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Pilates & Fitness for Pregnancy / Pre and Post Natal Pilates

The Diastasis Recti & Exercises to Avoid - by Tara Simon

Pilates is absolutely safe to do during pregnancy. It’s actually one of the best exercise programs to support the expanding belly. And here’s why:

As the belly starts to grow the body’s structural needs start to change. Pilates is one of the few exercise programs that addresses these anatomical and physiological changes that happen during pregnancy. By staying connected with your body you will reduce the aches and pains associated with being pregnant, as well as improve your posture and keep the stomach, back and hip muscles strong. And as an added bonus the Pilate- trained body will recover faster after the birthing process is over, too!

Strengthening the abdominal muscles is extremely important while pregnant because the abdominal muscles will stretch over 50 percent of their original length. By strengthening the abdominal wall, which includes the rectus abdominus, internal and external obliques and the transverse abdominus, you are creating a solid structure that supports the growing uterus, decreasing compression of the spine and reducing pressure in your pelvis and hips.

The Diastasis Recti

After about 20 weeks, (and sometimes sooner if this is not your first pregnancy), most women experience something called diastasis recti, which is a separation of the very top abdominal muscle, the rectus abdominus. It splits vertically, separating along the linea alba, or connective tissue that holds this muscle together.

Diastasis recti occurs because a hormone called relaxin increases a pregnant woman’s muscles, joints, ligaments and joint capsules so that the body can prepare itself for the growing baby as well as birth. So as the baby grows, so do the abdominals and sometimes the muscle will split in two. You can palpate it to see if it is more than two finger widths wide.

Although diastasis recti is normal during pregnancy, there are a few exercises to avoid:

  • Lateral flexion, or sit-ups are not advisable because this will open the separation even further. By doing so you may have difficulty closing it postpartum and also risk an umbilical hernia.
  • Lifting arms and legs simultaneously in a supine position. This again puts too much pressure on the ab muscles.
  • Planks or push-up. When doing a plank or push-up you are asking the abs to push strongly against gravity, and when the integrity of the muscle is lost it can cause the muscle to separate even more.

    • It is very important that you work with a highly skilled Pilates instructor who is knowledgeable and comfortable with working with the every changing pregnant body. They must also know how to quickly modify and safely change a program to your needs. What you can do in your first trimester is not the same as what you can perform in your third. Keep all your movements slow and controlled and you can safely and effectively train with Pilates during pregnancy, even if diastasis recti occurs.