10 Best Postpartum Deep Core Exercises (Recovery for Diastasis Recti)

The best deep core exercises for postpartum mothers are 360 breathing, pelvic floor contractions, pelvic tilts, heel slides, heel taps, glute bridges, dead bugs, bird dogs, modified side planks and incline planks. Our lead chiropractor, Dr. Taylor Cox, has organized these 10 exercises into three phases so you can gradually build strength, stability, and control as your body progresses through postpartum recovery.

This guide gives you the 10 exercise’s and the order we use with postpartum moms in our Holly Springs, NC office, exact reps for each one, the signs that tell you to stop, and a simple test for when you are ready to move to then next exercise.

Start with the table below to see the whole plan. Then do exercise 1 tonight. It takes five minutes on the floor next to the crib.

The 10 Best Postpartum Deep Core Exercises at a Glance

These 10 exercises start from lying fully supported on your back – to holding your own body weight against gravity, so each one builds the control the next one needs.

Exercise name	Phase (1-3)	Deep core muscle it trains
360 diaphragmatic breathing	Wake Up Your Core (Phase 1)	Diaphragm, pelvic floor
Pelvic floor contractions	Wake Up Your Core (Phase 1)	Pelvic floor
Pelvic tilts	Wake Up Your Core (Phase 1)	Transverse abdominis, low back
Heel slides	Wake Up Your Core (Phase 1)	Transverse abdominis, lower abs
Heel taps	Control Your Core (Phase 2)	Transverse abdominis, lower abs
Glute bridge	Control Your Core (Phase 2)	Glutes, pelvic floor, back of the core
Dead bug	Control Your Core (Phase 2)	Transverse abdominis, obliques
Bird dog	Control Your Core (Phase 2)	Multifidus, glutes, deep abs
Modified side plank	Strengthen Core (Phase 3)	Obliques, transverse abdominis
Incline to knee to full plank	Strengthen Core (Phase 3)	Whole core

Why Dr. Taylor chose these 10 deep core exercises for postpartum mothers

Every exercise had to pass four tests to make this list:

• It trains a deep core muscle, not only the six-pack. The deep core is the diaphragm, pelvic floor, transverse abdominis and multifidus.
• It can be done without hard doming (a firm ridge popping up down the middle of your belly) at the stage it appears.
• It needs no equipment, so you can do it on the floor next to the crib.
• It leads straight into the next exercise. Each one keeps the pattern of the one before and adds one new demand: a moving leg, a lifted leg, an arm, gravity, then your full body weight.

Crunches, sit-ups and Russian twists are left out of this on purpose. They are not banned forever, but they belong after this plan, not inside it.

Probably wondering, Who is this Dr. Taylor Cox?

Before doing the exercises, understand what is postpartum deep core exercises and its benefits

What are postpartum deep core exercises?

Deep core exercises for postpartum mothers are targeted, breath-led exercises that restore strength and coordination across the body’s four inner core muscles (also known as “deep core”) : the diaphragm, transverse abdominis, multifidus, and pelvic floor. Rather than building muscle, these exercises help the body manage intra-abdominal pressure. It stabilizes the spine and pelvis. Thus, the mother can move safely, lift easily, and get back to their normal routines.

What are the key benefits of deep core exercises for Postpartum Mothers?

• Supports Diastasis Recti Recovery: helps heal the gap in your belly muscles after giving birth.
• Strengthens the Pelvic Floor: makes the muscles at the bottom of your pelvis strong again.
• Helps Reduce Urinary Leakage: stops pee from leaking out when you cough, sneeze, or laugh.
• Reduces Lower Back Pain: takes stress off your spine by making your core muscles strong.
• Improves Posture and Pelvic Stability: helps you stand up straight and keeps your hips steady.
• Improves Abdominal Pressure Management: helps your belly handle stress safely when you lift or push things.
• Makes Everyday Activities Easier: gives you the strength to carry your baby and move with ease.
• Builds a Foundation for Returning to Exercise: readies your body so you can safely do harder workouts later on.
• Supports Overall Postpartum Recovery: helps your whole body heal fast so you can feel like yourself again.

The 10 Best Postpartum Deep Core Exercises, In Order

Do these exercises in order, staying in each phase until every move feels controlled, with no hard doming, leaking or breath holding. Five to ten minutes a day is enough to start.

