Diaphragmatic Breathing With and Without Abdominal Muscles Strength Training Program

The postpartum period is excessively weak and have hypotonic abdominal muscles, making the ligaments and connective tissue softer and more elastic. These changes result in anatomical, physiological and biomechanical alterations. Therefore, these factors are responsible for the lack of necessary support for the waist region, pain, disability and negative impact on health-related quality of life. The importance of exercise in the postpartum period is very important in this regard. Postnatal exercises have several benefits such as improving pelvic floor strength and endurance and quality of life and increasing the general well-being, preventing the diastasis of the rectus Abdominis muscle (RAM) increasing cardiovascular endurance and bone mineral density.

This study will be a Randomized control trial used to compare the effects of diaphragmatic breathing with and without abdominal muscles strength training program on pelvic floor strength and endurance and quality of life in postnatal women. Subjects meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria will be divided into two groups using lottery method. Assessment will be done using PERFECT scheme questionnaire and SF- 36 quality of life questionnaire. Subjects in one group will receive diaphragmatic breathing exercises along with pelvic muscle strength training and subjects in other group will receive only diaphragmatic breathing exercises. Each subject will receive 12 treatment sessions for 4 weeks. Results will be analyzed for any change by using SPSS25.

Inclusion criteria

• Age 20 to 35 years.
• Women between 2 to 6 months post-natal.
• Women with stable somatic state.
• Women with no cognitive dysfunction.

Exclusion criteria

• Women with respiratory problems.
• Women with severe back pain.
• Patients with any pelvic pathology
• Patient with any previous neurological disorders