Research Report: The Immediate Effects on Inter-rectus Distance of Abdominal Crunch and Drawing-in Exercises During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
This research report investigates the immediate impact of two joint abdominal exercises, the drawing-in and the abdominal crunch, on inter-rectus distance (IRD) in pregnant and postpartum women.
The study, conducted over four time points during pregnancy and postpartum, aimed to determine how these exercises separated the rectus abdominis muscles along the linea alba, a condition known as diastasis recti abdominis (DRA).
The researchers used ultrasound imaging to measure IRD at three locations on the linea alba. They found that the abdominal crunch exercise consistently narrowed the IRD, while the drawing-in exercise generally led to a slight widening.
The study highlights the contrasting effects of these exercises on IRD and suggests that the abdominal crunch may be more effective in reducing DRA than the drawing-in exercise.
https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2015.5459
#Pregnancy #Postpartum #AbdominalCrunch #Drawing-in # IRDchanges
