Lay down on your back, knees bent, feet on the floor. Then perform a crunch. While holding the crunch take a finger or two and feel right above and below your belly button. If you can fit 1-4 fingers horizontally above and/or below the belly button between your abdominal wall you have a separation. I could definitely get 1-2 fingers above my belly button.
At my doctor's appointment I had him confirm that I indeed had a separation, called Diastasis Recti. He referred me to a physical therapist that specializes in post pregnancy recovery to help correct this slight separation. I was so excited to figure out how to get my abs back!
Yesterday I had my physical therapy appointment. She confirmed a slight separation of 1-2 fingers above and below my belly button and said it is completely reversible - great news! She told me that crunches will pull the rectus abdominal muscles apart more - so AVOID CRUNCHING MOVEMENTS! This includes how I get up out of bed in the morning. Instead of sitting up, I have to roll to my side and get up. Its like being pregnant all over again!
In addition to avoiding crunches she gave me a series of exercises to perform every day that focus on the Transverse Abdominal muscle. Tightening this muscle will help to pull my Rectus Abdominal muscles together, closing the separation. These exercises involve laying on the floor with my feet on the floor and tightening my transverse muscle. You can feel this muscle when you exhale strongly, which engages the muscle about an inch or two in from your hip bone. While doing this, I have to avoid engaging my rectus muscle - very important!
In two weeks I go in for the second phase of exercises to continue making progress!
Elliptical today: 780 calories burned. 855 calories remaining
Did you get a separation in your abdominal wall from previous pregnancies? How did you correct it? Have you exercised yet today - what did you do?
To find out what exercises I am doing, comment here and ask for an exercise description. For each comment I will post 1 exercise.
ReplyDeleteI'd like an exercise description! I'm sure that working my transverse abdominal muscle would help me shrink the potbelly :)
ReplyDeleteMy abs never went through the trauma of pregnancy, but I bet these exercises have plenty of use for us men too!
Thank you for commenting. One of the exercises I am currently doing is the side plank with bent knee. Here is a link to view how to perform the exercise:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.acefitness.org/exerciselibrary/100/side-plank-with-bent-knee