ArticlePhysical therapy2024
The Impact of Exercising on Pelvic Symptom Severity, Pelvic Floor Muscle Strength, and Diastasis Recti Abdominis After Pregnancy: A Longitudinal Prospective Cohort Study.
Article in Physical therapy, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 14 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Italian national consensus conference on the diagnosis and treatment of Rectus Abdominis diastasis in Post-gravidic Women.Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery · 2025Pooled it
- Impact of postpartum exercise on pelvic floor disorders and diastasis recti abdominis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.British journal of sports medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Effectiveness and Adherence Determinants of Digital Pelvic Floor Interventions in Pregnancy and Postpartum: A Mixed Methods Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International urogynecology journal · 2026Review
- Restoring Core Strength After Rectus Diastasis Repair: A Prospective Controlled Study of Abdominal Muscle Function Following Abdominoplasty.Aesthetic plastic surgery · 2026Article
- Impact of childbirth mode and interaction of multiple factors on pelvic floor function: a comprehensive analysis of postpartum muscle strength indicators.Frontiers in global women's health · 2026Article
- Surprised by the transition to an unknown body: quantitative and qualitative aspects of activity limitations and physical changes during the first year post-partum.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Observational
- Pelvic Floor Muscle Strength and Bothersome Urinary Incontinence After Pregnancy: A Cohort Study.International urogynecology journal · 2025Article
- Diastasis recti abdominis: A comprehensive review.Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery · 2025Review
- Utilizing machine learning to analyze trunk movement patterns in women with postpartum low back pain.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Heavy DIY Activities as a Potential Preventative for Stress Urinary Incontinence.American journal of men's healthArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate whether early postpartum exercise is associated with changes in pelvic symptom severity, pelvic floor muscle strength, and diastasis recti abdominis (DRA) from 3 to 12 months postpartum.
methodsIn this prospective cohort study, 504 participants with and without pelvic symptoms (pelvic girdle pain, stress urinary incontinence, vaginal heaviness) were followed. At 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postpartum, we assessed pelvic symptoms, exercise behavior (by questionnaires), pelvic floor muscle strength (by vaginal palpation), and DRA (by caliper measurement). Based on the 3-months questionnaire, participants were categorized as nonexercisers (n = 105), minimal low-impact exercisers (n = 249), regular low-impact exercisers (n = 117), and high-impact exercisers (n = 32). Between-group differences and within-group changes from 3 to 12 months were calculated using Chi-square tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and Friedman analysis of variance.
resultsAt 3 months, no differences in symptom prevalence were seen between the groups. Nonexercisers reported higher pelvic girdle pain severity and had weaker pelvic floor muscles. The within-group analysis showed that pelvic girdle pain severity did not change in nonexercisers or high-impact exercisers, but decreased in minimal and regular low-impact exercisers. Stress urinary incontinence increased in nonexercisers from 3 to 12 months, while it remained unchanged in regular low-impact and high-impact exercisers, and decreased in minimal low-impact exercisers. Across all groups, vaginal heaviness and DRA decreased, and pelvic floor strength increased from 3 to 12 months.
conclusionThe study indicates that early low-impact exercising is associated with reduced pelvic girdle pain severity during the first postpartum year. Minimal low-impact exercisers also showed a slight reduction in stress urinary incontinence. Conversely, nonexercisers reported an increase in stress urinary incontinence between 3 and 12 months postpartum. IMPACT: Physical therapists should encourage women to start with low-impact exercise early after pregnancy. LAY SUMMARY: This study highlights the positive effects of starting gentle, low-impact exercise early after childbirth to reduce pelvic girdle pain and urinary incontinence.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.