One rule applies through all 10 exercises: breathe out on the hard part. Exhaling as you move lets your pelvic floor and deep abs lift and tighten together, instead of pushing pressure down and out.

Phase 1: Wake Up Your Core (exercises 1 to 4)

Phase 1 rebuilds the timing between your breath, pelvic floor and deep abs. Do these daily. Most of the mothers can start as soon as your provider/doctor gives the “OKAY” for gentle movement.

1. 360 Diaphragmatic Breathing

360 breathing is the first postpartum deep core exercise because it gets your diaphragm and pelvic floor moving together again, and every other exercise builds on it.

How to do this exercise:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent, or sit tall in a chair.
2. Wrap your hands around your lower ribs, fingers in front and thumbs toward your back.
3. Breathe in through your nose. Let your ribs widen into your hands in every direction, front, sides and back. Your belly and pelvic floor soften and lower.
4. Breathe out slowly through pursed lips, as if blowing through a straw. Feel your ribs narrow, your lower belly draw gently in and your pelvic floor lift.
5. Reps: 8 to 10 breaths, 2 to 3 times a day
6. Feel it: Ribs widening sideways, not just your chest or belly rising
7. Stop if: You feel dizzy. Slow down and take smaller breaths.
8. Common mistake: Sucking your belly in hard. The draw-in on the exhale should be gentle.

2. Pelvic Floor Contractions

Pelvic floor contractions, often called Kegel exercises, strengthen the base of your core and are the most studied exercise for preventing urinary incontinence (leaking) around childbirth.

How to do this exercise:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent, or sit upright.
2. Breathe in and let your pelvic floor relax.
3. As you breathe out, squeeze and lift as if you were holding in gas and stopping the flow of urine at the same time.
4. Hold for 3 to 5 seconds while breathing normally.
5. Let go completely and rest for as long as you held.
6. Finish with 10 quick squeeze-and-release pulses.
7. Reps: 8 to 10 slow holds plus 10 quick pulses, 3 times a day
8. Feel it: A lift inside, with your buttocks and thighs relaxed
9. Stop if: It causes pain. See a pelvic floor physical therapist.
10. Common mistake: Forgetting to release. A pelvic floor that never lets go can cause pain and leaking too. The release counts as much as the squeeze.

A 2020 Cochrane review found that structured pelvic floor training started in pregnancy helps prevent leaking after birth. When leaking has already started after birth, the evidence is less certain, which is why ongoing leaking deserves a hands-on assessment.

3. Pelvic Tilts

Pelvic tilts teach your low back and deep abs to work together, so you stop arching your back when you carry the baby.

How to do this exercise:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat.
2. Breathe in to prepare.
3. As you breathe out, gently flatten your low back into the floor by rocking your pelvis back. Your bottom stays on the floor.
4. Hold for 3 seconds, then breathe in and release.
5. Reps: 10 to 15, 2 to 3 sets
6. Feel it: Your lower belly drawing in as your back flattens
7. Stop if: Your belly domes. Make the movement smaller.
8. Common mistake: Pushing with your legs or squeezing your buttocks to do the work

4. Heel Slides

Heel slides train your deep abs to hold steady while your legs move, which is the same job they do when you bend to pick up a car seat.

How to do this exercise:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat.
2. Breathe in to prepare.
3. As you breathe out, slowly slide one heel along the floor until your leg is almost straight.
4. Breathe in as you slide it back. Switch legs.
5. Reps: 8 per leg, 2 to 3 sets
6. Feel it: Your low back staying still and your pelvis staying level
7. Stop if: Your back arches off the floor. Slide your heel a shorter distance.
8. Make it harder: At the end of the slide, lift the straight leg an inch off the floor before bringing it back.

Phase 2: Control Your Core (exercises 5 to 8)

Phase 2 asks your deep core to hold still while your arms and legs move. Keep breathing and pelvic floor work daily, and add these 3 to 4 days a week once Phase 1 feels easy.

5. Heel Taps

Heel taps take the heel slide off the floor, so your core now learns to hold the weight of your leg in the air.

