05/11/2026
Diastasis Recti: Let's Clear Up The Fear
DR (diastasis recti) has become a hot topic issue, and what we've found is that it's been extremely limiting to fitness in and around pregnancy.
What is DR?
DR is when your top layer of abdominal wall drifts apart, creating a gap. This can show up as visual changes in your core, and can impact how your core activates and turns on.
The Old Story (That's Wrong):
For many years, practitioners, courses, and of course, the internet have blamed specific exercises like sit ups for causing DR. This has left so many women scared and paralyzed, thinking they may mess up their bellies or cause something wrong.
The Truth (Based On Current Research):
As more research emerges on pregnant women, we've actually found that is NOT TRUE.
DR is complicated, with most DR linked to genetics. We've even found almost the opposite: overall, women need to continue to train their core and maintain strength in their abdominal walls in order to have better outcomes postpartum.
So while this post may be a little click baity, here's what we actually want you to know:
✓ It's more complex than "don't do sit ups"
✓ You need to keep moving and exercising
✓ It's very person specific
If you're concerned and want up to date guidance and research on how to best exercise in and around your pregnancy, check out our BirthRx program.