Your linea alba should feel firm when performing sit ups or crunches; otherwise, diastasis recti may exist and separate your abdominals.
To reduce belly fat, focus on cutting out empty liquid calories and swapping sugary treats for more filling foods, such as roasted chickpeas or carrot chips. Sleep can have an impactful effect on ghrelin and leptin hormones which drive appetite.
It’s a sign of diastasis recti
Pregnancy puts immense weight and pressure on your abdominal muscles, leading to stretch of the linea alba, the connective tissue connecting left and right ab muscle groups together, or “linea alba.” As your uterus expands, this stretch can cause your linea alba to loosen further causing it to create an indentation between left and right ab muscle groups, known as diastasis recti – often known as pooching or mummy tummy syndrome – that often continues post birth or due to other factors like rapid weight changes or chronic back pain.
Diastasis recti is usually pain-free; however, some women may notice a jelly-like texture within their belly or have an indignant midsection bulge that doesn’t go away even with weight loss and exercise. If left unchecked, diastasis recti can progress to cause a hernia–an event in which connecting tissue rips or tears to create a hole in the stomach–causing trapped bowel or other belly contents that lead to pain, incontinence or loss of control.
Doctors or physical therapists can diagnose diastasis recti through physical examination or special imaging such as ultrasound or CT scan. They’ll examine any gaps between your abdominal muscles that might exist between above- and below-navel locations – two finger lengths is considered severe diastasis recti.
Pregnancy is often the source of abdominal pressure issues. Other possible triggers may include dieting yo-yo or hernia surgery or medical conditions that lead to abdominal pressure such as lifting heavy objects for prolonged periods or bending over repeatedly.
Building a strong core can help combat this issue, and to do so you may try performing “power Kegels.” This exercise involves squeezing the pelvic muscles as if stopping urine flow – performing these daily will increase confidence and health while making you feel more confident. For pregnant women looking for additional protection during delivery, an ab belt may be used as well to strengthen core and prevent diastasis recti.
It’s a sign of menopause
Menopause is an inevitable part of growing old, occurring when your ovaries stop producing estrogen and becoming ineffective at producing it. This typically happens around middle adulthood. Your periods may become irregular or stop entirely during this time and other symptoms can arise that range in intensity and duration; they could even last over 2 years! In particular, hot flashes – sudden episodes where sweaty or flushed feelings arise due to decreasing estrogen levels – might become frequent and intense depending on each woman.
Menopause symptoms may include sudden heatwaves that sweep across your body, night sweats or vaginal dryness and pain during sex. Other indicators might be difficulty focusing or memory lapses. Irritability or mood swings could also occur due to fluctuating hormone levels; if these persist see your doctor for advice.
At perimenopause, hormonal fluctuations similar to those which cause pregnancy weight gain can also cause weight gain due to fluid retention and abdominal separation (diastasis recti). Weight gain during perimenopause often results from an increase in body fat; it could also be the result of water retention or reduced estrogen production by your body.
Many of these symptoms can be managed through medication and lifestyle adjustments, including estrogen pills or creams to combat hot flashes and vaginal dryness, while antidepressant drugs or anxiety relievers may help. If your symptoms are severe, joining a support group could also help – the Jean Hailes for Women’s Health website provides fact sheets about menopause as well as other women’s health topics translated into various community languages.
It’s a sign of diabetes
Untreated diabetes causes your body to produce additional insulin, leading to excessive thirst and urination. Diabetes also often leads to thickening of skin on hands, fingers and feet – particularly when untreated – as well as forearms, shoulders and neck areas becoming waxy, thickened and waxy-looking in appearance. Cuts may take longer to heal as a result. Yeast infections (in both men and women) are another telltale sign.
