STRETCH & REST CARE for the wellness warrior |
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Time to go deeper in Part 3 of how to have a strong, healthy pelvic floor for better posture, power, and overall performance. Now that you've got the PF PREP WORK down from Part 2, let's upgrade your REST Toolbox with 6 CORE STRENGTH MOVES that'll help challenge & address weakness or coordination issues of your pelvic floor muscles and core. The more gravity you are dealing with, the more weight you’re holding with your arms, or faster your breathing is during an activity, the more challenging it is for your PF muscles. If they’ve been injured, be gentle and work toward more heavy exercise routines or demands. Bridges before Wall Squats. Floor Planks before Bird Dogs. Squats before Lunges or Warrior Poses  GETTING STARTED: During the exercises:
Work through these 6 Core Strength Yoga Moves in the following sequence: 1. Bridges- lift hips up and down while holding your Kegel. Legs together or with a ball between knees to modify. Do 5-10 reps. 2. Planks- modify if needed on elbows and knees. Progress to straight arms and legs. Hold for 5-10 breaths. 3. Chair Pose- modify if needed by leaning spine against the wall as you slide up and down wall for 5-10 reps. Hold pose for several breaths if you're not against the wall. 4. Tree Pose- modify if needed against the wall and keep foot low around ankle. Hold position or move the foot up and down from the floor for several reps/breaths. Add arms overhead to make it more challenging. Progress to tree pose without wall support. 5. Bird Dog- you can slide or reach your hand and opposite foot on the floor vs off the floor to modify the pose. You can also just reach your arm or leg to modify then progress to both at same time. Do 5-10 reps or hold for a few breaths on each side. Slowing it down and holding is more challenging to stabilize than lots of reps. 6. Warrior 2 Pose- you can sit on a chair vs without the chair to modify the pose. Hold for a few breaths on each side. WANT MORE PF SUPPORT? Pilates and Yoga Therapy offers many ways to modify and progress a pelvic floor training program. There are also specialists that can provide internal pelvic floor therapy as well. Just reach out if you need a resource in your area.
P.S. Want more guidance with your Pelvic Floor & Core using Pilates Rehab? You'll want to check out the updated version of REST Camp: SHINE™... get on the interest list here.
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Here's Part 2 of how to have a strong, healthy pelvic floor for better posture, power and overall performance. Let's add some Pelvic Floor Strength Moves to your REST Toolbox. Remember your Pelvic Floor Muscles (PF) are the base and foundation of your Core. When strong and healthy, they coordinate with the diaphragm and abdominals as you inhale and exhale during physical activity to support and stabilize the spine. If you've got PF weakness, it might show up as
You may not have issues with a cough or sneeze (forced exhalation) but leak after running 20 minutes (dysfunctional breathing or endurance issue). If you're having signs of PF weakness, it's time to do some Pelvic Floor Prep Work.  *Gif from Burrell Education- another great resource for women's health programs. PELVIC FLOOR PREP WORKThe goal is to learn how to contract your pelvic floor muscles properly (Kegel Exercise) while having good form (posture) and using diaphragmatic breathing during exercise or functional activities. A proper Kegel is done when you can contract the PF without the rest of your body tensing up. Easier said than done, especially when you start moving your body while you Kegel. GETTING STARTED: 1. Find & Feel your Pelvic Floor Muscles- can you contract and relax the PF (Kegel Exercise) while holding a neutral position of your pelvis? It's a diagonal up, back and in motion. 2. Add Diaphragmatic Breathing-
Can you Kegel & Breathe while having good posture and form? 3. Brace and Move- Prepare for a movement or exercise by turning on your Pelvic Floor Muscles (Kegel Exercise) and lower abdominals then HOLD that posture (Bracing) while you do a movement or exercise. Can you brace, breathe, and move without losing your posture and a pelvic floor contraction? PRO TIP: start connecting with your PF while lying down or seated then progress to standing or moving your body. OVER TO YOU: Start practicing daily & take your time doing the PF Prep Work so you can avoid the more common mistakes when you Kegel. If you're not mindful, you'll just be going through the motions without getting any results. Do a check in while you Kegel. Are you?
