Abdominal Separation Exercises
Heal your core.
Reduce separation.
Feel stronger.
Abdominal separation or rectus diastasis can cause a lot of confusion and fear. Abdominal separation is a normal and necessary part of pregnancy. In the Empowered Motherhood Program, we support women to safely heal their core after birth, reduce abdominal separation and feel stronger than before.
What is abdominal separation?
Changes to your core in pregnancy
Abdominal separation results from the thinning and weakening of the linea alba. The linea alba is a band of connective tissue that stretches from your breastbone to your pubic bone. As your pregnancy progresses and the uterus expands, the linea alba grows thinner and wider and the inter-recti distance between the two sides of your rectus abdominis increases. It is a natural part of pregnancy and can usually be healed with the right exercises and movement patterns.
What is the EMP approach to Abdominal Separation Exercises?
The thinning and weakening of the abdominal wall contributes to the degree and depth of abdominal separation you will experience. In the Empowered Motherhood Program, we support women to heal their abdominal wall safely, so that you can reduce abdominal separation and feel stronger than ever.
Activation and Integration
Your early postnatal recovery is optimised when you can work with your body’s natural healing process to enhance collagen synthesis and muscle growth. The Empowered Motherhood Program is designed to help you support this process with abdominal separation safe exercise led by a Pelvic Health Physio. There are specific exercises that we recommend doing in the early postnatal period including:
- Deep core activation exercises and breath work in seated and lying positions.
- Supine heel slides and bent knee fall outs.
- Quadruped exercises promote pelvic stability and core control.
- Thoracic mobility to improve core function.
Safe Crunching
From around 6 weeks postpartum, you need to load the abdominal wall. One of the key ways the abdomen is designed to move is to crunch! The Empowered Motherhood Program includes safe crunching to help you build your abdominal wall and feel strong for daily life. The research also backs this up. Safe crunching can help to:
- Increase muscle bulk through the abdominal wall.
- Reduce inter-recti distance when combined with foundational core exercises.
- Cope with the demands of daily life.
Dynamic and Progressive Loading
The abdominal wall needs to flex, stabilise, rotate, and extend, and if we never get off the ground or challenge the muscles, it will never regain its full strength.
In the EMP, we are passionate about helping you to safely progress and challenge your abdominal wall so that you can return to your pre-pregnancy strength (or beyond!). The EMP advanced core exercises include:
- Weighted crunches and curl-ups.
- Functional core focussed movements to help you to return to sport or impact.
- Advanced planks and side plank movement patterns.
- Dynamic core exercises combined with cardio-based exercise.
I’m so glad I found the EMP. The program is super flexible and varied. The bonus of being guided by mums is also invaluable. My core is so much stronger and back pain almost gone! My waistline has gone in (yay!). I’m even back running! Thank you EMP.
— Rebekah
As a physio myself, I feel like I can trust you. But most importantly it is very do-able for a very busy and tired mum of 2 under 2. I’m already feeling stronger in my pelvic floor and my core, which is amazing.
— Anna O
Expert-led postnatal core and pelvic floor exercises
In the Empowered Motherhood Program, our core and abdominal separation program will help you to move safely and confidently through every stage of your postnatal recovery.
Early Postnatal Exercise
The EMP starts at birth with gentle, breath-based movement. Optimise your early postnatal recovery with physio-led core workouts designed for the first 6 weeks after birth.
Reduce Abdominal Separation
In the EMP, we help you reduce the degree and depth of abdominal separation through postnatal-safe core exercises led by a Pelvic Health Physiotherapist. Create a strong and toned abdominal wall safely and confidently.
Keep Progressing
Our goal is to help you to feel stronger than you did pre-pregnancy. Keep building strength and control through your abdominal wall with advanced postpartum workouts.
Specialised Core Workouts for C-Section and Prolapse
Physio-led pelvic floor and core workouts for women who have given birth via C-Section or who are living with pelvic organ prolapse. Feel confident that you are doing the best workouts for your body.
EMP is far more than just abdominal separation workouts!
Physio-led exercise and expert education for every stage of your pregnancy, birth and postpartum journey.
Physio-Led Exercise
Feel safe and supported with physio-led pilates, strength, cardio and yoga workouts for every stage of your pregnancy and postpartum journey.
Specialised Programs
Keep moving safely. Specialised programs for pelvic pain, birth preparation, C-Section, prolapse, abdominal separation, return to running and more.
Personalised Support
We are here to support you. The EMP is so much more than just an online program. Receive the personalised support you deserve.
Expert Education
Your EMP membership includes access to our team of experts including obstetricians, psychologists, midwives and dieticians.
Hey, we are Kimmy and Lyz
We are two mums and women's health experts who believe that you deserve access to the best in expert-led exercise and education.
Lyz is a Titled Womens' Health Physio and Kimmy is a pregnancy and postnatal exercise specialist. We have six babies between us and we know the unique challenges that pregnancy and postpartum can bring. We are here to support you to create a strong pregnancy, informed birth and empowered motherhood.
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