After giving birth, some moms aim to go back to their old figure and lose the fats and weight they gained from pregnancy.
One of the most common ways to get rid of unwanted fats is going through an intensive workout.
However, postpartum trainer, Kirstyn Campbell warns moms about exercises like burpees, crunches, situps, and lunges.
Campbell recently finished a challenge where she did 100 burpees a day for 100 days.
After that, Campbell noticed that she is already experiencing stomach separation. She previously felt something was wrong with her stomach, but she shrugged it off.
What is stomach separation?
Stomach muscle separation or diastasis recti is when the muscles in the middle of the stomach separate.
One reason for stomach separation is when women who just gave birth rush back to working out. The stomach separation worsens when a woman does too many burpees or crunches.
When a woman continues to exercise, the tear on the stomach muscle could worsen. That will need surgery to be corrected, and if not addressed correctly, may cause the internal organs to shift.
What happened to the mother's stomach muscles?
Campbell gave birth seven years ago when she learned that she did exercises that were not appropriate for the body of a woman who gave birth.
When Campbell discovered her stomach separation, the tear has reached her pubic bone from below her ribcage.
Campbell had to undergo extensive physiotherapy to be able to heal from stomach separation. Also, she needed her stomach to be strapped with kinesiology tape for weeks.READ ALSO: Exercise During Pregnancy: 5 Benefits to Babies' Health in the Long Run
A gynecologist's opinion
According to Olivia Smart, a gynecologist, overexertion like too much exercise can damage the ligaments. When a woman who gave birth will not take any precautions, it may lead to further injury. That is because the skin and muscles are not knitting accurately.
Smart also reiterated that it took 40 weeks for a pregnant woman's body to form, so no one should expect it to return to how it was before, immediately.
Working out for postpartum moms
After enduring stomach separation, Campbell decided to specialize in working with moms who gave birth. The focus of her training for moms is not just strengthening abdominal muscles. It also focuses on empowering the pelvic floors.
Her reminder to moms is that exercise is for healing, and having an injury should not happen because of a lack of education.
Aside from Campbell's reminder to moms, she also called for trainers to be cautious when dealing with female clients. She said that if those who gave birth do not have a strong abdominal core, then they should not be allowed to do exercises that could lead to stomach separation. Some of these exercises include planking, burpees, mountain climbers, crunches, press-ups, and starjumps.
