Diastasis recti (DR) is a gap between your two long tummy muscles that opens during pregnancy. It is common, it often improves by itself in the first 8 weeks after birth, and when it doesn’t, the right exercises can help. Sit-ups and crunches are not the place to start.
Why your tummy still looks pregnant
“Baby ho gaya, phir bhi pet aisa kyun dikhta hai?” If your tummy still pushes forward months or even years after delivery, a gap in your tummy muscles may be part of the reason. As your baby grows, the two long muscles down the front of your tummy are stretched apart. After birth, the gap usually closes again. The NHS says the separation usually goes back to normal by the time your baby is 8 weeks old.
When it doesn’t fully close, you may notice:
- A rounded “mummy tummy”, even after you have lost the pregnancy weight.
- A ridge or dome down the middle of your tummy when you sit up from lying down.
- A soft, deep gap above or below your belly button.
- Lower back ache or a weak feeling in your core.
The 1-minute self-check
This is the check the NHS describes. Do it on a bed or a mat:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Lift your shoulders slightly off the floor and look down at your tummy.
- With your fingertips, feel between the edges of the muscles, above and below your belly button. See how many fingers fit in the gap.
See your doctor if the gap is still obvious 8 weeks after the birth. The NHS notes you may be at risk of back problems, and your doctor can refer you to a physiotherapist for specific exercises. See a doctor sooner if you have pain, a bulge that pushes out (for example near the belly button or scar), or any problem with a C-section wound.
Exercises that help
The NHS says regular pelvic floor and deep stomach muscle exercises can help reduce the size of the separation. Start here:
1. Deep tummy draw-in, lying on your side
Lie on your side with your knees slightly bent. Let your tummy relax and breathe in gently. As you breathe out, gently draw in the lower part of your tummy like a corset, narrowing your waist, and squeeze your pelvic floor at the same time. Hold for a count of 10, breathing normally, then gently release. Repeat up to 10 times.
2. Pelvic floor squeezes
Squeeze as if you are stopping yourself passing wind and urine, then let go fully. The NHS suggests building up to 10 repeats, at least 3 times a day. Keep breathing normally.
3. Then build up, slowly
Once these feel easy and your doctor has cleared you for exercise, add gentle moves such as heel slides, pelvic tilts and wall push-ups, then low-impact cardio and strength work. A 2025 review of 34 trials found that abdominal exercises, especially when combined with other approaches such as pelvic floor training, reduced the gap more than no exercise, though the authors rated the evidence as very low certainty. What matters most is doing the right moves consistently, with good form.
What to avoid at first
- Sit-ups, crunches and planks, which the NHS advises avoiding to start with.
- High-impact exercise such as jumping and running, until your core and pelvic floor feel strong.
- Heavy lifting, and straining on the toilet (fibre and water help).
- Any move that makes your tummy dome, cone or bulge along the middle. That is your sign to make it easier.
DR after a C-section
After a caesarean you are healing a wound as well as the muscle gap, so the first weeks are about rest, walking and breathing. Ask your doctor before you restart exercise. Our guide to weight loss after a C-section covers the stages, and the postpartum fitness guide covers any kind of birth.
Fat, skin and the gap: why the tummy needs a full plan
A post-baby tummy is usually a mix of stored fat, stretched skin and a weak deep core. Core exercises strengthen the muscles, but they don’t burn the fat on top. That needs regular movement, strength training and balanced home food, explained in our belly fat guide. Healing the gap and losing the fat together is what changes how your tummy looks and feels.
How FunDa helps
Dr. Jyoti Srivastava began her own fitness journey as a new mother. The Superwoman Trim Tummy & DR Healing program takes women through deep core rebuilding, safe fat loss and home food, step by step, with a team that checks in every day. We coach fitness habits; we don’t diagnose or treat medical conditions, so follow your doctor’s advice, and results vary from person to person.
Sources
- NHS. Your post-pregnancy body (reviewed 20 July 2026).
- de Oliveira LC et al. Effects of conservative approaches for treating diastasis recti abdominis in postpartum women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2025;104(23):e42723.
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Exercise after pregnancy, FAQ131 (last reviewed October 2024).
- NHS. Caesarean section: recovery.
