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New Year, New Workout?

With a new year, comes a time when people want to make a physical change! Perhaps you've given birth this last year or several years ago. Before you start that new work out, here are a few things to consider.

While Diastasis Recti is not a condition specifically for females, it is highly prevalent in the female population. Men with this condition could also take this information in to consideration.

What is diastasis recti?
                Diastasis recti (DR) is a common and normal condition that normally develops during pregnancy. It is a separation of the rectus abdominis muscles that can leave your stomach pooch out following your pregnancy, which may be unaesthetically pleasing for the woman; but it can also create lower back or pelvic pain, pain with intercourse, and a weak core. Diastasis recti develops because of an expanding uterus as well as a response to changing hormone levels. While most pregnant women will develop DR, women who are petite, carrying multiple babies, as well as other factors can increase the chances of developing DR. DR can lead to lower back pain as mentioned, constipation and pelvic floor dysfunction which can cause to urinary incontinence.
DR is also associated and combined with pelvic floor dysfunction is approximately 2/3 of women after child birth. Did you know that you don’t have to always pee when you cough or sneeze? You *can* strengthen your pelvic floor without doing kegels!




How do I know if I have DR?
                Testing for DR can easily be done here in the office or on your own using your fingers for measurements.

To test for a diastasis on your own: 
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Relax your head and shoulders and place your fingers (palm facing you) just above your belly button.
Lift your head and neck very slightly off the floor and press down with your fingertips. If you feel a gap, that’s the diastasis. You will feel the muscles close in around your fingers as you lift your head and neck. Don’t lift your shoulders. Repeat the test in two other place: directly over the belly button, and a couple of inches below.
A diastasis recti gap is measured in finger widths. You are aiming for a 1-2 finger gap or less, but don’t panic if it’s much bigger at first.

Prevention
                Strengthening your core before pregnancy and staying active throughout your pregnancy can help minimize the severity or even prevent the development of DR. 
We highly recommend the One Strong Mama program for pregnancy strengthening and prevention (use coupon code dc44 for a $10 discount!).

 Treatment
                Avoid any movement that make it worse. Any movement that increases intra-abdominal pressure should be avoided. These would include crunches, planks, and other abdominal isolation exercises. There are many workout programs that can be found to help strengthen the core while avoiding increasing intra-abdominal pressure. Programs such as MuTu and Restore Your Core are very effective programs that can help body image and functionality of the core muscles as well. Physical therapy is also a great option for further treatment. If you have any questions regarding DR and exercises, we will be glad to answer them.  




For further questions or wanting to have your core checked for diastasis recti, please give us a call or schedule an appointment.

With the new year, here’s a chance to start a new work out and program! Let us know if you want any suggestions or recommendations as you look in to a new regimen.

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