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Young mothers who do not like the appearance of their abdomen after pregnancy often reach for straight abdominal muscle stretch exercises - but which one should they choose to help themselves and not to harm themselves? Read about effective rectal abdominal distension exercises and those to avoid. Also find out at what time after giving birth you can start exercising for straight abdominal stretch.

Exercises for the stretch marks of the rectus abdominalsare designed to help young mothers fight the stretching of the skin within thewhite line . How does it happen?

The rectus abdominis muscle, located exactly in its center, divides into two parts along the line of the body. Both sides of it should be adjacent to each other in the middle - connected with each other with a white line. Or at least, that's the norm that ceases to apply when a woman becomes pregnant. Then, both the growing uterus and the relaxing hormones cause the abdominal muscles to stretch. All this so that the developing fetus in a woman's body has enough space for development. However, after delivery, the uterus returns to the state it was in before pregnancy - it contracts and the rectus abdominals fall strictly along the white line - this process takes place within a few weeks after delivery.

When does a stretch of straight abdominal muscles occur?

This is in theory, but in reality it is not the case. Some women have a gap in the middle between one side and the other of the rectus abdominis muscle. Instead of a wall of muscles, a cavity resembling a hole is visible here, and there is also sagging of the white line. The side abdominal muscles are also weakened if they are not properly tense.

Sometimes there is a more serious condition - a hernia, i.e. displacement of the white content of the abdominal cavity beyond its limits. At the site of weakness, a hernia gate, a kind of fissure, protruding the hernial sac and its contents are formed in the area of ​​the white hernia. A stretch of rectal abdominal muscles (RMPB) may become apparent at the end of pregnancy, but it is most common after the birth.

Who may have a stretch of rectal abdominal muscles?

Appearance of a stretchThe rectus abdominals are difficult to predict as it depends on individual factors and even on the specific pregnancy. The same woman with one child has to use exercises for the stretch of rectus abdominal muscles, with the other there is no problem at all.

It also doesn't matter if the woman is thin or overweight. However, the mother's age - above 35 years of age - is the factors that increase the risk of stretch mark. Multiple pregnancies also cause greater stretching of the muscles.

The reason for these kinds of he alth problems may also be a lack of physical activity before pregnancy and the associated weakening of the abdominal muscles. On the other hand, muscles that are too strong are also a problem because they are inflexible and do not stretch, but pull apart.

Exercises for stretch marks of straight abdominal muscles during pregnancy - to exercise or not?

So if too strong muscles can contribute to the stretch marks of the rectus abdominals, should you exercise them during pregnancy?Experts unequivocally state that no . After all, during training, we always try to perform the exercises as well as possible in terms of technique, and meanwhile, by doing pregnant crunches, we strengthen their inappropriate state.

During pregnancy, the muscles are stretched by the enlarging uterus and the fetus inside it, but such stretching does not occur in our body every day, so perpetuating such a state is definitely inadvisable and may lead to a stretch mark or hernia. Moreover, in the first trimester of pregnancy, an increase in intra-abdominal and mediastinal pressure caused by exercise can lead to miscarriage, and in the third trimester - to premature birth.

It is also very important to avoid exercises in the supine position during pregnancy, as the uterus will then put pressure on the inferior vein along the spine, which in turn can cause hypoxia in the fetus.

This will be useful to you

How do you know if you have a straight stretch in your abdomen?

Lie down on a flat surface, bend your legs at the knees. Then slightly raise your head (just like you would like to do a belly, but obviously don't do it), place your palm on your stomach with your fingers pointing downwards, and touch the muscles from the sternum to the navel. If you feel a "hole" where you can put 3-4 fingers and the skin on your abdomen around the navel is flabby, you most likely have a stretch of rectal abdominal muscles.

To be sure, however, a medical consultation is always recommended - it is best to go to the obstetric physiotherapist.

Since when is it possible to do exercises for the stretch of rectal abdominal muscles?

It's worth itIt should be noted that the straight stretch of the abdominal muscles is not dangerous for the woman's he alth, but in some cases it can cause back pain, and even abdominal hernia or stress urinary incontinence. What bothers young mothers the most, however, is the unsightly appearance of the stretch mark, which is why they start exercising for the stretch mark of the abdominal muscles to get rid of the problem. However, are they indicated?

Yes, but remember that you should notdo them yourself without consulting your doctor . In addition, they must be very gentle and calm - in the first days after childbirth, isometric exercises consisting only of tensing the muscles without changing their length and slight movements, e.g. lifting arms or legs and lowering them down.

