Pelvic floor issues can impact women of any age, whether they’ve experienced a pregnancy or not. When my guest today found she had severe pelvic floor problems and was told she couldn’t train anymore, she was determined to find a better way. Coach Sarah Smith joins me to talk about what the pelvic floor is, what it does, and how we can support our pelvic floor health throughout our lives.

 

LISTEN TO EPISODE 16 OF THE FED AND FEARLESS PODCAST

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all about pelvic health

Sarah explains what some of the symptoms of the two main types of pelvic floor conditions are. From pain during sex to urine or fecal leakage, there are quite a number of things you need to watch out for. 

If you think you might have pelvic floor trouble, it’s easy to want to turn to Dr. Google to solve all your problems. But all those Kegel exercises might actually be doing more harm than good. It’s always a good idea to consult with someone trained in pelvic floor health to advise on the best corrective exercises for you.

Sarah shares some reasons why women, and even men, might have pelvic floor trouble even if they’ve never been pregnant before. It’s a common misconception that only women who have given birth experience issues, which is a big reason why there’s a lot of stigma around talking about the pelvic floor. 

Sarah provides incredible and practical tips that we can start doing today that will improve our pelvic floor health and, hopefully, prevent future issues. Having a regular, active routine that’s not solely focused on high-intensity training is so important. And don’t discount the power of going for a walk – it’s good for your physical health, as it’s gentle on your body, and it has so many mental and emotional benefits as well.

How do you protect your pelvic floor health when you’re training? Do you maintain a regular, active routine? What do you wish you knew more about your pelvic health? Let us know in the comments below! 

Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here!

IN THIS EPISODE

• Where the pelvic floor is and what it does
• What some symptoms of pelvic floor issues are
• How corrective exercises can actually impair your pelvic floor function
• What other factors might trigger pelvic floor issues outside pregnancy
• What practical steps you can take, starting today, to improve your pelvic floor health
• Why walking should be part of your workout routine

QUOTES

“If you can’t coordinate your breath and your alignment with your movement then if you create a lot of pressure in your abdomen, then absolutely when you’re exercising or when you laugh, cough, or make any kind of sudden movement or if there’s too much tension, it can cause leaking of urine or feces.”  (17:36)

“Redesigning your movement practice and knowing that long-term, whether we’re talking gut health, mental health, or pelvic health, having options in movement that are somewhere between sitting on the couch, chair, or car and working really, really hard at the gym is going to be helpful for a lot of different things.” (32:13)

“We have to understand our bodies. We don’t have to get PhDs in anatomy and physiology or neuroscience, but we have to have a fundamental understanding, especially as women, physiologically about how our menstrual cycle, our hormones, our gut responds to all these choices we’re making so we can make informed decisions and we can notice the red flags.” (59:46)

 

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