Diastasis recti exercises after pregnancy: what helps, what to avoid

What diastasis recti is

Your “six-pack” muscle, the rectus abdominis, has a left and a right side joined down the middle by a band of connective tissue called the linea alba. As your belly grows in pregnancy, that band stretches and the two sides move apart. That widening is diastasis recti (or diastasis recti abdominis, DRA).

It’s a normal adaptation to pregnancy, not an injury. The question after birth is how much the gap narrows and — more importantly — how well the tissue handles load again.

It can show up as:

• a “pooch” or bulge below or above the belly button that doesn’t go away as you lose baby weight
• doming or coning — a ridge down the middle of your belly when you sit up, cough or lift
• a feeling of weakness through your middle when lifting your baby or the car seat
• low back or pelvic discomfort, and sometimes leaking

How common it is

In a study of 300 first-time mothers in Norway, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2016, diastasis measured by finger-width palpation was found in:

Time point	Women with diastasis
Pregnancy, week 21	33.1%
6 weeks after birth	60.0%
6 months after birth	about 45%
12 months after birth	32.6%

Two takeaways: it’s very common, and for many women the gap narrows naturally over the first year. The same study found women with and without diastasis reported similar amounts of low back and pelvic pain at 12 months.

How to check yourself at home

Cleveland Clinic counts a gap of more than 2 cm — about two finger widths — as diastasis recti. You can check it at home:

1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat.
2. Put your fingertips across your midline about 4.5 cm (roughly 2 inches) above your belly button, fingers pointing toward your feet.
3. Breathe out and lift your head and shoulders slightly off the floor.
4. Feel how many fingers fit into the gap between the muscle edges, and how deep your fingers sink (soft and deep, or firm and springy).
5. Repeat at the belly button and about 4.5 cm (2 inches) below it — the same three spots researchers used in the Norwegian study above.

The width matters, but so does tension. A narrower gap that feels soft and deep can be less supportive than a slightly wider gap that feels firm when you tense. Our step-by-step self-check walks you through it and explains what your result means.

What the evidence says about exercise

Here’s the honest version, because a lot of online programs promise to “close the gap”:

• A 2018 randomized trial of 175 first-time mothers found that a weekly supervised class with pelvic floor and ab strength training, plus daily home pelvic floor training, did not reduce how many women had diastasis.
• A 2021 systematic review of seven trials rated the evidence for specific exercise programs to shrink the gap as very low quality. Deep abdominal (transversus) training showed only a minimal change in the gap.

That doesn’t mean exercise is pointless. It means the goal is function — being able to lift, run and move without doming, pain or leaking — rather than chasing a specific number of finger widths. Exercise also supports your pelvic floor, back and general recovery.

Exercises by phase

Move on when the current phase feels easy and you can do it without doming, pain, leaking or heaviness. If you had a c-section, follow your surgeon’s advice; NHS leaflets suggest avoiding lifting anything heavier than your baby for the first 6 weeks, then building up gradually toward 12 weeks.

Phase	Focus	Exercises
0–6 weeks	Breathe, reconnect, protect	Belly breathing with ribs widening. Gentle kegels with full release. Deep core activation: on an out-breath, lightly draw your lower belly in and hold for a few breaths. Pelvic tilts. Roll to your side to get out of bed. Short walks.
6–12 weeks	Control under light load	Heel slides and toe taps with core engaged. Glute bridges. Side-lying leg lifts. Bird dog on hands and knees. Wall push-ups. Kegels in sitting and standing, squeezing before you lift (“the knack”).
3–6 months	Build strength	Dead bug, modified side plank, half-kneeling cable or band presses, squats and lunges with weight, carries. Gradually try head lifts and curl-ups — keep them if there’s no doming.
6 months +	Full training	Planks, heavier lifting, impact and running if you pass return-to-run checks. Keep watching for doming or leaking as load goes up.

Pair every set with good breathing: breathe out on the effort, and let your pelvic floor and deep belly muscles switch on together.

What to avoid early on

In the first weeks and months, limit movements that make your belly bulge or cone along the midline until you can control them:

• full sit-ups and crunches, especially sitting straight up out of bed
• front planks and push-ups on the floor before you can hold them without doming
• heavy lifting with breath-holding
• twisting ab exercises with weights

This isn’t a lifetime ban. Many women return to all of these. The rule of thumb: if you see doming, feel pain or leak, make the exercise easier and build back up.

Diastasis vs hernia: when to see a PT or surgeon

Cleveland Clinic notes that diastasis recti on its own isn’t a serious medical condition, but a hernia is. A hernia is a weak spot or hole that lets tissue push through — often at the belly button or near a scar.

See a pelvic health or women’s health physical therapist if:

• the gap and doming aren’t improving after several months of sensible training
• you have back pain, pelvic pain or leaking
• you’re unsure what exercises are safe for your stage

See your doctor or a surgeon if:

• you notice a lump or bulge, especially one that’s painful or doesn’t go back in when you lie down
• the gap is very wide and limits your daily life after a solid period of rehab
• you’re considering surgical repair (which some women choose once they’ve finished having children)

Get urgent care for a painful, firm bulge with vomiting, fever, or trouble passing gas or stool.

For the bigger picture of recovery after birth, see our pelvic floor after birth guide.

Frequently asked questions

How common is diastasis recti after pregnancy?

Very common. A Norwegian study of 300 first-time mothers published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found diastasis in 60% at 6 weeks after birth, about 45% at 6 months and 32.6% at 12 months. So many gaps narrow on their own, but about a third were still there at a year.

Can exercise close a diastasis recti?

The evidence is weaker than social media suggests. A 2021 systematic review rated the evidence for specific exercise programs as very low quality, and a randomized trial of 175 first-time mothers found a supervised program didn't reduce how many had diastasis. Exercise can still help strength, function and confidence.

Should I avoid crunches with diastasis recti?

Early on, many physical therapists suggest limiting movements that make your belly dome or cone along the midline, such as full sit-ups, until you can control it. Later, many women can reintroduce curl-ups and heavier work gradually. What matters most is whether you can manage the pressure without doming, pain or leaking.

Is diastasis recti a hernia?

No. Diastasis is a stretched connective tissue line between the muscles; a hernia is a hole or weakness that lets tissue push through. Cleveland Clinic notes diastasis isn't a serious medical condition in itself, but a hernia can be. A painful or firm lump needs to be checked.

Can I get diastasis recti after a c-section?

Yes. Diastasis comes from pregnancy stretching the abdominal wall, not from the type of birth. A c-section adds a scar to heal, so follow your surgeon's advice on lifting and exercise in the first weeks, and build up gradually.

Sources

1. Diastasis recti abdominis during pregnancy and 12 months after childbirth: prevalence, risk factors and report of lumbopelvic pain — British Journal of Sports Medicine (Sperstad et al.), 2016
2. Diastasis recti (abdominal separation) — Cleveland Clinic
3. Effect of a postpartum training program on the prevalence of diastasis recti abdominis in postpartum primiparous women: a randomized controlled trial — Physical Therapy (Gluppe et al.), 2018
4. What is the evidence for abdominal and pelvic floor muscle training to treat diastasis recti abdominis postpartum? A systematic review with meta-analysis — Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy, 2021
5. Advice and exercises following caesarean section — Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS

This page is general education about exercise, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. Talk to a clinician about symptoms that are new, severe or getting worse.