Our abdominal muscles are rarely "broken"; rather their weakness is a reflection of how little we use our entire body. Whether you have diastasis recti, a hernia, are postnatal, or simply have a very weak midsection--this is the definitive "whole-body" guide to restoring your core! Abdominal muscles have many important jobs―twisting the spine safely, accommodating pregnancy, protecting your abdominal organs, and even breathing are just some of the jobs we want them to do well. Many will try to fix their middle though crunches and other abdominal exercises without realizing that things like tight shoulder muscles, poor posture habits, and even our breathing patterns can be affecting what's going on in our abs.

In Diastasis Recti, biomechanist Katy Bowman:

• Gives 30+ exercises, organized into Small, Medium, and Big Moves
• Expands the core to include essential parts, like the shoulders and pelvis (and how movement patterns here can worsen abdominal separations)
• Explains why it's better to think of a diastasis (abdominal hernias, or even weakness) as a symptom rather than as "the problem"
• Teaches 5 simple postural adjustments to change the forces on the front of the abdomen
• Notes that in addition to exercises, you can sit, stand, and walk for a stronger core

By making the material understandable, approachable, and achievable, Bowman offers an outstanding and necessary guide to diastasis recti and many other abdomen-related issues. Everyone can benefit from these insights and improve their health in an empowered and proactive way. --Foreword Reviews Diastasis Recti is for anybody wanting to improve both the function and the appearance of their abdomen!

Bowman, Katy

Bestselling author, speaker, and a leader of the Movement movement, biomechanist Katy Bowman, M.S. is changing the way we move and think about our need for movement. Her eight books, including the groundbreaking Move Your DNA, have been translated into more than a dozen languages worldwide.

Bowman teaches movement globally and speaks about sedentarism and movement ecology to academic and scientific audiences such as the Ancestral Health Summit and the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition. Her work is regularly featured in diverse media such as the Today Show, CBC Radio One, the Seattle Times, the Joe Rogan Experience, and Good Housekeeping.

One of Maria Shriver's "Architects of Change" and an America Walks "Woman of the Walking Movement," Bowman consults on educational and living space design to encourage movement-rich habitats. She has worked with companies like Patagonia, Nike, and Google as well as a wide range of non-profits and other communities to create greater access to her "move more, move more body parts, move more for what you need" message.

Her movement education company, Nutritious Movement, is based in Washington State, where she lives with her family.