Check: Safe postpartum exercise [PHOTOS]

If you want to return to more dynamic exercises, you can startnot earlier than 6 weeks after giving birth in the case of natural childbirth, while in the case of caesarean section, you have to wait 12 weeks before being physically active. It is best to consult your gynecologist, midwife or obstetric physiotherapist when you decide to return to exercise.

It is worth adding that exercises are not effective in the case of a hernia of the white border - in such cases surgery is required.

Straight abdominal muscle stretch exercises - which will help?

Exercises for the stretch marks of the rectus abdominals should primarily involve the pelvic floor muscles and the transverse muscle. Most often they are performed in a supine position, with the legs bent at the knees and the feet on the floor. Exercising the transverse abdominal muscle will not only deal with this problem, but will also reduce pain in the lumbar spine.

See: Exercises for pain in the lumbar spine

During exercise, you should pay attention to breathing through the thoracic path, when mainly the upper chest is moved, the arms and shoulder blades are raised and the abdomen tucks. It is also worth exercising by crossing your arms at the level of the navel and gently grasping the stomach with your hands - while exhaling, moving your elbows apart and moving your straight muscles towards the center of the body. This way you will reduce the intra-abdominal pressure and increase the pressure on the pelvic floor muscles.

It is also worth using selected asanas in yoga, involving the transverse and pelvic floor muscles, as well as elements of pilates, also focusing on exercising this type of muscle.

Exercises for rectal abdominal muscles stretch on video

Be sure to beforebefore starting the exercises, consult a doctor who will assess the depth of your stretch mark.

When exercising, pay attention to whether the range becomes larger - if you notice a bulge, skip the exercise and go back to the easier ones. The training is to bring the abdominal wall closer together, not make them move apart.

Don't do that

These exercises can be harmful!

In addition to effective exercises for stretch marks of the rectus abdominals, it is also worth mentioning those that are definitely not recommended to be performed. Among the forbidden exercises are:

  • crunches - preserve the separation of muscles;
  • asanas that stretch the abdominal muscles, e.g. breastbone, head down cat;
  • exercises involving leg elevation - engage the external abdominal muscles that do not resist the intra-abdominal pressure, e.g. scissors;
  • exercises that require bending the body backwards - also stretch the rectus abdominis muscle;
  • exercises involving the oblique abdominal muscles - the oblique muscles connect with the straight muscles thanks to the fascia, and their final attachment is the white border, which may be stretched; exercises for the oblique abdominal muscles include various types of twists and side bends;
  • exercises on the ball lying down with your back;
  • supports - especially those with straightened legs burden the stomach;
  • lifting weights - e.g. heavy shopping or even a baby - you may consider wearing a sling.
According to an expertAnna Rojek, urogynecological physiotherapist, member of the board of the Polish Urogynecological Society, manual therapist at the Reha Plus office in Krakow

Dissection is not only an aesthetic problem, but most of all it is a factor that may predispose to the occurrence of such ailments as: back pain, lower pelvic organs or urinary incontinence. For this reason, properly selected therapy is very important.

The task of urogynecological physiotherapy is to properly assess the problem (the degree of damage to the borderline, if necessary, control under ultrasound), find the causative factors of the problem and eliminate them (very often the problem is improper muscle activity, e.g. in the core muscles), as well as selection of appropriate treatments, e.g. in the field of manual therapy of soft tissues, fascial techniques and others. Exercises, individually selected for a specific patient, are also very important. Of great importance is the use of the transverse abdominal muscle, pelvic floor muscles, with proper activity of the respiratory diaphragm. It is recommended that you breathe through the diaphragmatic path during exercise, because it is therethe most effective and allows the best oxygenation of working muscles.

Scientific research also shows the need to use the activity of the rectus abdominis itself. However, the right choice of starting positions and exercises is of great importance here. It is best to visit a physiotherapist during pregnancy. On the other hand, after childbirth, the earlier we report to a qualified person, the better and faster the effect of the therapy will be.

Exercise after childbirth should be started as early as possible, that is even during the puerperium. Unfortunately, most of the women do not know about it or are not even aware that they have a problem with the borderline borderline, because the information in this regard from doctors or midwives is still very little or not available at all.

It would be ideal for women to start the therapy during pregnancy, but never on their own, but under the supervision of a qualified physiotherapist dealing with urogynecology or the therapy of pregnant women. Incorrect self-exercise can unfortunately aggravate the problem.

About the authorAnna SierantEditor in charge of the Psychology and Beauty sections, as well as the main page of Poradnikzdrowie.pl. As a journalist, she cooperated, among others. with "Wysokie Obcasy", the websites: dwutygodnik.com and entertheroom.com, the quarterly "G'RLS Room". She also co-founded the online magazine "PudOWY Róż". He runs a blog jakdzżyna.wordpress.com.

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