The Link Between Diastasis Recti and Breathing
Welcome back to our Diastasis Recti Awareness Month series. As we conclude our final blog, we’ll explore the important link between diastasis recti and breathing. Understanding how breathing affects this condition is key to managing and improving it.
Diastasis recti, as we have mentioned, is an issue that involves the separation of the two abdominal muscles that form the front wall of one’s core. While often minor and self-resolving, most cases require additional help. To understand why diastasis recti sometimes doesn’t heal on its own, we need to examine the role of breathing.
How You Breathe Matters
While diastasis recti doesn’t directly cause breathing problems, the way you breathe can influence its development and make recovery more difficult. Breathing engages more muscles than you might realise, and the depth of your breaths can affect how much your core muscles engage and relax. Most people tend to breathe into their chest, which is the most common but not the most effective method. Breathing into your ribcage is better, as it engages more muscles, but breathing deeply into your belly is optimal for lung capacity and overall core engagement.
What’s the Connection?
Understanding how you breathe is crucial because it directly impacts the condition of your core muscles. Breathing deeply into your ribcage and belly causes your core muscles to expand and contract more effectively than shallow chest breathing. This increased activity strengthens your core muscles and helps maintain their integrity. On the other hand, shallow breathing reduces this activity, leading to decreased muscle engagement and potential imbalances in your core. During pregnancy, the growing baby often pushes the diaphragm up, making shallow breathing more common and further contributing to this imbalance. Consequently, the ability to breathe deeply and engage your core muscles properly becomes even more important during and after pregnancy.
Activity Level, Posture, and Their Impact
The way you breathe is not the only factor affecting diastasis recti; your activity level and posture also play significant roles. Belly breathing can benefit pelvic health by putting pressure on the pelvic floor. However, if your core muscles are weak or you have diastasis recti, it can worsen the condition by creating internal pressure that exacerbates muscle separation. Additionally, pregnancy and the postpartum period often lead to reduced physical activity and posture changes due to added weight and a shifting centre of gravity, which further impacts your breathing and core muscle engagement.
What You Can Do
Understanding the impact of breathing, activity level, and posture on diastasis recti is crucial. Late-stage pregnancy often makes deep breathing difficult, and even if you were a deep breather before, you might not return to it automatically afterward. To help, spend a few minutes each day practicing deep breathing and noticing which muscles are involved. If you have diastasis recti postpartum, consider procedures that stimulate and re-engage your muscles to improve core and pelvic health.
Orchard Clinic’s Approach to Diastasis Recti
At Orchard Clinic, we understand the challenges of diastasis recti and are dedicated to helping you overcome them. As Singapore’s premier wellness centre for women, we focus on addressing this condition using non-invasive technology to stimulate and tone abdominal muscles without the need for exercise or physiotherapy. Additionally, we provide comprehensive guidance on maintaining core strength, emphasising proper posture and effective breathing techniques. Contact us today to take the first step toward a stronger core and better overall health.
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