Does exercise help pelvic organ prolapse?
YES!! But of course, there is more to the conversation than saying ‘exercise helps pelvic organ prolapse’. And you may have been told that exercise is bad for prolapse and will make things worse.
The demands of different types of exercise are not created equal! Which means that some exercise is low demand. Whilst some is higher demand.
It’s easy to assume that having prolapse means you can only do low demand, but I don’t believe that to be the case. Instead, we can be optimistic about moving from low demand to high demand as we reduce symptoms and fear around movement and build strength, function and capacity.
What are the benefits of exercise? (whether you have prolapse or not)
Whilst the body of research about prolapse and exercise is small but growing, we have huge amounts of research supporting exercise for both mental and physical health.
People who exercise regularly have a lower risk of developing many long-term (chronic) conditions, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and some cancers.
Research shows that physical activity can also boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing your risk of stress, clinical depression, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Despite these (very well known) benefits, women are often told to stop what they are doing or avoid running or lifting weights.
I fundamentally disagree with this! Whilst it may be useful (in the short term) to pause some activities, we have to be hopeful that there is a way back.
How to build from low demand to higher demand exercise if you have prolapse
If you are returning to exercise following a prolapse diagnosis, prolapse surgery, having a baby, then gradual exposure and progressive overload is key.
This might mean building up from gentle core and pelvic floor exercises to full-body movements such as squats and deadlifts.
This might mean going from exercising in supine (on your back) to exercising in kneeling or standing.
This might mean going from gentle hops forward to starting a return to run programme.
And remember, where you start isn’t where you’ll stay.
Beth Davies is a highly experienced personal trainer and coach specialising in female pelvic health, pelvic organ prolapse and exercise. Her programmes educate, empower and support women back to training or their active life, eliminating symptoms and building strength and confidence. She has been featured in women’s lifestyle magazines and websites, including Stylist, Metro, Woman & Home and Marie Claire UK
Beth’s training and coaching for women with pelvic organ prolapse provides face-to-face personal training in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, and online across the UK and Europe.