How to do this exercise:

1. Lie on your back with one foot on the floor and the other leg lifted, knee bent at 90 degrees over your hip (tabletop).
2. Breathe in and slowly lower the lifted heel to tap the floor. Keep the knee bend the same.
3. Breathe out and use your deep abs to bring the leg back to tabletop.
4. Switch legs.
5. Reps: 8 per leg, 2 to 3 sets
6. Feel it: Your lower belly working while your low back stays down
7. Stop if: Your back arches or your belly domes. Tap closer to your body.
8. Make it harder: Start with both legs in tabletop and alternate taps.

6. Glute Bridge

Glute bridges strengthen the back half of your core, take pressure off your low back and help your pelvis sit in a better position.

How to do this exercise:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat and hip-width apart, arms by your sides.
2. Breathe in to prepare.
3. As you breathe out, lift your pelvic floor and press through your heels to raise your hips into a straight line from shoulders to knees.
4. Squeeze your glutes at the top, then breathe in and lower slowly.
5. Reps: 10 to 12, 2 to 3 sets
6. Feel it: Your glutes and the backs of your thighs, not your low back
7. Stop if: You feel it mostly in your low back. Lift a little lower.
8. Make it harder: Hold at the top for 10 seconds, or march one foot at a time at the top.

7. Dead Bug

The dead bug adds arm movement to the heel tap, training your deep core to keep your trunk still while opposite arms and legs move.

How to do this exercise:

1. Lie on your back with both knees in tabletop and both arms reaching toward the ceiling.
2. Breathe in and slowly lower one arm overhead toward the floor.
3. Breathe out and bring it back. Alternate arms.
4. When that feels easy, lower the opposite arm and leg together (right arm with left leg), then switch.
5. Reps: 6 to 8 per side, 2 to 3 sets
6. Feel it: Your ribs staying down and your low back staying in contact with the floor
7. Stop if: Your ribs flare up or your back lifts. Go back to arms only.
8. Easier version: Keep one foot on the floor and move only the opposite arm.

8. Bird Dog

The bird dog is the dead bug turned over. On your hands and knees, gravity pulls your belly toward the floor, so your deep abs and the muscles along your spine have to work harder.

How to do this exercise:

1. Start on your hands and knees, wrists under shoulders and knees under hips, back flat.
2. Breathe out and reach your right arm forward and your left leg back at the same time.
3. Keep your hips level and your back flat. Hold for 2 to 3 seconds.
4. Return and switch sides.
5. Reps: 6 to 8 per side, 2 to 3 sets
6. Feel it: Your back and glutes holding you steady
7. Stop if: Your belly sags or your hips tip. Move only an arm or only a leg at first.
8. Common mistake: Lifting the leg too high, which arches the low back

Phase 3: Strengthen Core (exercises 9 and 10)

Phase 3 asks your core to support your body weight against gravity. Add these only once every Phase 2 move feels controlled.

9. Modified Side Plank

The modified side plank trains the side wall of your core with a short lever, because your knees take part of your weight.

How to do this exercise:

1. Lie on your side with your knees bent behind you and your elbow directly under your shoulder.
2. Breathe in to prepare.
3. As you breathe out, lift your hips until you make a straight line from your shoulder to your knees.
4. Hold while breathing slowly, then lower and switch sides.
5. Reps: Hold 10 to 30 seconds, 2 to 3 times per side
6. Feel it: The side of your waist closest to the floor
7. Stop if: Your shoulder hurts or your hips sag. Shorten the hold.
8. Make it harder: Straighten your legs and balance on your feet.

10. Incline to Knee to Full Plank

The plank is the last exercise because it puts the most pressure on your belly wall, so you work up to it in three steps.

How to do this exercise:

1. Incline plank: Hands on a kitchen counter, feet back, body in a straight line. Breathe out as you hold.
2. Knee plank: Hands or forearms on the floor, knees down, straight line from shoulders to knees.
3. Full plank: On your toes, straight line from shoulders to heels.
4. Reps: Hold 15 to 30 seconds, 2 to 3 times
5. Move to the next level when: You can hold 30 seconds with steady breathing, no hard doming and no leaking
6. Stop if: A firm ridge pops up down your midline, or you feel pressure or heaviness in your pelvis. Go back one level.

