Welcome back, friends! As we get into 2024, let’s dive into an important conversation about resuming exercise after a break, whether due to pregnancy, postpartum recovery, or simply the busyness of life.
In this blog we’ll explore common concerns around pelvic floor symptoms during workouts and provide tips on a gradual and tailored return to exercise.
First, acknowledge your symptoms!
Acknowledging your pelvic floor symptoms during exercise is key. This could be things like leaking, feeling heaviness from prolapse, pelvic pain – whatever your symptoms, we want to recognize them instead of dismissing them as acceptable norms. However, we don’t need to avoid exercise entirely due to fear of symptoms, either. Instead, a middle ground with a personalized pelvic floor plan is recommended!
Understanding Individual Goals:
What is your current fitness level and what are your goals? It’s important to keep this in mind, as an exercise plan for someone who wants to keep things low impact, and those who want to start running, for example, will be different. We want you to be successful, so creating a sustainable plan is key.
There are varied motivations behind exercising—whether for mental health, cardiovascular benefits, building muscle strength, or aesthetic reasons. What is it for you? This is important because different exercise approaches exist based on these goals.
Gradual Return to Exercise:
Enthusiastic January resolutions often trap people into committing to daily, intense workouts. We caution against high volume, intensity, and frequency, which can lead to worsening pelvic floor symptoms and burn out.
Instead, we advocate for a gradual return, especially considering the unique needs of those with pelvic floor symptoms. The goal is to be able to exercise sustainably without the up and down roller coaster of starting and stopping.
Conclusion:
When you’re returning to exercise after a break, especially if you are experiencing pelvic floor symptoms or prolapse, you want to:
-Assess your goals
-Acknowledge your pelvic floor symptoms. Don’t sweep them under the rug OR be too scared to exercise at all because of them (Reach out for 1:1 support if needed)
-Create a well rounded exercise plan that provides both cardiovascular and strength training (this will aid in bone health as well!)
-Don’t overdo it! A gradual return isn’t exciting, per say, but you’ll be much more likely to continue long term if you start on a sustainable course.
P.S. If your plan IS to start running, specifically postpartum, you won’t want to miss our Return To Running Guide! This is a 12 week plan that keeps your pelvic floor in mind. You can find more information about it HERE.
Hope this helps!
Katie Kelly, Physiotherapist & Eryn Matheson, Physiotherapist
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