Last updated: April 2026

The Core Rehab Sequence for New Moms

You're a few weeks or months postpartum, you look down at your belly, and something looks different. Maybe there's a visible bulge down the middle when you try to sit up. Maybe your jeans button but the muscles underneath feel unstable. A quick Google search turned up the term diastasis recti and now you're trying to figure out which exercises will help and which ones to avoid.

Here's what our pelvic health team tells patients on day one: most diastasis recti improves with the right exercises, time, and consistency. Not with crunches or planks (those usually make it worse). The healing sequence matters more than the specific exercise. Our DPTs across our Rochester-area clinics have walked thousands of postpartum patients through this protocol, and the same pattern works across most cases.

You don't have to accept this as your new normal. Let's walk through what to do.

What Diastasis Recti Is and How to Check for It

Diastasis recti is a separation of the two sides of your rectus abdominis muscle (the "six-pack" muscle), where the connective tissue between them (the linea alba) has stretched during pregnancy. About 60 percent of women have diastasis recti at 6 weeks postpartum, 30 percent still have it at 12 months, and roughly 30 percent will have a persistent gap long-term without targeted rehab.

Here's how to check for it yourself:

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat. Place your fingers just above your belly button, pressing down gently. Lift your head and shoulders slightly off the floor (a mini-crunch). Feel for a gap between the two sides of your abdominal muscles, and feel how deep your fingers sink down. Note how many finger-widths wide the gap is, and whether the tissue feels firm or soft when you press.

• 2 finger-widths or less with firm tissue: Normal. You're probably fine.
• 2 to 3 finger-widths with reasonable tension: Mild diastasis recti. Responds well to home exercises.
• 3+ finger-widths, or tissue that feels soft and "pillowy": Moderate to significant. Home exercises still help, but PT speeds things up considerably.
• Visible doming or bulging down the middle when you strain: Your core isn't managing pressure well. Avoid crunches and rotation work until that changes.

Width is less important than the tissue tension. A narrow gap with loose, squishy tissue heals slower than a wider gap with firm tension. Our team always checks both.

The 5 Foundation Exercises to Start With

These five exercises rebuild the deep core in the order that works best for healing diastasis recti. Do them in this sequence, not skipping ahead. Start 2 weeks postpartum for vaginal delivery (if cleared by your provider) and 6 weeks for C-section. Do the routine daily if you can, minimum 4 times per week.

1. Diaphragmatic breathing with pelvic floor (5 minutes)

Lie on your back with knees bent. Inhale slowly through your nose into your belly and lower ribs (not your chest). On the exhale, gently lift and engage your pelvic floor (imagine stopping urine flow) while drawing your belly button slightly toward your spine. Hold 3 to 5 seconds. Release fully. Repeat 10 times.

This is the foundation of every other exercise. If you skip this one, nothing else works as well. Many of our patients are surprised by how hard coordinated breathing with pelvic floor engagement feels after pregnancy.

2. Heel slides (2 sets of 10 per leg)

Stay on your back with knees bent. Find your neutral core engagement (exhale, gentle pelvic floor lift, soft belly-to-spine draw). Slowly slide one heel out until the leg is straight. Slide it back. Keep the core engagement throughout. Switch legs.

Watch for: any doming or bulging down the midline. If it appears, your heel slide is too aggressive for now. Shorten the range.

3. Toe taps (2 sets of 10 per leg)

On your back, lift one leg to tabletop position (hip at 90 degrees, knee bent). Lower the toes of that leg toward the floor slowly, tapping lightly, then return. Repeat with the other leg. Keep your lower back pressed gently into the floor. Core engaged throughout.

This is the first real anti-extension core exercise in the progression. If it's too hard, go back to heel slides for another week.

4. Side-lying clamshells (2 sets of 12 per side)

Lie on your side with knees bent at 45 degrees, hips stacked. Keep your feet together. Lift the top knee toward the ceiling without rotating your pelvis. Lower with control. Twelve reps, then switch sides.

Clamshells aren't an ab exercise specifically, but they activate the glutes and the deep core together. Postpartum bodies need both working as a system.

