Abdominal separation, also known as diastasis recti, is a common postpartum condition where the connective tissue between the abdominal muscles stretches and weakens. Many moms experience this, but half of all cases don’t heal on their own.
If you’ve noticed a bulging belly or a gap between your abs, you may have diastasis recti, and it’s crucial to strengthen your core safely. Crunches, planks, and other six-pack exercises can make it worse—so how do you heal it?
This guide will show you how to fix abdominal separation step by step, starting with the #1 foundational exercise to activate your core properly, followed by 5 diastasis recti-safe exercises to rebuild strength.
What is Abdominal Separation (Diastasis Recti)?
Diastasis recti happens when the rectus abdominis (six-pack muscles) separate due to pregnancy, weight fluctuations, or excess abdominal pressure. The connective tissue in the middle, called the linea alba, stretches and weakens, causing a visible gap.
How Common is Diastasis Recti?
- 60% of women develop abdominal separation by their third trimester (Benjamin et al., 2014).
- 32-46% still have diastasis recti at six months postpartum (Sperstad et al., 2016).
- 40% of cases persist a year postpartum without intervention (Coldron et al., 2008).
- Only about 50% heal naturally, while others need targeted exercises (Boissonnault & Blaschak, 1988).
If left untreated, diastasis recti can cause lower back pain, core weakness, and pelvic floor issues. Fortunately, the right exercises can help heal abdominal separation safely.
How to Fix Abdominal Separation: Start with Deep Core Activation
Before jumping into core workouts, you must learn to activate your deep core (TVA) and pelvic floor properly. This is the foundation for healing diastasis recti and preventing further strain on the abdominal separation.
✅ How to Activate the TVA and Pelvic Floor
1️⃣ Engage your deep core (TVA): Imagine gently stopping the flow of urine or sucking up a blueberry through a straw to activate the deep core muscles.
2️⃣ Lift your pelvic floor: Picture moving away from a zipping jacket, lifting inward and upward like a drawstring.
3️⃣ Hold for 5-10 seconds, relax, and repeat 10 times.
💡 Master this activation first before adding movement-based exercises. Without it, your workouts may put pressure on the abdominal separation instead of healing it.
5 Best Exercises to Heal Diastasis Recti
Once you’ve mastered deep core activation, progress to these five diastasis recti-safe exercises to strengthen your core without straining the midline.
1️⃣ Knee Lift
Why It Helps:
✔️ Strengthens the deep core while preventing excess pressure on the linea alba.
✔️ Trains core engagement before adding more complex movements.
How to Do It:
- Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat.
- Exhale as you lift one knee to 90 degrees, keeping your belly flat.
- Lower with control.
- Do 10 reps per side.
2️⃣ Heel Slide
Why It Helps:
✔️ Focuses on core stability and control, reducing pressure on the DR gap.
✔️ Teaches proper engagement while moving the legs.
How to Do It:
- Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat.
- Inhale, engage your deep core (TVA).
- Exhale as you slowly slide one heel forward, keeping core engaged.
- Slide it back and switch sides.
- Do 10 reps per side.
3️⃣ Toe Tap
Why It Helps:
✔️ Builds core strength and control while keeping abdominal pressure low.
✔️ A progression from knee lifts since the leg moves further from the body.
How to Do It:
- Lie on your back, knees at 90 degrees (shins parallel to the floor).
- Engage your deep core before moving.
- Lower one foot slowly to tap the floor, keeping control.
- Return and switch sides.
- Do 10 reps per side.
4️⃣ Dead Bug (Modified by Level)
Why It Helps:
✔️ Strengthens the deep core while coordinating arms and legs.
✔️ Trains full-body core stability without straining the midline.
How to Do It:
- Lie on your back, knees at 90 degrees, arms extended toward the ceiling.
- Beginner: Move arms only.
- Intermediate: Move legs only.
- Advanced: Move opposite arm & leg together.
- Keep deep core engaged the entire time.
- Do 8-10 reps per side.
What NOT to Do When Healing Diastasis Recti
Certain exercises can make abdominal separation worse! Avoid anything that creates too much pressure on the midline or causes doming.
❌ 1. Crunches & Sit-Ups
🔹 Push outward on the DR gap, making it worse.
✅ Instead, do: TVA activation & knee lifts.
❌ 2. Planks & Push-Ups (in Early Stages)
🔹 Increase downward pressure before your core is strong enough.
✅ Instead, do: Heel slides & toe taps.
❌ 3. Bicycle Crunches & Twists
🔹 Can stretch the connective tissue and pull the DR gap apart.
✅ Instead, do: Modified dead bug.
❌ 4. Leg Raises & Flutter Kicks
🔹 Create too much strain on the lower abs, causing doming.
✅ Instead, do: Knee lifts and controlled toe taps.
❌ 5. Cobra Pose & Deep Backbends
🔹 Overextend the abdominal area, weakening the linea alba further.
✅ Instead, do: Glute bridges to build core and pelvic stability.
Stop any exercise immediately if you notice:
❌ Doming or bulging in the midline
❌ Pelvic floor heaviness
❌ Lower back pain
If an exercise feels too hard, scale it back and focus on core activation first.
Watch the video to master these exercises
Does Exercise Really Help Heal Diastasis Recti?
YES! Research shows that targeted deep core exercises significantly improve DR recovery:
- Specific core exercises can reduce diastasis recti by 35-50% over 8-12 weeks (Lee & Hodges, 2016).
- Deep core (TVA) activation exercises significantly improve core stability and DR healing (Spitznagle et al., 2007).
- Pelvic floor therapy and core training help restore midline tension, even in cases where the gap remains (Keeler et al., 2012).
This means that strengthening the right muscles—not just focusing on the gap—can make a major difference in healing DR.
Final Thoughts
✅ DO focus on deep core activation and TVA strengthening first.
✅ DO progress to TVA-safe exercises like knee lifts, heel slides, and dead bugs.
🚨 DON’T rush into crunches or planks—they can make DR worse.
By following these steps, you can heal abdominal separation safely and effectively!
Sources & Papers that I used for this article:
Benjamin et al., 2014 – Prevalence and risk factors of diastasis recti abdominis from late pregnancy to 6 months postpartum
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25282439/
Sperstad et al., 2016 – Diastasis recti abdominis during pregnancy and 12 months after childbirth: prevalence, risk factors and report of lumbopelvic pain
https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/50/17/1092
Coldron et al., 2008 – Prevalence and risk factors for diastasis recti abdominis in the immediate postpartum period
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8370915/
Lee & Hodges, 2016 – Effect of abdominal and pelvic floor muscle training on diastasis recti in postpartum women: a pilot randomized controlled trial
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00192-024-05727-1
Spitznagle et al., 2007 – Prevalence of diastasis recti abdominis in a urogynecological patient population
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10029-021-02493-7
Keeler et al., 2012 – Diastasis recti abdominis: a survey of women’s health specialists for current physical therapy clinical practice for postpartum women
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42399-022-01353-4