Diastasis Recti VS Visceral Fat | What's The Difference & How To Get Rid Of It
Are you wondering what's the difference between diastasis recti and visceral fat? While both can cause a bulge in the abdomen, diastasis recti are the abdominal separation of muscles, while visceral fat is fat that accumulates around the internal organs.
In this article, we will discuss their difference in depth and know how to get rid of them.
What is diactasis recti?
Diastasis recti is a condition in which the muscle on the abdominal wall separates which occurs when the band of connective tissue that joins the edges of the abdominal muscles (known as the linea alba) becomes stretched. This condition is very common during pregnancy when the growing uterus stretches the muscles in the abdomen.
This can create a gap of several inches between the two sides of the rectus abdominis muscles. The gap is called diastasis and it can often appear as a cone shaped belly.
What is visceral fat?
Visceral fat is a type of body fat that is stored within the abdominal cavity and surrounds the abdominal organs and your abdominal wall. It is also sometimes called "organ fat" or "intra-abdominal fat."
Visceral fat is different from subcutaneous fat, which is the fat that is stored just under the skin and is relatively easy to see and measure, visceral fat is deeper in the body and is surrounded by the body's organs. It is more difficult to measure and is not visible from the outside.
How to identify the differences between diastasis recti and visceral fat?
Diastasis recti is a condition in which the muscles in the abdomen separate, resulting in a gap between the left and right abdominal muscles. This gap can sometimes cause a bulge in the abdomen, which may be mistaken for excess belly fat. Visceral fat, on the other hand, is a type of fat that is stored within the abdominal cavity and surrounds the internal organs. It is not visible from the outside and cannot be felt by touch.
One way to identify the difference between diastasis recti and visceral fat is by tensing your belly muscles, if you feel the gap is very pronounced then it's likely diastasis recti while if you feel the tensed muscles underneath your pooch, then you're probably dealing with visceral belly fat.
It is generally advised to see a healthcare provider. A healthcare provider can examine the abdomen and determine whether diastasis recti or excess fat is present. In some cases, imaging tests such as an ultrasound or CT scan may be needed to confirm the diagnosis.
Read some of our previous articles
How to treat them?
1) Exercise:
- Core-building exercises can help strengthen and tone the muscles in the abdomen, which may help improve the appearance of diastasis recti and reduce symptoms such as bulging or pouching in the abdominal area.
- Diaphragmatic breathing, standing pushups, and the bridge pose are all exercises that can help target the core muscles and improve their strength and endurance. These exercises may also help improve posture, balance, and stability, and may help reduce the risk of back pain.
- It is important to consult with a healthcare provider or physical therapist before starting any new exercise program, especially if you have a medical condition or have recently given birth.
2) Surgery:
As diastasis recti are the separation of abdomen muscles, it can occur on either side of the body, and it is subdivided depending on severity. Some women will have mild diastasis recti, while others will have severe cases. Tummy tuck surgery may be considered for ladies with abdominal muscle weakness who are unable to perform normal activities as a result of their gap. Other than that, surgery is not recommended for women with mild diastasis recti as they can go through exercise programs or treatments to treat it.
3)Treatment with an EMS machine:
Diastasis recti is a condition in which the abdominal muscles separate after birth. Surgery is not the only way to repair this problem. Surgery might result in a significant amount of downtime whereas EMS treatments offer a non-surgical solution.
The popular EMS machines are Tesla Former, and EmShape, which we have written about in our article below:
"EmShape, Tesla Former or Other Brands- What’s The Difference?"
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Frequently Asked Questions
For most, diastasis recti is not a dangerous or harmful condition. However, many people experiencing diastasis recti have frustrating side effects as they can be either cosmetic, emotional, functional, or all three. Some of the side effects includes Belly pooch.
In some people, excess pressure causes diastasis recti. When pregnancy is over, the abdominals and connective tissue stretch. Women get Relaxin hormone to which the muscle gets softened and widened which allows the connective tissue to stretch and separate much easier.
Until treatment has begun, diastasis recti can cause pelvic floor dysfunction, back, poor posture and pelvic pain. If diastasis recti is left untreated it may also cause umbilical hernia.
Diastasis recti occur when a muscle in the abdomen has been separated by excessive stress. In many instances, pregnancy or heavy lifting can cause Diastasis recti. It will typically heal itself or physiotherapists and EMS treatments are available as an option to treat this.
Diastasis recti are commonly seen in women post pregnancy but can also be seen in men due to improper exercise and weight lifting.
Yes, Diastasis recti can affect anyone including men, but in men, diastasis recti can be due to improper exercise and can lead to a lot of other serious problems like erectile dysfunction.
The majority of women have this problem while pregnancy occurs. The condition can be improved by removing and strengthening the deep core muscles and abdominal wall with the help of several abdominal exercises. Moms into fitness show us how!
When you think you are suffering abdominal injuries from pregnancy it is possible that it may be caused by a torn abdominal muscle in the abdomen. Usually, when you put a couple of fingers pressed around your navel area, and you feel the gap of ~2 fingers between the abs muscle, it may be diastasis recti.
Diastasis recti mean your belly is stretched as a result of the left-right-sided muscle expansion. This is a widespread problem among ladies during pregnancy. It affects almost half of pregnant females.
Place your hand on your belly button with your fingers pressing down the midline of your belly button and measure how far apart your rectus muscles are. Check if there are gaps (~ 2 fingers or more) around the abdominal wall muscles.
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