After having a baby, doing Pilates for four weeks does not make the main abdominal muscle thicker, but it may still improve core function by changing how nerves activate the muscles or by strengthening the connective tissues between them.

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Pro

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Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

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Community contributions welcome

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Effects of Pilates on inter-recti distance, thickness of rectus abdominis, waist circumference and abdominal muscle endurance in primiparous women

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2023 Nov 27

This study found that doing Pilates after having a baby helped tighten the gap between stomach muscles and made core strength better—even though the stomach muscles themselves didn’t get thicker. So, the body got stronger without the muscles growing bigger.

Contradicting (0)

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No contradicting evidence found

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Source Study

Effects of Pilates on inter-recti distance, thickness of rectus abdominis, waist circumference and abdominal muscle endurance in primiparous women

Score: 47

DOI: 10.1186/s12905-023-02775-5

Similar Assertions

After doing supervised Pilates five times a week for 50 minutes each session over four weeks, women who recently gave birth do not show a measurable increase in the thickness of their rectus abdominis muscles.

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91%

After giving birth for the first time, women who do Pilates for four weeks may see improved abdominal muscle strength and a smaller gap between the abdominal muscles, but this does not lead to lasting relief of symptoms or prevention of muscle separation.

0

47

87%

In women who have recently given birth, a structured Pilates program performed five times a week for 50 minutes over four weeks can reduce the separation between the abdominal muscles and increase core endurance compared to not doing any exercise.

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84%

After giving birth for the first time, women who do Pilates for four weeks show a small reduction in the separation between the two sides of the abdominal muscle, with slightly more reduction observed lower down near the pelvis than at the navel.

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83%

Women who have recently given birth and participate in a supervised Pilates program five times a week for four weeks show an increase of about 8.55 more repetitions in a 1-minute curl-up test compared to those who do not exercise.

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77%