Blog, Fit2B Magazine
Does Doming Equal Diastasis Recti?
If your abs make weird shapes when you sit up, lean back, or do crunches, that can tell you a lot about your core. Doming can be a physical sign of abdominal separation and dysfunction, but does doming equal Diastasis Recti every time it happens? Here’s a video with my thoughts on bellies that dome, and you’ll also find some images with discussion points to ponder below it.
Does doming equal Diastasis Recti?
Through our research survey here on Fit2B we established a statistically significant correlation between doming and diastasis rectus abdominus (DRA). You need to gather more information beyond the bulge. While it’s possible to have the midline of your abs form a tent or alien-movie bulge and not have diastasis yet, it’s also possible that you do have DRA. If you realize you might have one, there are steps you can take and strategies you can use to address it.
What can I do if my belly domes?
If your abs stick out during moments they should be actively engaged and staying flatter, don’t panic and assume the worst. Like I mentioned in the video, my abs dome sometimes where there is more scar tissue from when I had Diastasis Recti. My fascia is strong enough now to withstand that pressure, and I treat it like my own personal turkey timer: If it’s sticking out, I need to have a look, assess things, and decide if I’m done cooking or just need to reposition!
Doming is feedback about my core. If I notice it, I need to step back and re-strategize my breathing, alignment, range of motion, intensity level, etc. I can also choose to ignore it sometimes because it’s minimal and only for a moment. When doming is ignored and allowed to happen frequently every day, I believe it can create or recreate diastasis all over again.
If you notice your abs doming:
The images in this blog show mild doming patterns in various bellies. Doming can appear worse than these. Sometimes, the dome effect is even more mild. Here are a few things you should consider doing if you see your belly “tent” or make a dome shape:
- Use our free videos to check your abs for Diastasis Recti and learn about this issue.
- Find a GOOD core and pelvic health therapist and book a few sessions of physical therapy.
- Don’t stop working out! You can exercise without making your abs dome more, without making Diastasis Recti worse. We specialize in TummySafe Fitness, and we teach pressure management to avoid doming here on Fit2B!
So, doming does {and does not} equal Diastasis Recti
Doming happens when the connective tissue that runs down the middle of your abs is having trouble handling high intra-abdominal pressure. It’s one more way your body “talks” to you, and you can listen to your body by paying attention to this early warning sign of diastasis or potential for diastasis to occur or worsen.
People who have Diastasis Recti typically also see doming happening in their abs when they lean back or sit up, or do crunches, planks, or any motion that raises their intra-abdominal pressure beyond where their abs can manage that pressure. However, people who don’t have DRA may also see occasional doming when their abs are subjected to high-pressure motions.
Does your diastasis dome?
I believe it’s possible — because I have worked with thousands of people with Diastasis Recti — to prevent doming in abs that have diastasis. Therefore, I believe — because I’ve seen it and experienced it — that diastasis doesn’t have to equal doming. Someone with diastasis can manage their movements with strategies that take pressure off the abs, eliminate doming, and thus reduce their gap width and depth because it’s not being pressed open all the time. The best part is that the same strategies for managing doming abs tend to also help your posture, pelvic floor, and low back pain!
We’d like to hear from you!
What do you think? Have you experienced doming in your abs? When you see it happen, do you know how to adjust your breathing, alignment, and movement strategies to manage it? Have you experienced your gap narrowing as you control your doming? Leave a comment!
In the video you mention a link to a second video, of someone else? Where is the link?
When I do sit ups my upper belly comes a lot, as well as around my belly button. I’m very fit, I exercise every day, my diet is good, I can’t understand why I have excess weight around my stomach. I’m 55.
Nicola my name is Beverly Smith and I’m a Core Restoration Specialist trained through the Tummy Team. Are you asking two questions above or just one? Why do I have extra weight around my middle when I exercise daily and eat well? And why does my belly dome at the top and around belly button when I do sit ups?
If your question is about weight that could be many reasons, hormones, unknown food allergies, etc. and I’d check out some of Beth’s podcasts in which she talks with experts on such things.
If it’s about doming it could just be an intra-abdominal pressure issue or an overactive rectus muscle. Using the core muscles properly, especially the deepest transverse abdominal, takes focus and neuromuscular training. Breathing properly is hugely important to the pressure issue. Check out the Tummy Team website I’m sure you will find some helpful blog or video there or ask in the fit2b Facebook group. Blessings to you!
I have minor coming but no separation. My specialist said lunges and squats and arm workouts only. I’m a massive yogi, can you recommend any yoga I can do? I’m 5 weeks post partum. Thankyou
Kalli, I’m so glad you’re seeing a specialist. We have a postpartum path that eases people back into ALL modes of fitness including Yoga. While some yoga moves are contra-indicated for the early stages of healing, here on Fit2B we teach the modifications, breath patterns, alignments, and more that allow you to resume Yoga progressively. I am a registered Yoga Teacher and teach other instructors at a local school how to adapt for DR. On Fit2B we don’t teach “regular yoga” with adaptations.” We teach DR-Aware Yoga, Pilates, weights, cardio, step aerobics, Latin Dance, and so much more. Our goal is to return people to doing what they love. I would recommend getting the Postnatal Program during our sale, going through that, then joining asa monthly or premium to access ALL the workouts once you’ve laid that foundation. One you go through all my Yoga routines, and they feel good, and you can maintain proper tension at your midline during the moves, you should be ready for “regular” yoga, easy peasy! This is a matter of a few months, and it’s all part of your recovery and easing back into fitness anyway. You can promise your specialist, that we also teach lunges and squats with proper form too. We have many contributing physical therapists on board who specialize in core and pelvic floor. See you in the workouts!
