One of the questions I get asked the most is “Can I do upperbody strength training when I have recently given birth and have diastasis recti?” and I always give the same answer.
Not only CAN you do upperbody resistance exercises but doing them is ESSENTIAL for your post-partum recovery. I went into this in a bit of depth on the Healthy Post Natal Body podcast episode of 26-02-23, so have a listen to that if you’d like a deeper explanation.
Most post-partum exercise programs only focus on lower body and core
This is because these programs are designed to only address “a there and then” problem. If you have diastasis recti, or hip issues, just doing lower body and core exercises seems to be sensible as those issues are what you’re trying to resolve..right? So, for diastasis recti, you’ll find yourself doing some breathing, glute work and core work. After all, diastasis is a core problem, right??? And for pelvic girdle pain everything centers on the pelvic floor and surrounding areas.
The problem with that approach is that it ignores the ACTUAL function of the body, and this causes some real problems.
For instance, part of the function of the core is to stabilise you when you’re shifting something from one place to another, such as a baby from the crib to your hip/chest or the sofa or a travel-system from the car into your house. You can’t train that by lying on the floor and doing a tonne of glute bridges and side planks.
Of course most personal trainers and physios would counter this by saying that they also have you do squats and lunges but those are straight up and down exercises, that’s just not how you move in daily life.
The upperbody plays an essential role in your daily life and must therefore be part of a post-partum program
For good physical alignment, which we know is a key component to healing diastasis recti and post-partum back problems, you need a strong back. For lifting a toddler, and all the things that come with the little monster, you need strong arms and shoulders.
People with weaker arms and shoulders will find a way to compensate when they lift their child up, and this means using a part of the body that should not be working as much as it is when carrying a baby. Or, even worse, your body starts to “brace” putting pressure on your core and pelvic floor, thereby undoing all the good work you did trying to heal your diastasis And potentially increasing your backpain.
So to not train for those things is simply insane.
One of my favourite combinations of various exercises that will really help you in daily life, strengthening the arms and shoulders whilst keeping the body aligned perfectly.
The importance of strength training when you have diastasis recti
Part of daily life is shifting weight about and moving across several planes of motion. Your body is designed to be REALLY good at that. Part of the problem people with diastasis recti, and back and neck pain, have is that their body doesn’t know how to shift it’s center of gravity and stay balanced whilst at the same time using the correct muscles at the correct time. . Ignoring this element in a post-partum rehab program doesn’t make sense if you’re really looking to recover (it makes sense if you just want to create the easiest program from a program design point of view..IOW, It’s great for lazy coaches)
And by now it should be obvious that I feel you simply can not achieve “being fit for life with a child” if you never practise lifting things..and not just small weights! If you regularly have to lift 15-20Kg in real life there is very little point in only using 2-3Kg weights in the gym.
It doesn’t matter what kind of strength training you do
Bodyweight, Kettlebells, Resistance bands, dumbbells etc. etc. The type of equipment is completely irrelevant. You can do a tremendous amount with any of those options. As long as you get your resistance/strength training in, and you stay safe whilst adding progression into your program, you will be OK.
Take care, and go lift stuff.
Peter