In doing some health research lately, I found this video talking about Diastasis Recti/Abdominal Split Separation.
This happens when women have babies. Our Rectus abdominal muscles separate to allow for the expansion of the tummy for the baby to have room in our belly. Only after pregnancy some muscles don’t go back to where they should (turns out mine didn’t). This also happens with middle aged men who get big bellies. So you should check yourself BEFORE DOING ANY CRUNCHES! This is how to know if you have a split.
If you do, you should NOT be doing abdominal crunches, until after you have strengthened your pelvic floor muscles FIRST! The first video link includes some exercises to begin to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles after she talks about the split.
Weak pelvic floor muscles are very common in our society now, because of so many people sitting at work all day.
Common signs that can indicate a pelvic floor problem include:
- accidentally leaking urine when you exercise, laugh, cough or sneeze
- needing to get to the toilet in a hurry or not making it there in time
- constantly needing to go to the toilet
- finding it difficult to empty your bladder or bowel
- accidentally losing control of your bladder or bowel
- accidentally passing wind
- a prolapse
- in women, this may be felt as a bulge in the vagina or a feeling of heaviness, discomfort, pulling, dragging or dropping
- in men, this may be felt as a bulge in the rectum or a feeling of needing to use their bowels but not actually needing to go
- pain in your pelvic area, or
- painful sex.
HERE (download) are some Pelvic floor and Core exercises to get you started!
Cheers to your health,
Paula
