In an earlier post I explained what diastasis recti is: a tearing or stretching in the abdominal wall, more specifically, a tearing/stretching of the tissue that connects your major abdominal muscles.  I also explained how to determine if you have this separation and what methods you can take to prevent or help heal it, you can read what I wrote here.

During pregnancy, increased amounts of the hormone Relaxin, which can increase the elasticity of connective tissue, coupled with the location and growth rate of the baby, can cause, with varying degrees, the tearing of the abdominal tissue.  Studies show that the majority of the tearing occurs in the 2nd and third trimesters and can still be present 6-12 weeks following delivery.  Some cases, where tearing was significant have shown that the healing process was incomplete for months or years after delivery.  This can be attributed to a few possible factors; poor abdominal strength before and after pregnancy, obesity prior to, during and after pregnancy, or exacerbation of the tear with excessive physical labor or improper exercise practice postpartum. Read More

Often times, my clients come to me simply out of a lack of motivation to exercise.  They know that if they were only accountable to themselves, that they would always find an excuse not to exercise and so they seek an outside motivator.  Which is  fine, accountability is a strong motivator, and if you have never been a very active person, I think it is only normal to try and find purpose for your exercise. Read More