So you’re looking for a postpartum workout. It’s important not just to drop weight, but to help your body heal after the baby. There’s been a lot of chatter lately about diastasis, this postpartum condition every woman has to some degree after having a baby where the ab muscles actually separate, which make it impossibly hard to get that pre-baby body back, and can also lead to other health problems… After I had Dot, my sister Celeste, whose a midwife, showed me a really simple exercise from The Dia Method to help correct the problem. She swears by it, as do thousands of other women according to this NPR article, many new mom friends of mine, and lots of practitioners.
Today Celeste is showing us how to do it at home…
Thankyou for this! This muscle separation is something I have experienced (and continue to experience). Great to hear from a midwife about a good exercise to try. Thanks again!
Embrace the slight post-baby bulge. Really, on top of new motherhood, household, possibly an existing full-time career, we’re worried about our abs??
I am totally feeling your sentiment, but also remember that for some of us, this condition is pretty debilitating in how we are able to move and play with those kiddos we love! I had severe back pain after my third baby from this, and only through exercises like these and physical therapy was I able to get relief. Hope we can all embrace our flaws but also be as healthy as we can be!
Yes, for sure it’s not just cosmetic. There are many health related problems that can come from not having your ab muscles in proper working order. It’s about getting them to work for your body again and support your back and pelvis again.
I have to agree with H. The appearance of tummy bulge might be a symptom of the greater problem, but you can still have diastasis recti (DR) and your tummy may appear flat (that was my experience at first, but my DR has worsened with multiple pregnancies). With DR you are prone to lower back pain and further injury if you are not doing the right exercises or don’t omit the exercises that worsen the condition (ex: crunches) and depending on the severity of your DR you can be in a lot of pain. I know of women that have had it bad enough that opted for surgery to finally get relief from the pain.
Um, thank you for this! I just spent way too much time researching this and wanted to see what it looked like before buying a program. Just what I needed!
Oh, good! Excited to hear what you think of the program if you try it
I’m not a Mum (one day) but this is a great workout to keep in mind! You look super healthy and fit! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
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