If you need some more guidance with the PF Prep Work, check out these Resources: It's never too late to address PF weakness but you'll get better results with a Mind Body Approach to retraining the pelvic floor muscles. Pilates and Yoga Therapy offer many ways to modify and progress a pelvic floor training program. Next up, we'll go over 6 Core Strength Yoga Moves that'll help challenge & address weakness or coordination issues of your pelvic floor and core. To A Healthy Pelvic Floor!  P.S. Want more guidance with your Pelvic Floor & Core using Pilates Rehab? You'll want to check out the updated version of REST Camp: SHINE™... get on the interest list here. You probably don't think about them much but they play a leading role in your posture, power, and overall performance. If weak, they can lead to leaks. When tight, they can lead to pain. They can be injured just like any muscle resulting in painful scars, trigger points, weakness, or soft tissue restrictions. Injuries are when they get the most attention but never as much as the abs or gluts. It's your Pelvic Floor Muscles. Don't wait for an issue with them. Learn how to care for your pelvic floor muscles now as a part of having a strong, healthy core. Your pelvic floor muscles job is to support and stabilize during functional activities. They need to anticipate movements so they know how much or how fast to turn on (contract). And also have the ability to relax and lengthen for things like sphincter control. That requires a combo of flexibility, strength, AND coordination. If you think of the pelvis like a bowl, the pelvic floor muscles would cover the inside of the bowl as they attach to the pelvic bones. They form the base and foundation of your core.  Healthy Pelvic Floor Exercises: Let's start with upgrading your REST Toolbox with these 3 STRETCH MOVES that will help open up and prevent tightness of the pelvic floor muscles:  Happy Baby Stretch- Lie on your back and grab hold of your feet or ankles. Open your knees and bring them toward your armpits as you rock side to side for 1-3 minutes.  Child’s Pose- Kneel on floor with knees apart. Reach your hands on the floor as you lean forward with your chest on your thighs and forehead on floor as you breathe 3-5 times.  Sink Squat- Hold onto a sink or railing and sit down into full squat with feet apart and turned out slightly. Breathe and let your tailbone sink toward the floor as your head reaches to ceiling. Breathe and shift your hips side to side. Do for 30 seconds to 1 minute. You can do these 3 Stretches daily:
Up next, we'll add some exercises that'll help you strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. To A Healthy Core! Mollie P.S. Want a strong, healthy pelvic floor and core? You'll want to check out our updates to REST Camp: SHINE™... get on the interest list here. It can happen to anyone. Both women and men. It’s common after some pregnancies and as you get older but not a normal part of aging. Do you have any leaking of urine when you sneeze, cough, laugh, jump, or run? If so, that’s called Stress Incontinence. It’s when the bladder leaks urine during physical activity or exertion. Stress is on the bladder due to suboptimal pressure management in the abdominal region. The good news: you can improve leaking no matter your age. The first step is to uncover the cause or causes of it. Stress Incontinence can be caused by any of the following:
When you look at this list, it might be obvious what your main issue is but it’s more likely that you need to address a combination of them. It pretty much boils down to having some healthy practices in place to support your bladder, gut, and pelvic floor muscles. Getting Started Strategies: 1. Improve your Bladder Health- good hydration but limit fluids 2-3 hours before bed, identify your irritants, address low estrogen, and decrease risk for UTI's. Consider bladder training with time voids to increase how much it can store. 2. Improve your Gut Health- good hydration and clean eating will help with decreasing risk of constipation. 