diastasis recti

Here is a question I got from a pregnant client of mine. Its a question I get all the time.

I am pretty sure I am starting to have abdominal separation (I notice a buldge above my navel when I do ab work). I was wondering if it was still safe to continue ab work with this condition (i.e., crunches, planks, leg raises, etc).

Bethany Learn's from Fit 2 Be Studio asked me to write something for her blog after she read my belly blues blog post from a few weeks ago. This is what I wrote and what was published on her blog last week. It's about time that I put it up on my own blog - slightly edited. Its a bit on the longer side but it has lots of picture! Here goes:

BAD. Very bad. Very, very bad. And before you say 'hang on a minute, I was told to pull my belly in', let me explain:

I wrote this article with Jillian (who is a Restorative Exercise Specialist and just awesome) for the fall issue of From Belly To Baby which is a free pre/postnatal mag that comes out every 3 months. I have always loved reading it - ever since I got to Ottawa with my pregnant belly. You can pick it up at some locations in Ottawa or read it online.
And because I like German efficiency, I will just publish it as a blog post.
Here we go!

You say: “I’m starting to get pain in my lower back“.