Data & Statistics
Diastasis Recti Statistics 2026
9 verified statistics on diastasis recti — how common abdominal separation is during and after pregnancy, what it actually involves, and what the evidence says helps recovery. Every figure is linked to its original, publicly available source.
Journalists & writers: these statistics are free to cite — see how to cite this page. Last updated 4 July 2026.
How Common Diastasis Recti Is
Abdominal separation is a near-universal part of late pregnancy and remains common through the first postpartum year — it is a normal adaptation, not a rare complication.
By the third trimester, essentially all pregnant women develop some degree of diastasis recti as the growing uterus stretches the linea alba. This is a normal, expected adaptation of pregnancy.
Source: Boissonnault & Blaschak, Physical Therapy (as cited in the DRA literature) (1988 / 2016)
In a prospective cohort of first-time mothers, diastasis recti was present in 60.0% of women at 6 weeks after childbirth — showing how commonly the separation persists in the early postpartum period.
Source: Sperstad et al., British Journal of Sports Medicine (2016)
In the same cohort, prevalence was 45.4% at 6 months and 32.6% at 12 months postpartum — meaning roughly one in three women still had a measurable separation a full year after giving birth.
Source: Sperstad et al., British Journal of Sports Medicine (2016)
Who It Affects — and What It Involves
Diastasis recti is defined by the widening of the midline, and it is linked to more than appearance — it affects core function and can accompany other postpartum symptoms.
Diastasis recti abdominis is generally defined as an inter-recti distance greater than about 2 cm, or wider than roughly two fingerbreadths, measured at or near the navel. Severity is graded by the width and by how much tension the midline can generate.
Source: StatPearls / Diastasis Recti review (NCBI) (2023)
Diastasis recti reduces the abdominal wall’s ability to generate and transfer force, and is associated in the literature with impaired trunk stability. Restoring coordinated deep-core function matters more than the gap width alone.
Source: StatPearls / Diastasis Recti review (NCBI) (2023)
The deep-core system that includes the abdominal wall also includes the pelvic floor. Diastasis recti frequently accompanies pelvic-floor dysfunction and low-back or pelvic-girdle pain, which is why rehabilitation addresses the whole system rather than the gap in isolation.
Source: StatPearls / Diastasis Recti review (NCBI) (2023)
What the Evidence Says Helps
The research points toward targeted deep-core exercise — not generic crunches — as the mainstay of non-surgical management, with function as the primary goal.
Non-surgical management centred on deep abdominal and pelvic-floor exercise is the recommended first approach for most diastasis recti. Reviews note that exercise can reduce inter-recti distance and, importantly, improve core function, though study quality varies.
Source: Benjamin et al., Physiotherapy (systematic review) (2014)
Movements that increase intra-abdominal pressure and cause the midline to bulge or dome — traditional crunches, sit-ups, and early full planks — push against the healing linea alba. Effective programmes progress deep-core control and avoid provoking doming.
Source: StatPearls / Diastasis Recti review (NCBI) (2023)
Because the linea alba may not fully close in every case, the primary outcome that predicts a strong, supported abdomen is the ability to generate tension across the midline — a functional goal that progressive Pilates-style training directly targets. See our fully-cited evidence summary.
Source: Pilates Protocols — Clinical Evidence Library (2014–2025)
From Statistic to Structured Recovery
The evidence points the same way: targeted, progressive deep-core and pelvic-floor exercise — not crunches — is the mainstay of diastasis recti recovery, with restored function as the real goal. That is exactly what each of these programmes is built to deliver.
Prefer the underlying research first? Read the fully-referenced Clinical Evidence Library.
How to Cite This Page
These statistics are compiled by Pilates Protocols from the publicly available sources linked beside each figure. You are welcome to reference them in articles, reports, and research with attribution and a link back to this page. We always recommend citing the original primary source as well.
Pilates Protocols, "Diastasis Recti Statistics 2026", https://pilatesprotocols.com/diastasis-recti-statistics/ For data, interviews, or press enquiries, contact contact@pilatesprotocols.com.
Note. This page summarises published research for general information. It is not medical advice. Have diastasis recti assessed by a doctor or women’s-health physiotherapist — especially with a very large separation, hernia symptoms, or ongoing pelvic-floor problems — before beginning any exercise programme.