I am currently on my third pregnancy, 25 weeks along. I began doming a few weeks ago. This has happened with every pregnancy but I have never experienced diastis recti. Always got my core back to normal within 12 weeks of having baby. I always thought it was normal since I continued core work all throughout my pregnancies. I feel my belly has grown bigger this time around but I’ve gained alot less weight. Curious what are the safest core exercises to maintain to be sure I dont overdue it this pregnancy as I feel more pressure in my belly than my previous pregnancies.
There is so much you can do, Megan! Follow the path of workouts laid out here which is full of TummySafe video workouts you can do > fit2b.us/fit2b-new-moms
Is it possible to have recovered from my last pregnancy with most of my stomach muscles intact (minimal doming and no protruding belly) and approximately nine moths later given myself DR from over doing yoga and exercises? I didn’t have any major issues or complaints with my belly until around 9 months postpartum. I was back down to my pre-pregnancy size and condition. I did a very physical daily yoga practice for 20 years both before and after and didn’t seem to “break” until 9 months post delivery. I can’t find any information about this on the internet talking about the possibility of this. Could I have thrown off the pressure after healing well? I look 4-5 months pregnant since I was 9 months postpartum and my baby is turning 3 years this month. I’ve been to so many professionals (who don’t specialize in this) but no one seems to know what I’m talking about. Thank you so much!
Yes, it’s very possible. It’s what happened to me. I had a flat belly right after my first baby. Then I went back to traditional core work and overdid my yoga and exercises. Pressure can always get thrown off by many things. You can keep doing Yoga with us and learn how to breathe and activate your core slightly differently during the asana practice. Yoga was originally taught by men who hadn’t had babies, and men’s pressure systems and cores are quite different than a woman’s, let alone one who’s delivered a child. Many poses aren’t suitable for postpartum until key strategies and proper progression have been trained. We offer this on Fit2B for Yoga, Pilates, weights, Cardio, and a lot more. I’d love to have you join. P.S. Sorry for the delayed reply! We’ve been in the middle of a course launch, and I somehow missed it. I’m in our forum a lot answering questions everyday for our members there, though. See you in there!
Wow I have been searching for information about what could be going on with me. I kept coming back to Diastasis Recti but when I see images it’s not the same. Finally I think you’ve nailed it with Doming and my abdominal muscles? however mine is not because of exercise. I’m 40 pounds overweight, 5’3″ and on a journey to get well and healthy. I suffer from IBS with attacks that mimic upper abdominal contractions, uncontrollable like a labour contraction. Sometime daily or I might get lucky and catch a break for a few days to recover. The more I suffer these daily the more the area above my belly button, right in the middle of my umbilical and epigastric region bulges and hurts. It’s not as acute as a hernia bulge hence doming sounds spot on. When I am full of food and have a distended abdomen both outwardly and width it aches and hurts with pressure on it. I can’t lie on my stomach or lean against anything as it protrudes and pressure hurts. In addition I had a laparoscopic abdominal hysterectomy 5 mths ago and I really noticed it after this while my belly button incision was healing and my bowels struggled. We’ve ruled out hernia and bowel disease so I am on a journey to figure this out, this is the closest. I think my doming is a result of intense abdominal contraction from ibs attacks and also having to change position with my bowel movements after surgery which directly impacts my abdominal muscle. Does this sound possible and what can help me with this, how do I avoid it getting worse? Your direction would be amazing, Thanks from New Zealand.
I’m so glad you found Fit2B, Carmen! Diastasis can manifest differently in different people. We have served many clients in your same shoes. Chronic inflammation is a big player in stretched out tummy muscles. Our gentle exercises would help you stay active without irritating your bowels more, while also strengthening that area and giving you some strategies for activating your core more effectively in those positions, relaxing it as much as possible during attacks, helping your posture which can facilitate better elimination, and teaching you a lot of other things. We learn while we move on Fit2B. I’d love to have you join our tribe!
I had 2 10 lb baby’s within 14 months, I am overweight yes, but my diastasis recti is really bad, I believe from what I’ve been researching that my doming is very severe as well. I look pregnant and my baby will be 4 in May. I’m focusing on weight loss in an effort to help me but I feel so lost, I’m scared to exercise to make it worse and it hurts, alot.
Nothing has worked and it’s been almost 5 years since my last child. I was told mine will never go away without surgery. I can’t afford a “tummy tuck”. So, I’m stuck like this forever. Looking pregnant, forever.
You sound like you’ve tried everything and feel like you haven’t gotten anywhere. Is your diastasis improving at all with anything you’ve done? Is it the shape of your belly that you’re primarily concerned about? How our bellies look can really impact our mental health, even if all the diastasis is resolved, if there’s extra skin and poochiness, it can be really hard for some women. I talk a LOT about body image and use very positive cues in our workout videos for this very reason. Self love and personal acceptance – even gratitude for WHY our bellies look the way they do… well, it’s easier said than done, but making that shift in thinking can really help!