The conversation around pelvic floor health and other issues that aging and postpartum women face is getting louder. More and more women are recognizing the importance of engaging in exercises that are both safe and effective at strengthening the pelvic floor and helping to reverse diastasis recti. But, in case you don’t know exactly what these things are, or you have just begun to learn this terminology, you aren’t alone!  

Normally, your left and right abdominals that run the length of your torso are cinched tightly together by connective tissue called the linea alba. During pregnancy, as your muscles stretch and expand to accommodate your growing womb, the linea alba weakens, thins and widens, creating a gap between these muscles. This may sound painful, but it is just a normal part of what your body does during pregnancy. 

Once baby is delivered and the uterus begins to shrink down to its normal size, the linea alba may also return to normal, as it is highly elastic tissue. However, much of the time the gap doesn’t close all the way, leaving what is referred to as a diastasis recti, “ab gap”, or abdominal separation. In this case, your belly may appear to stick out just below your belly button. About 40% of women will still have diastasis recti 4 months postpartum. 

Diastasis recti is incredibly common, and symptoms can leave women with pelvic or hip pain, pain during sex, low back pain, poor posture, urine leakage, constipation and the feeling of weakness in your abdominal muscles. The good news? It is treatable through physical therapy or special exercises intended to strengthen your core and teach you the safe way to lift, move and more.  

Not surprisingly, pelvic floor weakness can leave women with a lot of the same symptoms as diastasis recti. Both areas are affected by what Tori Gibbs, a personal trainer with Hancock Health Wellness Center McCordsville, calls the “deep core.” Gibbs was seeing plenty of mothers come through her prenatal and postpartum classes but noticed that many needed help with pelvic floor and deep core strength far beyond that one-year postpartum mark. As a result, she started a class specifically to teach women exercises targeting the pelvic floor, deep core and helping stabilize the muscles associated with diastasis recti.  

Her magic formula combines cardio and strength in every session, but she does it differently than most women are used to. Instead of coaching them to focus on their biceps or glutes, Gibbs guides women in positioning themselves so their pelvic floor and deep core are stable and strong. In addition, she makes exercise even more functional by adding in movements women will use in their everyday lives. This teaches them how to lift heavy objects, such as babies, groceries or boxes, without compromising their pelvic floor and abdominal health, something that is vital if you are already suffering from a weakness in this area.  

In fact, improper lifting of children, weights or other heavy objects can worsen both diastasis recti and pelvic floor weakness. Gibbs recalls that one of the most useful things she teaches her participants is a mind-to-muscle connection, so they are more aware of how they are moving.  

A stronger pelvic floor and deep core can help diastasis recti to heal. In turn, women feel stronger, live with less pain, and feel more confident in the world. For more information on classes centered around women’s health and fitness, head to HancockHealth.org and click on “Wellness”.