What NOT to Do With Diastasis Recti (The Definitive List)

The single biggest reason women don't heal from diastasis recti isn't lack of effort. It's that the exercise they're doing every day is silently making the separation worse. Well-meaning gym instructors, WhatsApp workout videos, and Instagram fitness influencers routinely prescribe movements that dome the belly and pull the linea alba further apart.

If you've been told to "do more planks" or "hit those abs", stop. Here's the full list of what to avoid, why, and what to do instead.

The core principle

Any movement that creates downward or outward pressure on the abdominal wall without proper deep core engagement will widen a diastasis. You can spot these movements by the "doming" test: as you do the movement, look at the strip of skin down your midline. If you see a dome, ridge, or tent-shape push up, that movement is not for you right now.

Exercises to avoid (with reasons)

Crunches, sit-ups, bicycle abs

The classic. When you crunch, the outer rectus abdominis contracts strongly while the deep core is often disengaged. This pushes the abdominal contents outward through the weakened midline, exactly the shape of the mom pooch. Crunches actively widen the gap.

Instead: Head lifts with active exhale + pelvic floor engagement, progressed slowly.

Full planks held to fatigue

A plank at 100% effort held for a minute drops the belly toward the floor as your form breaks. Every second past your form limit is worsening the diastasis.

Instead: Modified plank on knees, holds under 20 seconds, breathing throughout. Progress duration only when form stays perfect.

V-ups, hollow holds, boat pose

Long-lever loading through the trunk with the abs strongly contracted. Almost always domes in someone with active diastasis.

Instead: Bird-dog, dead-bug (with knees bent, small ranges), toe taps lying down.

Full sit-ups from lying to standing

Especially the yoga "roll up" and Pilates full sit-up. High doming risk. Also stresses the neck and lower back.

Instead: Log-roll to your side and push up with your arms.

Russian twists

Weighted twists load the linea alba obliquely, creating a shearing force across the tissue that's most vulnerable to widening.

Instead: Gentle standing rotations with breath coordination, no added weight.

Heavy overhead lifts

Loading a weight overhead requires either a properly braced core or, if the core can't brace, arching the lower back and pushing the belly forward. If your deep core isn't ready, this pushes outward.

Instead: Landmine press, kettlebell rack-hold squats, dumbbell rows. Overhead work returns once the deep core is strong.

Full push-ups

Same problem as a plank at fatigue, the belly drops and creates outward pressure.

Instead: Wall push-ups, then incline push-ups on a bench, progressing to knee push-ups.

Bicep curls done with a "belly out" posture

Look at a mirror during standing curls. If your rib cage flares up and your belly pushes forward, you're loading the linea alba. Fix your posture before adding weight.

Instead: Ribs down, pelvis neutral, exhale on the lift, or seated curls with back supported.

Running and jumping in the first 12 weeks

Not because of the impact on your knees (mostly fine) but because of the impact on your pelvic floor and abdominal wall. Running before the deep core is strong = more prolapse risk, more leaking, more diastasis stress.

Instead: Fast walking with proper posture, low-impact cardio (elliptical, stationary bike), swimming after 8 weeks.

Weighted twisting sports too early

Tennis, badminton, cricket batting, golf, all involve rapid loaded rotation. Return only after your core is strong (usually 3–4 months of rehab).

Instead: Walking, swimming, cycling, stability-focused strength training in the meantime.

Daily habits to change

Exercises aren't the whole picture. What you do 100 times a day matters more than what you do 3 times a week.

Sitting up straight from lying

Every time you sit straight up from bed, you're doing a mini crunch under load. Multiply that by 5 wake-ups a night with the baby, and you've done 35 crunches a week without knowing it.

Fix: Always log-roll. Turn to your side, drop your feet off the bed, use your arm to push up.

Carrying baby only on one hip

Chronic one-sided loading pulls your pelvis out of neutral and asymmetrically loads the abdominal wall.

Fix: Alternate sides deliberately. Use a good carrier for longer holds. Learn "pelvis-neutral" carrying with the baby closer to your midline.

Sitting hunched during feeds

Rounded shoulders and a forward head compress the rib cage down onto the belly, giving the deep core no room to work. Over 12 feeds a day, this posture becomes your default.

Fix: Bring the baby to you with a nursing pillow, don't take yourself to the baby. Ribs stacked over pelvis. Shoulders down and back.

Straining on the toilet

Every time you push hard, you're firing pressure downward onto the pelvic floor and outward through the weakest point of the abdominal wall.

Fix: Address constipation aggressively, water, fibre, magnesium citrate at night, a step under your feet on the toilet so your knees are above your hips. Never push, exhale and let gravity do the work.

Coughing or sneezing "open"

Uncontrolled coughs and sneezes push massive pressure through the abdominal wall.

Fix: When you feel a sneeze coming, turn your head, close your mouth partly, and gently pull your belly button toward your spine. Every single sneeze.

Wearing tight waistbands

Anything that grips your midsection and pushes inward from the outside makes your deep core switch off. Long-term wear leads to reliance and further weakness.

Fix: Loose, high-waisted, soft-waistband clothing. Reserve postpartum belts for the first 4 weeks after a C-section only, and only during activity.

"Sucking in" all day

Sucking in isn't the same as engaging your deep core. It's a static bracing that shuts down normal breathing and, over time, teaches your abs to disengage during movement.

Fix: Learn true transversus abdominis activation on the exhale. See our lateral breathing guide.

Yoga poses to avoid or modify

Many yoga classes assume a strong core. If yours doesn't:

• Avoid: full boat, hollow hold, deep upward-facing dog, full wheel, deep camel, jump-throughs, full plank flows
• Modify: down-dog with knees soft, cobra with elbows bent, chair pose with pelvis tucked slightly, plank on knees, cat-cow instead of chatarunga

What you CAN do

Everything else, essentially. With a diastasis, safely trainable:

• Walking (any speed you can maintain nasal breathing)
• Swimming (freestyle and back stroke, avoid heavy breaststroke kick if you have hip issues)
• Cycling (upright bikes, not aggressive road position)
• Yoga with modifications
• Pilates focused on deep core (not intermediate/advanced mat)
• Strength training focused on legs, glutes, back, arms with proper posture
• Bodyweight moves like bridges, clamshells, wall sits, glute kickbacks
• Loaded carries with correct posture (great for functional strength)

The one non-negotiable rule

Watch for doming during every exercise. If any move produces a visible ridge or dome down your midline, that move is not for you today. Regress it, reduce load, or replace it entirely.

You can return to almost everything on this "avoid" list after 8–16 weeks of dedicated rehab. Nothing is off-limits forever. But doing them before you're ready sets your recovery back by months.

A structured way forward

The reason we built the Mum21 12-Week Recovery Program is that you shouldn't have to memorise a list of "do's and don'ts" and audit every exercise class you attend. The program gives you 114 physio-designed videos, all pre-vetted for diastasis-safe form, in a clear weekly progression. No guessing, no doming, no setbacks.