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Do you know what diastasis recti is?

Vanesa López Romero June 19, 2019

209 2 minutes read

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Here we tell you about this disease that can affect women who have just given birth and we give you some tips so you can recover from it

Leer en español: ¿Sabes qué es la diástasis abdominal?

Abdominal diastasis is a condition that involves the separation of the rectus muscles or larger muscles of the abdomen. This generates strong pain and difficulty when sitting and getting up, besides being aesthetically remarkable. Abdominal diastasis can affect anyone regardless of gender or age, but is usually common in women who have just given birth and are over 35 or overweight. It can also happen if you have a multiple pregnancy or if the mother has little muscle tone.

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First, you must confirm that, in fact, you are suffering from diastasis recti. For this, we recommend you to visit a specialist, that is, a physiotherapist. You can also perform a self-examination, for which we give you this guide:

Here are some tips to heal the diastasis recti if it appeared after giving birth. Also, this can help you recover your figure.

Eat healthily: as in all aspects of health, one of the most important factors is food. Maintaining a healthy diet that suits your needs is extremely important, since your physical stability will depend on this. You must pay close attention to the nutrients and data of the foods you eat, especially during the lactation stage.
Hydrate yourself constantly: diastasis recti requires you to drink water constantly for proper recovery, because the muscles are kept hydrated and regulates the amount of fluid that spreads through your body. This is important, because in lactation a lot of fluid is lost, which can cause the diastasis to get worse.
Exercise: as it is a muscular separation in the abdomen, the best way to treat diastasis recti is by doing exercises that tone and strengthen the abdominal area, more specifically, the transverse part of the abdomen. You should also keep in mind not to perform high impact exercises. We recommend daily walks that last between 30 and 45 minutes.
Beware of pressure: you should avoid making movements that press on your abdomen, such as lifting heavy objects, getting out of bed without first turning on your side or pushing when going to the bathroom. Regarding this last activity, avoid at all costs consuming foods that generate constipation, because it is one of the worst enemies for diastasis recti.
Use a girdle: there are special girdles to treat this condition. We recommend you check with your doctor which one is most useful to you and strictly follow the instructions for its use.