..”Becky, I am worried that if I start cardio or lifting weight, it will worsen the diastasis gap.” This is a question that I get asked quite often.🙋
By all mean, I am not a professional nor do I have a certification in fitness, I am speaking from my own experience.🤸
After I had Jordan 3 years ago, I went straight into an exercise program without knowing I had diastasis recti. I thought that the huge belly was fat and the doming was normal because of pregnancy.
It was so frustrating because I had no clothes to wear and I purposely had to buy two sizes bigger so I could hide the belly.
After 14 weeks of exercising at home, and I did everything from cardio, full push-up, weight lifting to yoga, I lost 20lbs. I was really proud as I never exercised; HOWEVER, the doming was still very prominent and I couldn’t figure out why.
So I knew I had to see a professional to help. After going around the circle because apparently not a lot of people know what diastasis recti is, I finally found a professional who confirmed that I had a pretty severe gap and asked me to see a physio for treatment.
And guess what I did, I waited because I didn’t put myself as priority:
I went back to work.
I was too busy with my baby.
I had no time.
I had all these excuses.
When I went to see the Physiotherapist, I was already pregnant with my second child. I was so scared, what if my abdominal muscle split even more?
After Emily was born, I went to see her at 6 weeks postpartum, and she diagnosed a severe diastasis recti with a 4 and a half finger gap.
She taught me the breathing techniques and simple exercises, and she told me what NOT to do such as crunches, planks, push up, or anything that I see dooming. After about 2 months, she gave me a green light to do my program, and I did the EXACT SAME program I did 3 years ago. 💁
I sneak the diastasis workout into my 20 to 30 minutes workout program daily, that’s how I get them in. Not only am I working my entire body with cardio, interval training and weight, I am also doing my diastasis recti exercises.
For real, who has time to sit still or lie on the ground and repeat the same exercises over and over again, I get so bored with those reps.
As you can see from my journey last year, this time is a totally different result.
I can control my transverse abdominial muscles which is the deep core muscle; I know how to breathe properly and most importantly I learn how to modify and what to avoid, but at the same time how to challenge my core.
I think it is smart to follow a dynamic program, most of us mom have some weight to lose, and belly has a lot of fatty tissue which make the DR more prominent, so breathing exercises alone, bird dog, or heel drop exercises won’t make it go away.
Whether you are following BBG, Beachbody, Jillian Michaels, SWEAT or others, I’d suggest to always start with their modifier and advance as your body and core get stronger. Always check with your health professional before starting any program.
For the EXACT steps-by-step method on how I lost 35 lbs and trimmed 9 inches off the waist while gaining a strong core, you can take what I have learnt from my journey to apply to your own, download my FREE DIASTASIS RECOVERY BLUEPRINT so you can start seeing changes in your tummy! Feel free to reach out to me for any question.
Click to see my 360 degree comparison
To be super transparent about my transformation this time since 100 day is a very long time, that’s almost 3 and a half month!
I have decided to show this side by side comparison.
I really don’t know what it is going to do to my body or if any. Because the most obvious part, weight loss, trimming inches are already “completed”, I am definitely not a bodybuilder and never intend to so I don’t want those bulky muscles.
But one thing that I cannot deny is the stomach. Because of diastasis recti, it takes me 10 times, if not 100 times harder to build muscles in the abdomen because of how the muscle is split inside.I actually don’t know if I will ever have ab muscles. I don’t need 6 packs or anything crazy like that, all I want is a nice toned ab with a subtle definition in the middle, so I can rock a bathing suit or some fitted clothes.
I am working on the breathing techniques along inside my 100-day program. I also do them whenever I am sitting down, because that’s what I need – sit/ stand/ lie on the side and breath, sound easy right? It’s the discipline to do it.
It is easier for me to get over the 20 minutes workout then REMEMBERING to do the breathing exercises, hahha, even though it is so much easier. I don’t sweat, I don’t need to change.
So here is a side by side of a relax and engaged tummy. It’s quite a difference on a side angle. I hope by the end of 100 day, the tummy is flatter when I am relaxed and toned when I am engaged. I also want to be more flexible, and a little stronger would be nice!
Will it happen? Let’s find out! Follow my 100-day journey in my stories 🤸❤️
