If you’ve been working out religiously after having a baby but your belly still bulges—or even looks worse—you’re not imagining it. Exercises like crunches, planks, and Russian twists may actually be deepening the muscle separation known as diastasis recti. And when that happens, your postpartum belly pooch can become more pronounced instead of going away.
Why These Moves Are Problematic
Crunches, planks, and twists are all core exercises—but they’re not core-friendly when your abdominal wall is compromised. These movements increase pressure inside your abdomen. Instead of pulling your muscles back together, that pressure pushes them outward, stretching and weakening the connective tissue even more.
What Happens to Your Core During These Exercises
When you crunch or plank without proper support from your deep core (especially the transverse abdominis), your belly may cone or dome—a visible sign that the pressure is pushing through the weakest spot. For many women, that spot is the linea alba—the connective tissue in the center of your abs that gets stretched during pregnancy.
How Your Pooch Gets Worse
If you continue doing these exercises with an existing diastasis recti, you may find that your belly sticks out more, not less. This is because the gap between your muscles is not being healed—it’s being pulled apart again and again.
Smarter Core Exercises to Do Instead
- Seated transverse ab contractions – Activate your internal corset muscles in a safe position.
- Elevated head lifts – Gently begin engaging the abdominals without full crunching.
- Tupler seated and back-lying exercises – Designed specifically to heal the connective tissue.
The Role of Posture & Alignment
Standing and sitting with proper alignment protects your midline throughout the day. Poor posture—especially slumping or forward head positioning—adds extra pressure to your abdominal wall. Combine that with aggressive exercise, and you’ve got a recipe for a persistent belly pooch.
A Proven Approach: The Tupler Technique®
Rather than fighting your body with forceful exercises, the Tupler Technique® meets your core where it’s at. It teaches you to use your transverse muscle in every movement, protect your belly with splinting, and strengthen the weakened tissue with precision. Start your healing with the free Introductory Workshop.
Explore the rest of this helpful series:
- What Causes a Postpartum Belly Pooch?
- How to Tell If Your Postpartum Belly Pooch Is Actually Diastasis Recti
- Exercises That Make a Postpartum Belly Pooch Worse (And What to Do Instead)
- Healing the Connective Tissue Behind the Postpartum Belly Pooch (Coming Soon)
