Best Postpartum during pregnancy Exercises for Diastasis Recti (Tupler Technique® Guide)

When healing diastasis recti, the right exercise feels surprisingly gentle—and profoundly effective. The Tupler Technique® prioritizes deep core coordination, not intensity. You’ll train the transverse abdominis to support your midline during pregnancy and rebuild strength postpartum—without crunches or risky planks.

Principles of Safe Core Training

  • Exhale before effort to organize pressure.
  • No coning: If your belly peaks, regress the movement.
  • Short, frequent practice teaches your tissues what “support” feels like.
  • Position matters: Head/neck/shoulders relaxed; ribs stacked over pelvis.

Foundational Exercises (Pregnant & Postpartum)

  1. Seated Transverse Activation: Sit tall, inhale softly; on a gentle exhale, draw belly inward as if zipping pants; release completely. Build smooth reps.
  2. Side-Lying Transverse + Pelvic Floor Sync: Inhale; exhale, gently lift the pelvic floor as the belly draws inward. Relax fully between reps.
  3. Supported Marches (Postpartum): On exhale, float one foot a few inches; no pelvic rocking; switch sides.
  4. Wall Angels with Rib Stacking: Keep ribs heavy; avoid flaring; exhale as arms glide upward.

Progressions Without Doming

  • Heel Slides with transverse control.
  • Dead Bug Arms-Only → Arms + Legs as tolerated.
  • Bridge with exhale initiation; avoid rib flare.
  • Modified Side Plank (later): only if zero coning and strong control.

Cardio & Strength the Tupler Way

Prefer low-impact cardio (walking, cycling, elliptical) while you rebuild pressure control. Strength training is welcome—just coordinate breath with every rep and avoid valsalva. If you see or feel doming, reduce load or regress the move.

What to Avoid

  • Traditional crunches/sit-ups.
  • Long, fatiguing planks early on.
  • Breath-holding during exertion.
  • High-impact exercise that repeatedly forces the belly outward.

Putting It Together: A Sample Week

  • Daily: 2–3 short sessions of transverse activation (3–5 minutes).
  • 3x/week: Foundations + gentle progressions (10–20 minutes).
  • 2–3x/week: Low-impact cardio (20–30 minutes), breath-coordinated.
  • Always: Side-lying get-ups; exhale to lift; splint support as advised.

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About Julie Tupler RN

Julie Tupler, RN, is a registered nurse, certified childbirth educator, certified personal trainer, and creator of the Tupler Technique® Program, which she developed in 1990. For more than 30 years, she has been teaching and developing the Tupler Technique® Program for the treatment of diastasis recti in women, men, and children. Through Diastasis Rehab, Julie teaches clients and professionals how to use the Tupler Technique® to help address abdominal separation with a non-surgical, research-based approach. She is also the author of multiple books on maternal fitness and diastasis recti, including Maternal Fitness, Lose Your Mummy Tummy, Together Tummy, and Will You Be My Belly Buddy?