3. Improve your Pelvic Floor Health- learn how to stretch, strengthen and improve the coordination of your pelvic floor muscles. They're the foundation to your core and are responsible for anticipating movements. Are they contracting for you to take a walk down the hall or to run from a fire? How well they're doing their job impacts whether you end up leaving a trail behind FYI there are 2 other forms of incontinence (urge and mixed) which can be a little more complicated to treat. And if you’ve experienced childbirth, back, sports or neurological injuries, you’ll probably benefit from a health professional like a gynecologist, urologist, or physical/occupational therapist to help you come up with a treatment plan for incontinence. Leaking can fluctuate. You might find it’s only an issue when your bladder is full, you’re sick, or in different parts of your cycle. Maybe it's when you sneeze but not during exercise. Don’t ignore it. The earlier you address it, the easier it will be to reverse. Up next I'll address my favorite topic...how to have a strong, healthy pelvic floor.  P.S. Want to get stronger with less effort? You'll want to check out the updated version of REST Camp: SHINE™- get on the interest list here. It was an accidental finding. A few months ago, I uncovered an issue I didn’t realize I had until it improved. During the transition to Menopause, I started having significant issues with getting deep sleep. I was stuck in this cycle of poor sleep leading to increased anxiety and a harder time managing stressors that went round and round despite my best efforts. It was impacting my health and performance. I’d been taking Melatonin for almost a year which had helped tremendously but I didn’t want to stay on it long term. I'd made other changes that I've shared to improve my sleep quality as well. I wasn't sure what else I could do. I was always cautioned to stay away from hormone treatments due to my mother’s history of breast cancer. My current medical providers weren’t sure about what to recommend hormone wise either. Very overwhelming and difficult to find any good advice. I kept searching and finally heard about a Menopause Specialist. I did a consult with her in March. As we dug into my symptoms, I realized I’d started having issues with my bladder. Not UTI’s but increased frequency during the day and night. More bathroom trips at night. And if I had a full bladder and coughed or sneezed, I’d have to prep with a pelvic floor contraction or I might leak. It just kind of snuck up on me over the years. Looking back... my bladder was slowly becoming overactive. Estrogen plays a protective role in our Bladder Health as well as preventing vaginal atrophy and dryness. It keeps the urinary tract and vaginal tissue healthy and flexible. Turns out I was a candidate for low dose vaginal estrogen therapy (i.e. Estradiol 0.01%) as it’s NOT systemically absorbed by the body. It's a local treatment. The first week I used it, I slept better than I had in YEARS. The biggest change- my bladder wasn’t waking me up as frequently. It could hold more so I was getting deeper sleep. Bonus Ender's (and our dog-Teddie's) snoring wasn't waking me up! And I was waking up more rested. I stopped Melatonin after a few treatments of vaginal estradiol without any issues. After a few weeks, I was rarely waking up to go to the bathroom at night. That literally hasn't happened since my late 30's. I also started noticing I didn’t leak if I forgot to prep with a Kegel contraction before a sneeze or cough. After a few months, I’m telling everyone about it. Vaginal Estradiol is safe to use in menopause and post menopause indefinitely for bladder issues (stress or urge incontinence, frequent UTI’s) and/or vaginal issues (pain, dryness, atrophy). The urologists I follow on X can't stop shouting how they give it to all their patient's with frequent UTI's. No more antibiotics. You can even use it as a preventative for atrophy that will occur when there is low Estrogen levels. Atrophy can lead to prolapse of urethra, bladder, vagina, or rectum. Trust me something you do not want to happen if at all possible. It can be used in perimenopause if you’re symptomatic as well. It's typically 1 gram of the cream 2-3 times per week but also comes in tablets. And no it's not messy. So simple and so much to gain. You’ll know after a few applications if your body finds it beneficial. I recommend you talk to your gynecologist or urologist about it (today). NOTE: You may hear that there is a Black Box warning that it should not be used in those with breast cancer or risk of it. Don't freak