5. Bridges with core engagement (2 sets of 10)

On your back, feet hip-width apart, knees bent. Exhale, engage the pelvic floor, then lift your hips toward the ceiling by pressing through your heels. Hold the top for 2 seconds. Lower with control. Breathe normally throughout.

Bridges train the glutes and posterior chain while you maintain core engagement. It's the transition exercise between floor-based deep core work and more dynamic training.

Exercises to Avoid Until Your Core Is Ready

This is the section that makes the biggest difference in how fast you heal. Doing the wrong exercises too early actively works against diastasis recti recovery. Avoid these until a pelvic health PT clears you or until you can perform the foundation five without any doming or bulging:

• Crunches, sit-ups, and any full-range abdominal flexion. These increase intra-abdominal pressure exactly where your linea alba is weakest. You'll feel like you're working your core, but you're widening the gap.
• Planks (full or modified) in the early weeks. Planks require strong core engagement to prevent doming. If your core isn't there yet, you'll end up loading your linea alba instead of your deep core.
• Push-ups in horizontal plane. Same mechanism as planks. Use incline push-ups (hands on a wall or counter) until your core is ready.
• Russian twists or rotational ab work. Rotation through a weakened linea alba reinforces poor pressure management.
• Heavy lifting without core pre-engagement. You can lift postpartum, but you need to exhale and engage the pelvic floor before every lift. Holding your breath and bracing hard is what creates doming.
• Running in the first 12 weeks. Running involves repeated impact and intra-abdominal pressure spikes. Most postpartum guidelines now recommend waiting at least 12 weeks and being able to perform specific core and pelvic floor tests first.

The rule: any exercise that produces visible doming down the midline of your belly when you do it is the wrong exercise for right now. That doesn't mean you'll never do it. It means your core isn't ready yet.

Exercise	Early Postpartum (0–12 weeks)	Later (3–6 months, if cleared)
Diaphragmatic breathing	Yes, daily	Yes, as warm-up
Heel slides / toe taps	Yes	Progress to dead bugs
Clamshells and bridges	Yes	Yes, add resistance
Modified plank	No	Yes, if no doming
Full crunches	No	Only if cleared by PT
Running	No	Yes, if return-to-run criteria met
Heavy lifting	Light only, with breath	Yes, with proper mechanics

How to Progress Your Workouts Safely

Most women want to know when they can get back to their pre-pregnancy workouts. The answer depends on what your core is doing, not on the calendar. Here's how to progress.

Week 1–6 (vaginal) or Week 6–8 (C-section)

Foundation exercises only. Focus on breathing, deep core activation, and gentle glute work. Walk daily. No abdominal flexion work.

Week 6–12

Add dead bugs, bird dogs, and side-lying hip openers. If your diastasis recti gap has narrowed and the tissue feels firmer when you check it, progress to incline push-ups and basic squats. Still no running or jumping.

Week 12 onwards

If you can hold a modified plank for 30 seconds without doming, perform a body-weight squat without bulging through the midline, and do 10 dead bugs on each side with control, you're ready to start adding load. This is also the earliest recommended window for returning to running. We always suggest a pelvic health PT check at this point to clear you for higher-impact activity.

Red flags to pause progression

Stop progressing and get evaluated if you notice:

• Urinary leaking during exercise (not normal postpartum, even if common)
• Pelvic heaviness or a dragging sensation
• Back pain that worsens with exercise
• Visible doming during any movement that didn't dome before
• Pain in the C-section scar during abdominal work

How Long Does Diastasis Recti Take to Heal?

Most cases of diastasis recti improve substantially within 3 to 6 months of consistent postpartum rehab. Full healing (gap under 2 finger-widths with firm tissue, no functional symptoms) typically takes 6 to 12 months with targeted exercises. Some cases persist longer, especially after multiple pregnancies or with larger initial separations, but most respond to consistent work with a pelvic health PT.

Realistic timeline from our clinical experience:

• Weeks 1–6: Your body is healing hormonally and the connective tissue is still remodeling regardless of exercise. Focus on foundations.
• Weeks 6–12: The gap usually narrows noticeably. Tissue tension improves. Your core feels more "connected."
• Months 3–6: Most mild-to-moderate cases are mostly resolved. You can do most daily activities without bracing or doming.
• Months 6–12: Full return to workouts, running, and lifting if you've progressed properly. Most persistent gaps either fully close here or stabilize at a functional level.
• Beyond 12 months: If there's still a significant gap or functional symptoms at this point, surgical consultation is sometimes a conversation. Most patients never get here.

