Reduce Diastasis Recti just 5 days after giving birth

The post pregnancy tummy can stop people from exercising immediately after giving birth, but these 5 techniques can be started 5 days after giving birth, reducing effects of diastasis recti.

All exercises can be repeated 8 times only.

1. Exhale, draw in, pull up.

PREPARATION: Set a reminder every hour to take these breaths. Take a deep inhale.

THE MOVEMENT: Exhale to draw your belly button into the spine and upwards towards the rib cage. Don't bend forwards, stay erect and upright. Hold for 3 seconds.

2. Practice a basic chin nod.

PREPARATION: Lie on your back, place one hand behind head/neck and one hand on your middle - placing the palm at bottom of the ribcage and your fingers pointing down towards tummy button. Inhale to prepare.

THE MOVEMENT: Exhale as you draw your head off the mat, nodding your chin towards your chest (leave a tennis ball-sized gap between your chin and your chest). At the same time, draw in your tummy button towards the spine. You may be able to feel your diastasis recti underneath your middle fingers. Hold for 3 secs, inhale to release back down.

3. Kneel and twist.

PREPARATION: On your knees, inhale to prepare.

THE MOVEMENT: Suck your abs in from their very bottom, focusing on drawing them up into ribs. Hold for 3 seconds as you twist to the right, then the left. Keep hips facing the front. Inhale to relax back to centre.

4. Let your legs loose.

PREPARATION: Lie on your back with knees bent, feet on floor. Wrap an elastic theraband around thighs just above the knees. Inhale to prepare.

THE MOVEMENT: As you exhale, draw the tummy button into the spine, dropping the right knee to the right side, down towards the floor. Inhale and move the knee back up to centre. Repeat on other side.

5. Slide it out.

PREPARATION: Lie on your back with knees bent towards bottom with feet on floor. Inhale to prepare.

THE MOVEMENT: As you exhale, draw the tummy button into the spine, sliding your right foot away from you (imagine it is on a track in line with your body in front of your hips) until it is stretched out straight. Inhale and move the foot back up towards your hips. Repeat on other side.