There are many physiotherapists, doctors, athletes and fitness trainers living with prolapse. Many continue to exercise regularly, play sport and compete. If you have recently been diagnosed with a prolapse, are nearing menopause or have recently had a baby, then this is for you (either to manage your POP or prevent one).

An internal assessment with your Women’s health physio will help you assess what degree your prolapse is as well as what you are capable of currently, whether you should consider wearing a pessary during exercise and how your PF is functioning.

There is so much information about what you can’t do with POP but there is not a great deal of information on what exercises you CAN do and HOW you do them. So, I’ll be addressing all that you can do and the strategies you need to manage your POP so you can continue exercising for life.

Principles for Exercise with Prolapse

Exercising is your best form of prolapse rehab and management. Exercise benefits your POP in many ways such as:

• Managing and reducing weight gain that contributes to straining of the PF muscles
• Assists in an easier delivery for those who are pregnant
• When done correctly, strengthens the PF muscles and prevents further damage by teaching correct strategies for everyday life (such as lifting and carrying children, shopping etc)
• Exercise can even help treat constipation and promote healthy digestion thus negating the urge to strain on the toilet

There is only so much that can be achieved with pelvic floor exercises. They are have a crucial role to play in pelvic floor strengthening and function. Pelvic floor muscle training however, includes functional exercises with the PF lift & relaxation (at the right times) integrated into the movement. This is something that is not usually taught in fitness centres to women who have recently had a baby, are pregnant or are approaching or past menopause or to women who have had gynaecological surgery (eg. hysterectomy).  It also paves the way for you to return to sports, higher intensity exercise and more dynamic activities.

Click the link to download your FREE mini guide “Ultimate Guide to exercising with Prolapse”. to learn how, when, why and what you should be doing and not doing!