Ab Work With Ab Separation
By Lisa Stone, ACE

Q. I have a minor abdominal separation of about one finger width. I will be diligently doing the exercises for this I found in the archived threads. My question is will doing other types of ab work hinder the closing of the separation? I have a small routine I like to do with some oblique work as well as rectus abdominus work. Can I do these along with the specific exercises for the separation? Can I really expect a full closure? I was always so happy with my abs, even after one baby. Baby #2 has been harder on me.

A. If you do regular ab work, just wrap a towel around your back at the lowest part of your waist, crossing the ends of the towel in front of you, splinting your abs just below your belly button - that will help pull the two sides of the rectus together as you perform the exercises. You should expect full healing of the separation within a couple of weeks of doing the special exercises. If you don't see any progress, talk with your healthcare provider about getting a referral to a physical therapist specializing in postpartum issues.