Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

@article{207400,
        author = {sakshi jadhav and dr. s. Anandh and vedika karmarkar},
        title = {EFFECTIVENESS OF PROGRESSIVE ABDOMINAL STRENGTHENING TRAINING INTEGRATED WITH HYPOPRESSIVE EXERCISES ON INTER-RECTI DISTANCE, CORE ENDURANCE, AND WELL BEING AMONG POSTPARTUM WOMEN WITH DIASTASIS RECTI ABDOMINIS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {13},
        number = {3},
        pages = {757-766},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=207400},
        abstract = {A very common musculoskeletal disorder during the postnatal period, abdominal separation is characterised by a pathological expansion of the inter-recti distance. It is frequently associated with reduced core and trunk endurance, lumbopelvic pain, pelvic floor dysfunction, and impaired health-related quality of life (QOL). Progressive core stability training and hypopressive exercise techniques have both been proposed as first-line conservative rehabilitation strategies for this condition, yet their individual and combined effectiveness has not been comprehensively synthesised in a single review restricted to high-quality primary evidence. Objective: To systematically review and critically appraise the available studies and evidence regarding the impact of progressive abdominal strengthening training in conjunction with hypopressive exercises on IRD, core endurance, and quality of life in postnatal women diagnosed with DRA. Methods: A thorough electronic search was conducted for papers published between January 2010 and July 2026 across all available sources of research. Only randomised controlled trials and cross-sectional studies evaluating postpartum women with clinically or sonographically confirmed DRA were eligible. Randomised controlled trials were appraised using the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias 2 (RoB 2) tool, and cross-sectional studies were appraised using the AXIS tool. Twelve non-duplicated studies (nine randomised controlled trials and three cross-sectional studies), each with a verifiable DOI, satisfied the eligibility requirements and are listed in sequence of citation. Results: Progressive core stability protocols — including graded prone-plank training, stabilisation exercise, biofeedback-assisted core strengthening, and stability-oriented breathing re-education — consistently reduced IRD and produced measurable gains in trunk/core endurance and quality of life. Hypopressive exercise produced inconsistent effects on IRD itself but was found to have clinically notable benefit for abdominal muscle performance, body-image perception, and pelvic-floor-related symptoms. Cross-sectional evidence confirmed a high and persistent prevalence of DRA in postpartum and general adult populations (13%-57%, depending on the diagnostic threshold and time since delivery) and identified body mass index, parity, caesarean delivery, and maternal age as consistent risk factors. Conclusion: Progressive core stability training is an effective, low-risk intervention for narrowing IRD and improving core endurance and quality of life in postpartum women with DRA, while hypopressive exercise appears to contribute functional and psychosocial benefit rather than a consistent anatomical (IRD) effect. Combining the two approaches may offer a comprehensive, complementary rehabilitation strategy targeting both the structural and functional dimensions of DRA, although dedicated head-to-head trials evaluating the combined protocol are still lacking and are recommended for future research.},
        keywords = {Diastasis recti abdominis; core stability training; hypopressive exercise; inter-recti distance; postpartum women; quality of life; core endurance.},
        month = {August},
        }