Diastasis. Possibly the most-discussed, most-Googled and most misunderstood topic in perinatal coaching. And if you’re a coach working with pregnant or postpartum women, you’ve almost certainly encountered it countless times on the gym floor.
You probably know the basics. You’re confident coaching the mild to moderate cases. You understand that a gap of under 2.2cm is often very rehab-able and that most women respond well to consistent, well-structured work.
You likely already know that effective rehab typically includes:
A balanced approach to breath-work that supports the diaphragm and pelvic floor
Training the entire core cylinder rather than obsessing over the “midline” alone
Incorporating rotation, anti-rotation and pilates-style exercises,
Teaching clients how to generate tension effectively without compensating or bracing in unhelpful ways
These foundations matter. They’re the cornerstone of every good perinatal strength programme. And if you're unsure of these pieces or want deeper practical coaching tools, we break all of this down extensively inside HATCH COACH.
But here’s the real question coaches ask us most often…
The ones that make you pause.
The ones that look intense.
The ones where you see pronounced bulging or a very soft, unsupported abdomen that struggles even with basic movement patterns.
These moments can feel intimidating, even for experienced coaches. You care deeply about your client’s recovery. You want to do things safely. And you don’t want to push into something that might make things worse.
So you find yourself asking:
Can we still train these women with confidence?
When is loading helpful and when is it harmful?
How do I know if I’m pushing too far?
And what do I actually do in that moment when you see the coning and your brain goes straight into alarm mode?
So, let's break this down properly...
In fact, loading is not only safe but essential for helping these women restore function. The abdominal wall is a tissue system like any other. It responds to stimuli. It adapts under the right conditions. And avoiding load altogether does more harm than good.
The goal is not to tiptoe around the body.
The goal is to teach it how to handle challenge again.
Here are some guiding principles to support you:
This should always be your first line of support. More severe cases often involve more than just a “gap.” There may be pelvic floor considerations, pain, scar tissue, hernias or compensatory patterns at play. Working alongside a specialist ensures you're both rowing in the same direction.
This means beginning with bent knees, bent hips and positions that target the deepest part of the core and reduce strain while still allowing your client to create tension. Think:
Bent-knee toe taps
Supine core engagement work with shortened ranges
Working in four-point kneeling
From here you can gradually challenge range, load and complexity.
Not all coning is equal. And this is where many coaches freeze.
Soft coning: Squishy to touch, moves with the breath, not uncomfortable.
This is often a sign the tissues are responding to load and may actually benefit from continuing with careful progression.
Hard coning: Feels firm or rigid, creates a strong ridge, or is painful or uncomfortable.
This is your cue to change strategy. In HATCH COACH we teach the negative feedback protocol to help you quickly modify position, breath strategy or load.
The abdominal wall is giving you real-time information. Use it.
Pain isn’t a badge of honour here. It’s information. If your client feels sharpness, heaviness, dragging or discomfort, shift the exercise and reduce demand immediately.
You’re a coach, not a physiotherapist. If something feels outside your scope, or the client isn’t progressing as expected, it’s completely appropriate to loop back in with her physio. This isn’t a failure. It’s being a responsible coach.
The physical implications of diastasis are one thing. But the emotional load can be heavier still.
Many women with severe diastasis feel:
Disconnected from their bodies
Frustrated by slow progress
Worried they’ll “never get their body back"
Embarrassed by how their abdomen looks
Conflicted between wanting to train and being afraid to train
Your coaching approach can transform this experience.
When you bring calm energy, practical strategies, and evidence-based guidance, you shift a moment of fear into a moment of empowerment. And you remind your client that she is not broken - she is simply recovering.
Aby, our HATCH COACH course lead, recently unpacked this entire topic in our monthly HATCH COACH CPD session. We explored real case studies, strategy and approaches, and had a live Q&A because these are the conversations coaches genuinely need.
This is what we love about our coaching community. We don’t just give you theory. We help you apply it in real life situations, with real clients, with all the nuance that textbooks ignore.
And if you’d love deeper support, ongoing CPD and a team of specialists behind you, we’d love to welcome you in.