This is the medical term for the separation of the abdominal wall. Many, if not all, women experience this during pregnancy to a certain degree. This becomes an issue, if it does not resolve on its own, post delivery, and on subsequent pregnancies. Although surgery is contemplated for some women post-delivery, conservative treatment including graded exercises for core stabilization and strength can resolve and minimize the abdominal separation.
Often times after being cleared for physical activity, post-delivery, women begin core exercises. Their goal is to tone and target weight loss, but this can actually cause further problems if there is an underlying issue such as diastasis recti (DR) or other core issues.
With DR, the muscles in your core, including your pelvic floor need to be trained, before resuming strengthening exercises such as crunches, sit ups, chin ups, etc. If you suspect you have an issue it is best you seek diagnosis and exercise rehab with a pelvic health physiotherapist. They will be able to complete an exam of your core and global movement muscles, as well as any internal pelvic floor issues that may complicate recovery.
We can teach you what DR is, how it can impact your current movement patterns and functional daily activities, not to mention the desire to resume fitness training. A recent blog post by a pre- and post-natal fitness consultant, who's exercise approach we find beneficial for our clients, recognized and identified the impact DR can have on her own fitness regime. Check out Jessie Mundell's blog: Diastasis Recti: Modify or Omit.