After attending several core-lates classes, a combination of Pilates and core training, I left with a concern: how much of this programming accounted for the women actually taking the class?

In the classes I attended, I did not hear diastasis recti acknowledged or see modifications explained specifically for it. I know there are instructors who do this well. My experience still raised a question worth asking: when we market a class to women, how well are we prepared to coach the changes pregnancy may have left behind?

A woman can arrive hoping to feel stronger or more confident in her stomach without knowing whether she needs an assessment. If nobody opens that conversation, she may assume that keeping up with the class is what she should do.

Women deserve clear explanations, useful options and a coach who knows when another professional should be involved.

Diastasis can persist beyond the baby years

Diastasis recti is a widening between the two sides of the rectus abdominis, the muscles at the front of the abdomen. The connective tissue between them, called the linea alba, stretches during pregnancy. The separation can improve after birth, but it may remain for years. It is not a personal failure or evidence that someone has not worked hard enough. [1]​

How common it is depends on when and how it is measured. In one cohort of 300 first-time mothers, researchers reported diastasis in 60% at six weeks postpartum and 32.6% at 12 months. That supports taking it seriously; it does not support saying that most women still have it years later. [2]​

If your youngest child is now a teenager and you have concerns about your abdominal function, it is still reasonable to ask for an assessment. Time since childbirth alone cannot tell you what support you need.

Crunches need context

It would be easy to turn this into a warning that crunches and sit-ups are the worst exercises for anyone with diastasis. The research does not justify that blanket rule.

A 2023 randomised trial studied 70 women with diastasis who were six to 12 months postpartum. A 12-week program containing head lifts and curl-ups improved abdominal strength and muscle thickness without worsening the measured separation. It did not significantly narrow the gap either. [3]​

That does not make every high-repetition class suitable for every woman. These findings apply to a defined program and study population, not automatically to early postpartum recovery, painful movement or every variation of an exercise.

Cleveland Clinic’s patient guidance is more cautious about crunches. Taken alongside the trial, the practical message is to get advice that fits your recovery stage, symptoms and capacity rather than treating an exercise name as a universal verdict. [1]​ [3]​

The limitations of a standard group routine

A group instructor may be coaching several people with very different histories at once. A fixed sequence and pace can leave little room to understand why one participant needs a different starting point. A class described as low impact can still demand more abdominal control or endurance than an individual currently has.

Here is what I would want to see from a class that takes those differences seriously:

A private opportunity to mention pregnancy history, abdominal concerns, pain or pelvic symptoms before class.

Options demonstrated early, with permission to reduce range, resistance or repetitions and to rest.

Attention to how someone is moving and feeling, including whether they can breathe comfortably through the effort.

A referral to a pelvic health physiotherapist when symptoms or uncertainty call for an assessment beyond the instructor’s role.

For example, a coach might trial bent knees instead of straight legs, a shorter lever, fewer repetitions or a different movement. Those are ways to adjust demand, not a guaranteed rehabilitation prescription. A physiotherapist can help identify what is appropriate for the individual. [5]​

Pain, leaking or pelvic heaviness should prompt a pause and assessment. Doming is worth discussing and may prompt an adjustment, but appearance alone cannot establish a diagnosis or tell us whether tissue is being damaged.

Why I prioritise progressive strength training

This is one reason I favour traditional strength training as a foundation. Exercises, loads, repetitions and rest periods can be adjusted to the person, then progressed as capacity improves. It gives us a practical way to develop whole-body strength as we get older.

Adult activity guidelines recommend muscle-strengthening work for all major muscle groups on at least two days each week, alongside aerobic activity. [4]​

That is not proof that weights are always safer than Pilates, or that Pilates cannot build strength. Weight training also needs appropriate coaching and progression. My preference is for a plan that makes individual needs and measurable progress central, whatever equipment is used.

A well-coached class can be part of that plan. The question is whether the training suits you and helps you progress.

A gentle self check to start the conversation

If you are concerned about abdominal separation, this check may help you describe what you notice. It cannot confirm a diagnosis or clear you for an exercise.

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet resting flat.

Support your head with one hand. Breathe out and lift your head and shoulders slightly; stop if it hurts.

Place the other hand palm down over your midline, with fingertips pointing toward your feet. Use light pressure to feel between the muscle edges at, above and below your belly button.

Notice the space and any symptoms. Finger widths are a rough guide, not a precise clinical measurement.

A gap around two finger widths or more is a reason to discuss your findings with a clinician. Seek advice for pain, leaking, pelvic heaviness or uncertainty regardless of gap size. A pelvic health physiotherapist can assess your abdominal wall and relevant symptoms and guide progression. [1]​ [5]​ [6]​

The photograph at the bottom illustrates the position. It does not show a diagnosed separation.

Women should be able to expect more than an instruction to keep going. We deserve coaching that recognises our history and helps us build confidence in what our bodies can do.

At SHIFT(ED) Performance Coaching, that is the standard I believe training should meet: a plan built around the person, with the right professional support when it is needed.