Plank-based work was part of the deep core program in a 2019 randomized trial of 40 postpartum women with diastasis recti, which reported a smaller gap and better quality of life than traditional ab exercises alone. It was a small study, but it supports adding planks once you have earned them.

What is the Deep Core?

The deep core is a group of muscles (diaphragm, pelvic floor, transverse abdominis, multifidus) that act as an internal support system to stabilize your spine, pelvis, and internal organs.

When Is It Safe to Start Deep Core Exercises After Birth?

Gentle breathing and pelvic floor work can often start within days of an uncomplicated vaginal birth, while the rest of this plan usually waits until your provider clears you, around your 6-week check or later after a C-section.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) advises easing back into exercise gradually once it is medically safe, based on how you delivered and whether there were complications. ACOG also notes that physical activity can help protect against postpartum depression, which is one more reason not to wait longer than you need to.

Core work is only part of recovery. The World Health Organization recommends that postpartum women work up to at least 150 minutes a week of moderate activity, such as brisk walking with the stroller.

Birth type	Phase 1 (exercises 1 to 4)	Phases 2 and 3 (exercises 5 to 10)	Get clearance from
Vaginal birth, no tearing	Breathing and pelvic floor within days, if comfortable	After your 6-week check	OB-GYN or midwife
Vaginal birth with stitches or a tear	Breathing right away; pelvic floor once it is not painful	After the tear has healed, often 6 to 8 weeks	OB-GYN or midwife
C-section	Breathing within days; the rest of Phase 1 as the incision allows	When your surgeon clears you, often 6 to 10 weeks	OB-GYN
Diastasis recti or pelvic floor symptoms	Yes, these help	After a hands-on check	Pelvic floor PT or chiropractor

Stop and call your provider if you notice any of these in the early weeks:

• Bright red bleeding that gets heavier when you move
• Sharp pain at your stitches or C-section scar
• Redness, warmth or discharge at the incision, or a fever
• A heavy, dragging feeling low in your pelvis
• Pain at the front of your pelvis (the pubic symphysis) when you walk or roll over

Some leaking when you cough or sneeze is common in the first few weeks. Mention it at your 6-week check. If it has not improved by about 12 weeks, see the section on getting more help.

What changes after a C-section?

A C-section adds a healing incision to everything above. To reach the uterus, the surgeon cuts through skin and the tough layer over your abs, then moves the six-pack muscles apart. Your pelvic floor still carried the baby for nine months, so it needs training too.

• Start with breathing only. 360 breathing is gentle on the incision and helps you cough and move more comfortably.
• Hug a pillow over the scar when you cough, sneeze or laugh.
• Roll to your side to get out of bed instead of sitting straight up, which strains the healing tissue.
• Lift nothing heavier than your baby until your provider says otherwise.
• Expect the scar area to feel numb or tight for weeks or months. Once it has fully healed, ask your provider about gentle scar mobility work.

Why Does Your Core Feel So Different After Having a Baby?

Your core feels different because pregnancy stretched your front abs apart, loosened the ligaments around your pelvis, weakened your pelvic floor and threw off the timing of your deep core muscles.

As your baby grew, the two halves of your rectus abdominis moved apart along the linea alba to make room. That gap is called diastasis recti abdominis, and it is often part of what many moms call the “mommy pooch.” Pregnancy hormones, including relaxin, also loosened the ligaments around your pelvis, so the joints there became less stable. Your pelvic floor carried the weight of the baby for months, and it was stretched further if you delivered vaginally. Add a baby on one hip all day, and your low back ends up doing a job it was not built for.

Here is what changes inside your core during pregnancy:

• The linea alba stretches and thins out
• Your rectus abdominis muscles drift apart, leaving a gap
• The pelvic floor weakens from carrying the weight of the baby
• Your transverse abdominis loses tone and stops bracing on time
• Your diaphragm sits higher and changes how you breathe
• Your hips tilt forward, which pulls your low back into a deeper curve

What is Diastasis Recti and How Common is it?

In simple terms, Diastasis recti is an increased separation between the abdominal muscles, not just the normal stretching that happens during pregnancy.

In clinical terms, Diastasis recti is when the two sides of the rectus abdominis, the “six-pack” muscles, move farther apart along the connective tissue in the middle of the abdomen. It commonly develops during pregnancy as the abdominal wall stretches to make room for the growing baby.

