Rebuild your core strength safely and effectively after diastasis recti with the Tupler Technique® routine. This guide provides a detailed postpartum core strengthening program, including diastasis-safe exercises, breathing techniques, and a clear path to restoring abdominal function and flattening your belly
TLDR: Traditional core exercises like crunches can make diastasis recti worse. The Tupler Technique® offers a proven, safe, and effective routine for postpartum core strengthening that focuses on healing from the inside out. This routine strengthens the deep transverse abdominis muscle, improves the condition of the connective tissue, and teaches you to use your core correctly in daily life. By following this 4-step method, you can close your diastasis, flatten your stomach, and build a truly strong and functional core.
After having a baby, the desire to reclaim your core strength and get rid of the “postpartum pooch” is completely understandable. However, jumping back into your old workout routine, especially one that includes traditional abdominal exercises like crunches and planks, can do more harm than good if you have diastasis recti. The key to effective postpartum core strengthening is to work with your body’s healing process, not against it. The Tupler Technique® provides a research-based, systematic routine designed specifically to heal diastasis recti by strengthening the innermost abdominal muscle and repairing the weakened connective tissue. This approach doesn’t just flatten your belly; it rebuilds a strong, functional core from the inside out.
Why Traditional Ab Exercises Are Counterproductive
Exercises that cause the abdomen to bulge forward—such as crunches, sit-ups, and even some forms of Pilates and yoga—put intra-abdominal pressure on the weak linea alba. This outward force can actually stretch the connective tissue further, making the diastasis wider and weaker. It’s a frustrating cycle: you’re working hard to strengthen your abs, but you’re inadvertently making the problem worse. Before starting any postpartum exercise routine, it is crucial to first perform a
Self-Check for Postpartum Diastasis Recti at Home with the Tupler Technique® to understand your body’s specific needs.
The Secret Weapon: Your Transverse Abdominis Muscle
The Tupler Technique® focuses on the transverse abdominis (TVA), the deepest of the four abdominal muscles. The TVA wraps around your midsection like a corset, and when it’s strong, it provides stability to your spine and pelvis, holds your organs in place, and helps to keep your rectus abdominis muscles in a closed position. During pregnancy, the TVA gets stretched and weakened. The goal of the Tupler Technique® is to reactivate and strengthen this muscle, effectively creating a natural, internal splint that supports the healing of the linea alba.
The 4-Step Tupler Technique® Core Strengthening Routine
The Tupler Technique® is more than just a set of exercises; it’s a comprehensive approach to healing. The routine is built on four essential components that work together to restore core function. 1. **Tupler Technique® Exercises:** These exercises are specifically designed to shorten and strengthen the TVA muscle while keeping the rectus abdominis muscles in a neutral, approximated position. 2. **Diastasis Rehab Splint®:** Wearing the splint is a critical part of the routine. It manually holds the separated muscles together, taking the stretch off the connective tissue and allowing it to heal in a narrowed position. For more on this, see our
Postpartum Splinting for Diastasis Recti: Tupler Technique® Recommendations. 3. **Developing Transverse Awareness:** This involves learning to engage your TVA throughout the day. Every time you lift your baby, get out of a chair, or even cough, you have an opportunity to strengthen your core. 4. **Proper Body Mechanics:** You will learn how to move in ways that protect your healing connective tissue, such as rolling to your side to get out of bed instead of sitting straight up.
Foundational Exercises in the Tupler Technique®
The Tupler Technique® exercise routine is progressive, starting with foundational movements that can be done anywhere, anytime. The focus is on quality of contraction, not quantity of repetitions. * **The Elevator Exercise:** Sit in a chair with your back supported and your feet flat on the floor. Imagine your transverse muscle is an elevator. Start at the “first floor” (relaxed). As you exhale, slowly lift the elevator up to the “fifth floor” (a full contraction, pulling your belly button back to your spine). Hold for a few seconds, then slowly lower the elevator back down. This builds both strength and endurance in the TVA. * **Seated Tupler Contractions:** In the same seated position, place your hands on your belly to feel the muscle engage. Inhale, and as you exhale, perform a strong contraction of the TVA, as if you are trying to squeeze your hip bones together. The goal is to perform hundreds of these throughout the day to build muscle memory and strength. * **Head Lifts:** Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat. Place a pillow under your head. As you exhale and engage your TVA, slowly lift your head, bringing your chin to your chest. This is a tiny movement. The goal is to keep the abdomen flat. If you see any bulging, you are not engaging your TVA correctly.
Integrating Core Strength into Daily Life
True core strength isn’t just about what you do for 20 minutes a day; it’s about how you use your body all day long. The Tupler Technique® teaches you to make core engagement an automatic habit. Before you pick up your baby, you’ll learn to exhale and engage your TVA. Before you stand up, you’ll engage your core. This constant, low-level engagement is what truly builds a strong, functional core and protects your diastasis from reopening. This is especially important for mothers who have had a C-section, as detailed in our
C-Section Recovery & Postpartum Diastasis Recti: Tupler Technique® Approach.
Frequently Asked Questions