out- do your research. The data shows local vaginal therapy does NOT increase risk of breast cancer. There are no studies showing it spreads to other areas of the body or blood. It does not increase risk of blood clots, heart disease, or dementia. There are oncologist that recommend it for their breast cancer patients even those in active treatment. Talk to a specialist or keep searching for a physician that can address your symptoms and personal medical history (especially if they're stuck on this issue). I look forward to a day when all post menopausal women will be prescribed vaginal therapy just like we brush our teeth daily. Consider adding it to your Healthy Bladder Toolbox. It's never too late. I've heard stories about women in their 80's and 90's finally getting relief when their daughters got them on it. I’m so grateful that my quest for deep sleep led me to it. Despite my focus on promoting having a healthy pelvic floor, I truly didn't connect the dots on the changes in my own bladder function until I experienced these improvements. Resources:
If you suffer from leaking or frequent urination, there are a few more potential causes to consider besides Bladder irritants and low Estrogen. I cover them in Part 3 the Healthy Bladder Series. Remember leaking is common with aging but not normal. There is hope. You just have to uncover the cause/s and figure out a plan to address it. To A Healthy Bladder! Mollie P.S. Want better energy, mobility, & strength? Our FREE Summer Workshop & the inside scoop on our next REST Camp: SHINE™ is coming soon! Get on the interest list here. Has this snuck up on you too? Those trips to the bathroom at night? It's common as we age but there really isn't any research to show it's normal. You may not realize how disruptive to deep sleep every bathroom trip is. I didn't until recently. I've been working on improving my sleep quality for over a year but hadn't really addressed my bladder. I'd connected the dots on drinking fluids late at night with more frequent trips but not much beyond that. It helps me for sure to limit fluids a few hours before bed and just take sips of water if I need it during the night. And last year I'd cut back on caffeine as I became more sensitive to it disrupting my sleep. But there is much more you can do to improve your bladder health and ultimately decrease those trips to the bathroom. Let's start with 6 Bladder irritants you may not be aware of:
Not everyone is sensitive to these but it's worth checking out to help your brain know it doesn't have to send a signal to your bladder to empty at night. Uncovering your sensitivities can also help if you have frequent UTI's (Urinary Tract Infections) or leaking when you sneeze, cough, laugh, or during activity. It might take some detective work and monitoring your bathroom trips to figure out if you're sensitive to any of them. If you do uncover sensitivities, start to reduce how often you consume them especially later in the day. For some, you may have to eliminate them all together. Next up, I'll share what has eliminated my trips to the bathroom most nights AND helped me stop needing Melatonin the first week I started doing it. To Better Sleep! Mollie P.S. Ready for more Energy & Flow? It's almost time for our FREE Summer Workshop & the inside scoop on our next REST Camp: SHINE™! Get on the interest list here. Besides backing up in the car, how often do you twist and look behind you in a day? Computers, phones, and even back up car cameras are messing with our movement patterns. Stiffness and loss of thoracic rotation used to just be related to poor posture and aging but technology is definitely contributing to spine issues. Our bodies & brains weren't meant to be staring at a screen all day. Even if you play a sport like golf or tennis that involves rotation, it's highly unlikely you're playing as much as you look at a screen. Remember our fascia (connective tissue) takes the shape of the thing we do most during the day. It's time to add some Seated Twist breaks to your day or when sitting at the computer for long periods. BENEFITS OF THE SEATED TWIST:
Stop what you're doing and let's do some Seated Twists together.  HOW TO DO A SEATED TWIST:This position targets your mid back muscles and helps with digestion. It can be done sitting in a chair or the floor.