The women who heal fastest share three traits: they prioritize consistency over intensity, they don't rush back to pre-pregnancy workouts, and they see a pelvic health PT at least once during the first 3 months.

When to See a Pelvic Health PT

Home exercises work well for many postpartum women with mild diastasis recti. They work less well if you have any of the following. In those cases, a pelvic health PT evaluation saves you months:

• Gap wider than 3 finger-widths at 6 weeks postpartum. Home exercises still help, but PT-guided progression is more efficient.
• Urinary leaking, pelvic pressure, or prolapse symptoms. Diastasis recti rarely happens in isolation. The pelvic floor and deep core are a system. Treating one without the other misses the actual problem.
• Chronic low back pain postpartum. Often connected to core coordination rather than the gap itself.
• C-section recovery. Scar mobility work, fascial restrictions, and nerve regeneration all affect core function. Worth an evaluation.
• No change after 3 months of consistent home exercise. Something's not being addressed that needs eyes on it.
• Planning another pregnancy. Better to start the next pregnancy with an optimal core than a suboptimal one.

Our pelvic health team handles postpartum care daily. We also have detailed resources on pelvic floor therapy for incontinence, which commonly coexists with diastasis recti. Our pregnancy and postpartum program is built specifically for this.

Book an evaluation at any of our Rochester-area clinics. Most visits include a full diastasis recti check, pelvic floor assessment, and a progression plan customized to where you are.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can diastasis recti heal on its own without exercises?

Sometimes. About 60 percent of women still have diastasis recti at 6 weeks postpartum, but that drops to about 30 percent by 12 months even without targeted exercise. The remaining 30 percent usually don't resolve without intervention. Targeted exercises accelerate healing significantly and are recommended regardless, because they also rebuild deep core function that affects posture, back pain, and pelvic floor stability.

How do I check if my diastasis recti is healing?

Do the self-check monthly. Lie on your back, lift your head slightly, and press gently above, at, and below your belly button. Measure the gap in finger-widths and note how firm or soft the tissue feels. Healing shows up as narrower gap width, firmer tissue tension, and no visible doming when you engage your core. Tissue quality often improves before width measurably changes, so don't only track the gap.

Are crunches bad for diastasis recti forever, or just temporarily?

Temporarily. Once your core is fully rehabilitated and you can perform all the progression exercises without doming, many women return to crunches safely. The caution is specifically against doing them while your linea alba is still healing, which increases pressure on the weakest tissue. Post-healing, your core handles them fine.

Can I do Pilates or yoga with diastasis recti?

With modifications, yes. Avoid classes that emphasize deep spinal flexion (roll-ups, crunch-based Pilates) or aggressive planks until you're cleared. Look for prenatal or postnatal-specific Pilates or yoga, or work with an instructor who's comfortable modifying. Many Pilates principles (breath, deep core activation) are actively beneficial for diastasis recti rehab when done correctly.

How long after C-section can I start diastasis recti exercises?

Most providers clear core rehab starting around 6 to 8 weeks post-C-section, but diaphragmatic breathing (the first foundation exercise) is usually safe to start earlier. C-section recovery adds scar tissue considerations and deeper healing requirements, so pelvic health PT evaluation is especially valuable for C-section moms. Our post-surgical team handles these recoveries regularly.

Diastasis recti is common, treatable, and rarely requires surgery. The path to healing isn't dramatic. It's breathing, deep core work, glute activation, and progressive loading over 3 to 12 months. The women who heal best do the boring foundations consistently and skip the exercises that look like they should work but actually slow things down.

If you're a few months postpartum and your belly still feels disconnected, if you're leaking when you sneeze or run, or if you want a proper assessment of your gap and tissue quality, book an evaluation at the Limitless location nearest you. Our pelvic health specialists will check your diastasis, screen your pelvic floor, and build you a plan that actually fits where your body is right now.

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