Can exercise fix diastasis recti?

On Ep. 365 of The WarriorBabe Show, Nikkiey Stott talks with Dr. Rady Rahban, a Beverly Hills plastic and reconstructive surgeon who calls himself a diastasis expert. He doesn't soften it: he says no trainer and no program is fixing your diastasis, and that anyone who claims otherwise is wrong. He describes women who have spent years in fitness rehab programs hoping to close the gap. What all that work does, he says, is reinforce your obliques and core. It does not close the separation.

That doesn't mean core training is pointless. Dr. Rahban is clear that you must work your core and that you need strong obliques and rectus muscles. He also says nothing replaces being in shape, and no tummy tuck or other procedure can buy that for you. He gives the example of a mom who does yoga and Pilates and is genuinely fit, yet still has the bulge that comes with diastasis. Her fitness isn't the problem. In his words, there's no amount of crunches that will flatten that.

If you've been doing everything right and the bulge is still there, it's not you and it's not your effort. Dr. Rahban's view is that the gap is a structural issue. For women who have done the lifestyle work and are still unhappy with things like loose skin or diastasis, he describes surgery as one option, but only if they have the means without putting themselves at financial risk, are in a stable place, and find a reasonable, skilled surgeon. He adds that many surgeons are not great, so choosing carefully matters.

This is one surgeon's perspective, shared in conversation. If you suspect you have diastasis or are weighing any procedure, work with your doctor to understand your options. In the meantime, keep training your core for strength, just with honest expectations about what it can change.