Diastasis recti is very common during pregnancy and after childbirth. But in most cases, it is mild and improves naturally after birth. A Norwegian study that followed 300 first-time mothers measured the gap at four points:

Time point	Women with a gap of 2 or more finger widths
21 weeks pregnant	33%
6 weeks postpartum	60%
6 months postpartum	45%
12 months postpartum	33%

Two findings from the Norwegian study matter for you. Most gaps were mild, not severe. And women with and without a gap reported the same amount of low back and pelvic pain at 12 months. A gap on its own is not a diagnosis of a problem. How well your core manages pressure and load matters more, and that is exactly what the exercises below train.

How to Check Yourself for Diastasis Recti

You can check for diastasis recti at home by lifting your head while lying on your back and feeling how many fingers fit in the gap at, above and below your belly button.

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat.
2. Place the fingertips of one hand flat across your belly button, pointing toward your feet.
3. Breathe out and lift your head and shoulders slightly, as if starting a tiny curl-up.
4. Feel for the edges of your six-pack muscles closing in on your fingers. Count how many fingers fit between them.
5. Repeat about 2 inches above your belly button and 2 inches below it.
6. At each spot, also notice the depth. Do your fingers sink in softly, or does the tissue feel firm, like a trampoline?

How to read it: Research studies count a gap of 2 or more finger widths as diastasis recti. The depth matters as much as the width. A gap that firms up when you lift your head means your linea alba is still able to create tension. A soft gap your fingers sink into deeply is worth having checked.

The limits of a self-check: Finger widths vary from person to person, and it is easy to measure in slightly different spots each time. Use this check to track your own trend every few weeks, not as a diagnosis. A pelvic floor physical therapist or chiropractor trained in postpartum care can measure it more precisely.

How Do You Know You Are Ready for the Next Phase?

You are ready for the next phase when you can do every exercise in your current phase for all its reps with steady breathing and no hard doming, leaking, heaviness or pain, during the session or later that day.

Run through this checklist before you move up:

• I can finish every rep of every exercise in this phase without holding my breath
• My belly stays flat or shows only soft doming (see below)
• I do not leak during or after the session
• I feel no pressure, heaviness or dragging in my pelvis, even that evening
• I have no pain in my back, pelvis or C-section scar
• I feel fine the next morning

If you tick every box, add the next phase. If one box stays empty, spend another week where you are. Plan on at least 2 weeks in each phase. Moving up too early is one of the most common mistakes, and it usually shows up as doming or leaking.

What a week looks like in each phase

Phase	Every day	3 to 4 days a week	Time per day
Phase 1: Reconnect	Exercises 1 to 4	None	5 to 10 minutes
Phase 2: Stabilize	Exercises 1 and 2	Exercises 3 to 8	3 minutes daily, 15 minutes on training days
Phase 3: Load	Exercises 1 and 2	Exercises 5 to 10, plus walking	3 minutes daily, 20 minutes on training days

Soft doming vs hard doming

Doming (also called coning) is a ridge that rises along the middle of your belly when you strain. It shows the pressure inside your belly is pushing out through the linea alba. Press two fingers on the ridge to tell which kind you have:

	Soft doming	Hard doming
How it feels	Your fingers can press it back in easily	Firm and tight, it pushes back against your fingers
What it means	Your core is managing the load	The exercise is more than your core can handle right now
What to do	Keep going, and keep watching it	Go back to an easier version or exhale more fully during the effort

How to Use Your Deep Core in Daily Life With a Newborn

The 10 minutes you spend on the floor matter less than the dozens of lifts, carries and feeds you do each day, so use the same breathing rule there: breathe out as you lift.

Physical therapists call this “blow before you go.” Start a slow exhale, feel your pelvic floor lift and your belly draw in, then lift. It turns every car seat into a small core exercise instead of a strain.

