Did I cause my own Diastasis with exercises?

Why are you so small, and you are 8 months pregnant!? I have gotten this question a lot this pregnancy, maybe because I just moved into a new area, and people are super nice here (I am sure this has A LOT to do with it), but I give MUCH of the credit to the Tupler Technique®. The Tupler Technique® is a program designed to heal the diastasis, or bring the separated rectus abdominal muscles (that separated during pregnancy) back together. By the way, the separation tends to get worse with each pregnancy. The tupler technique® includes very specific exercises to perform to bring that separation back together, and many movements and exercises to avoid so as not to make the separation worse or keep it from healing.

Sooooo...... I am giving credit to my belly being smaller this pregnancy to performing the Tupler Technique® exercises.

S

Here is my story this pregnancy: To get through the winter blahs and keep myself moving, I started going to the gym on base. I was recruited by some ladies to go to a Mommy Bootcamp class held 4 days/week. I had known about this class for a year and a half, and decided it was about time to try it out. There were many exercises in the class that I had to modify to avoid making/creating diastasis (i.e) crunches, double leg raises, bicycle and cross-over ab ex's, but I enjoyed the resistance work outs, the running on the track, and socializing with the l

adies. Plus, there was a t-shirt incentive that kept me going to class o the days I didn't feel like it.

Well, by the end of February, my husband and I were THRILLED to learn we were pregnant! But, by mid to end march, I was already starting to "show"!

What! The baby was smaller than a spanish peanut, why was I showing???!! Reluctantly I checked my diastasis, to see how wide it might be. Five finger widths wide was my answer!

Appalled this happened so fast and furiously I jumped into the Tupler exercises full throttle, performing my 10 sets of 100 contractions/day and started wearing my splint religiously. I took a break from the Boot-camp class and focused on the Tupler's and running. Within 2 weeks, I had closed my diastasis (the gap between my recti (abs) to a very shallow 3 fingers wide in the middle and 2 at the top and bottom.

Of course, when I found out my diastasis was 5 fingerwidths I pondered just what had gone wrong????? After all, I was educated and educated others on how to close and maintain a healed diastasis! I have been teaching this to women for years. To be continued .......