bulge abdominal muscles forward, making deep breathing impossible.
This can cause or exacerbate diastasis recti. This is because they increase intra abdominal pressure, exerting unhealthy mechanical stress on that connective tissue that runs along the midline of the abdomen. Forceful and repetitive pressure causes the tissue to weaken and overstretch, widening the gap to the two halves of the rectus abdominis.
So what pilates exercise should you avoid?
Anything that lifts both shoulders off from the ground from a back line position should be skipped. Any exercise that causes your abdomen to bulge or brace forward forcefully, as opposed to drawing the navel towards the spine while exhaling on exertion needs to be skipped or modified.
This is because they increase intra abdominal pressure, exerting unhealthy mechanical stress on the connective tissue that runs along the midline of the abdomen. Forceful and repetitive pressure causes such tissue to weaken and overstretch, widening the gap between the two halves of the rectus abdominis.
Modify pilates exercises to ensure safety
So in short, pilates can be very effective for postpartum exercises. And actually, that’s one way that I got my core strength back after having babies. But the exercises need to be modified to ensure that you are doing them safely and getting your core engaged and stronger day by day.
What other pilates exercises should you avoid?
Anything that shows off the ground for a back line position should be skipped. Any exercises that cause your abdomen to bulge or break forward forcefully, as opposed to join the navel toward the spine while exhaling on exertion needs to be skipped or modified.