Daily moment	How to protect your core
Lifting the car seat	Stand close, bend at your hips and knees, hold it near your body, exhale as you stand. Carry it in front, not hooked on one arm.
Lifting the stroller into the trunk	Fold it first, keep it close, exhale on the lift. Ask for help with heavy travel systems in the early weeks.
Picking the baby up from the crib	Step close to the rail, hinge at your hips and exhale as you lift the baby to your chest.
Getting up from the floor or bed	Roll to your side first, then push up with your arms. Avoid sitting straight up like a sit-up.
Feeding	Bring the baby up to you with a pillow instead of hunching down. Keep your ribs stacked over your pelvis.
Carrying on one hip	Switch hips often, or use a front carrier that keeps the baby centered.
Coughing, sneezing or laughing	Lift your pelvic floor just before, the way you practiced in exercise 2.

Which Exercises Should You Avoid, and When Can Crunches Come Back?

Avoid crunches, sit-ups, twisting ab moves, double leg raises, heavy lifting and high-impact exercise until you can pass the Phase 3 checks, because these create the most pressure inside your belly and on your pelvic floor.

Hold off on these until you have finished this plan:

• Crunches and sit-ups
• Full planks on your toes (until exercise 10)
• Russian twists and other loaded twists
• V-ups, double leg raises and bicycle crunches
• Heavy squats, deadlifts or kettlebell swings
• Running, jumping, jump rope and HIIT classes

Crunches are not banned forever

Most postpartum articles say crunches “make diastasis recti worse.” The research is more nuanced than that.

• In a 2023 randomized trial, women with diastasis recti did a 12-week home program of head lifts and curl-ups 5 days a week. Their gap did not get wider, and their ab strength and muscle thickness improved.
• An ultrasound study by Lee and Hodges found that tightening the transverse abdominis before a curl-up reduced how much the linea alba distorted during the move.

There is a catch. The women in that trial were 6 to 12 months postpartum, not 6 weeks. So the research supports bringing crunches back later, with your deep core switched on first. It does not support doing them in the early weeks.

When you add them back: pass every Phase 3 check, breathe out and draw in your lower belly before you lift your head, keep the lift small, and stop if you see hard doming.

What Are Signs You Need More Help Than Home Exercises?

You need more than home exercises if you still leak after about 12 weeks, feel pelvic heaviness or a bulge at any point, keep hard doming despite easier versions, or have back or pelvic pain that lasts past 6 weeks.

Home core work helps most moms, but some bodies need a hands-on assessment. Book one if you notice any of these:

Sign	When it is worth a check
Leaking when you cough, sneeze, laugh or exercise	Not improving by about 12 weeks postpartum
Heaviness, dragging or a bulge in the vagina	At any time, as it can be a sign of pelvic organ prolapse
Hard doming	Still there after going back to easier versions
A soft, deep gap of 2 or more finger widths	Not changing after 2 to 3 months of steady work
Pain in your tailbone, hips, pubic bone or low back, or sciatica	Lasting past 6 weeks postpartum
Pain during sex	Once your provider has cleared you
Stuck in one phase	No progress after 4 or more weeks
A soft bulge at or near your belly button that pops out when you strain	At any time, as it can be an umbilical hernia rather than diastasis recti

A pelvic floor physical therapist, a chiropractor trained in postpartum care, or your OB-GYN can assess what is going on. An assessment can find problems a home plan cannot fix alone, such as a pelvic floor that is too tight rather than too weak.

How Does Hometown Chiropractic Help Holly Springs Moms Rebuild Deep Core Strength?

Hometown Chiropractic helps postpartum moms in Holly Springs, NC with a hands-on core and pelvic assessment, chiropractic care trained in pregnancy and postpartum, and an 8 Week Core & Pelvic Floor Course that follows the same progression as this guide.

Dr. Taylor Cox is Webster Certified through the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA), a credential focused on how pregnancy changes the pelvis. She runs the 8 Week Core & Pelvic Floor Course at the office. Dr. Hayes and Dr. Courtney also bring years of postpartum and pediatric training. Because the practice is part of the WCNC wellness network, you can also see massage therapists, physical therapists and a fitness lab in the same building.

What a postpartum visit includes:

• A check for diastasis recti, including gap width and depth
• A look at how your breathing, pelvic floor and deep abs work together during movement
• An assessment of your pelvis, low back and posture
• Chiropractic adjustments suited to a postpartum body
• Cupping and soft tissue work for tight hips and back
• A home plan built from the phases above, matched to where you are now
• Referral to the WCNC team for massage, physical therapy and more

FAQs

How often should I do postpartum core exercises?

Do Phase 1 every day, and Phases 2 and 3 three to four days a week. Keep 360 breathing and pelvic floor contractions in your daily routine the whole way through, since they take only a few minutes.

How long does it take to rebuild your core after pregnancy?

Most moms notice better control and less back strain within 6 to 8 weeks of steady work. Full recovery varies a lot. In the Norwegian study, about 1 in 3 women still had a gap at 12 months, and many feel strong well before the gap closes.

Can exercise completely close diastasis recti?

Not reliably. A 2021 systematic review rated the evidence for any specific diastasis recti exercise program as very low quality, and a 2018 trial found a pelvic floor and ab program did not lower the number of women with a gap. The realistic goal is a strong core that manages load well, which is what this plan trains. For a small number of women with a large gap that never improves, surgical repair is an option to discuss with a surgeon.

Can I do these exercises if I had a C-section?

Yes. Start 360 breathing within days and add the rest of Phase 1 as your incision allows. Wait for your surgeon’s clearance, often 6 to 10 weeks, before Phases 2 and 3.

What if I have diastasis recti?

All 10 exercises are designed to be done with diastasis recti, as long as you watch for hard doming and step back when you see it. If your gap is 2 or more finger widths and feels soft and deep, get it checked by a pelvic floor physical therapist or chiropractor.

Are planks safe if you have diastasis recti?

Modified planks usually are, once you have passed Phase 2. Move from an incline plank to a knee plank to a full plank only when you can hold each one for 30 seconds without hard doming or leaking.

Are these safe while breastfeeding?

Yes. ACOG notes that regular exercise while breastfeeding does not reduce milk supply or affect your baby’s growth. Feeding or pumping before you exercise can make lying on your front or back more comfortable.

Can I do deep core exercises while pregnant?

Yes, with your provider’s okay. Breathing and pelvic floor work are good places to start, and the 2020 Cochrane review found that pelvic floor training started in pregnancy lowers the chance of leaking after birth. Once your bump is showing, swap moves that cause doming for gentler versions.

When can I go back to running or lifting?

Most women can return to running between 3 and 6 months postpartum, once they pass the load and impact tests above with no leaking, pain or heaviness. Heavier lifting follows the same rule: build up gradually after you finish Phase 3.

Ready to Feel Strong Again?

Book a postpartum visit with Hometown Chiropractic to find out which phase you are really in and get a plan built around your body and your baby’s schedule. You do not have to figure this out alone.

Call us at 919-552-6559 or book online through our Jane App. We are at 242 S. Main Street, Ste 210, Holly Springs, NC 27540, on the second floor of the WCNC building. Bring the baby. We are mom friendly and baby friendly.

Sources

1. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Physical Activity and Exercise During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period, Committee Opinion No. 804. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 2020.
2. Sperstad JB, Tennfjord MK, Hilde G, Ellström-Engh M, Bø K. Diastasis recti abdominis during pregnancy and 12 months after childbirth: prevalence, risk factors and report of lumbopelvic pain. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2016.
3. Woodley SJ, et al. Pelvic floor muscle training for preventing and treating urinary and faecal incontinence in antenatal and postnatal women. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020.
4. Gluppe S, Ellström Engh M, Bø K. Curl-up exercises improve abdominal muscle strength without worsening inter-recti distance in women with diastasis recti abdominis postpartum: a randomised controlled trial. Journal of Physiotherapy, 2023.
5. Lee D, Hodges PW. Behavior of the linea alba during a curl-up task in diastasis rectus abdominis: an observational study. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 2016.
6. Gluppe SL, Hilde G, Tennfjord MK, Engh ME, Bø K. Effect of a postpartum training program on the prevalence of diastasis recti abdominis in postpartum primiparous women: a randomized controlled trial. Physical Therapy, 2018.
7. Gluppe S, Engh ME, Bø K. 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.
8. Thabet AA, Alshehri MA. Efficacy of deep core stability exercise program in postpartum women with diastasis recti abdominis: a randomised controlled trial. Journal of Musculoskeletal & Neuronal Interactions, 2019.
9. Goom T, Donnelly G, Brockwell E. Returning to running postnatal: guidelines for medical, health and fitness professionals managing this population. 2019.
10. World Health Organization. WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. 2020.