PRO TIP: On each breath, visualize your head and tailbone pulling away from one another as you lengthen through your spine. Focus on getting taller more than twisting. Don't force the twist. Be mindful of your current mobility. I've got a lot of upper body & back tightness so I prefer to do the Seated Twist in a chair. Placing my arm over the back of the chair takes the tightness in my arms out of it and gives me some proprioceptive feedback & resistance so I can have better posture while I'm twisting. Basically, I feel more of a stretch in my spine because it's less fascia stretching. If you have issues with constipation, try 3 twists a day and see how your body responds. Whenever you need an energy boost during the day, do a twist. Your body will love it. Twist It Out! Mollie P.S. If you want better Energy and Mobility, you'll want to get on the wait list for our next REST Camp: SHINE™ - exciting updates & details coming soon! Did you know your brain can release pain relieving hormones that have a stronger effect than morphine on your body? It's true. If you've had a baby or run regularly, you know them well- it's your Endorphins! There are over 20 types of Endorphins which are pain and stress relievers created by the Pituitary Gland & Hypothalamus that attach to the brains reward centers (opioid receptors). They trigger the release of Dopamine and increase our feelings of pleasure and well-being. Signs that you may have low levels of Endorphins can be depression, anxiety, muscle aches, sleep issues, chronic pain associated with fibromyalgia, and even exercise addiction. Although Exercise is one of the best ways to boost Endorphins, there are additional simple moves you can do to increase your levels. My favorite way is through Fascia Stretching and Massage. It's my go to pain management strategy for clients (and myself). I'll never forget the "Endorphin High" I got during the 3 day upper body Fascia Stretch Therapy certification training Ender and I went to years ago. My arms were so tight from all the years of doing manual therapy on clients so by day 2 of just stretching the arms, my lab partner and I could NOT stop laughing. We felt drunk from stretching. It was wild & a bit embarrassing until eventually other classmates had similar reactions. Fascia Stretching is one of the most powerful tools I've found to improve pain, elasticity, & mobility in the body. As a bonus it's a mood booster. It's the foundation to all my camps and coaching programs for a reason. You can also BOOST your Endorphins & Mood with any of these pleasurable activities: 1. Create Art 2. Laugh or vent about stressful situations 3. Dance 4. Eat dark chocolate or spicy foods 5. Drink red wine 6. Have sex Aromatherapy, Acupressure, and Acupuncture are additional therapies that can help increase Endorphin levels. It's possible you've already identified from this list what your body craves on the regular. Can you see how it's telling you what it needs to boost hormones like your Endorphins? If not, pick an Endorphin Booster & be mindful of how your body feels after doing it. Figure out which ones your body likes best & sprinkle them into your daily routine. When you're in pain or need to boost your mood, get some Endorphins flowing. Enjoy the high! Mollie P.S. Ready to learn Fascia Stretching & Massage for daily self-care & pain relief? You'll want to join us for our next round of Rest Camp! Details for SHINE™ are coming soon- join the wait list here. Our 13 year old dog, Teddie, got a home exercise program to strengthen his back and hips at his last vet appointment and that, of course, made me think of 2 FIT TIPS to help YOU get stronger. We’d noticed he was having more stiffness and difficulty getting up from the floor or jumping up onto surfaces. Apparently, it’s common for dogs to start to overuse their stronger front legs as they age and start to develop arthritis/pain in their spine or hips. We went deeper into why that is to satisfy my PT brain, but I won’t bore you with that. More importantly, the discussion reminded me of 2 Healthy Aging Moves to share with you. But first, check out Teddie being a good boy doing his homework: 3 sit to stands every day to strengthen his back and hips/legs. Yes, snacks are included!  Here's Your Homework (without the snacks):1. ADDRESS YOUR WEAK SPOTSTeddie’s vet visit was a great example of how our brain loves to find the easiest way to move so you’ll automatically default to overusing your stronger muscles even if that isn’t an efficient movement pattern. We all have muscle imbalances in our body based on which hand is dominant, what you do all day, or the sport you play. Full body workouts like Yoga and Pilates are a great way to work on strengthening both sides of your body. Tightness or stiffness can also be a sign you’ve got some underlying weakness in your postural and core muscles. If you’re weak, your body will tighten up in key spots to hold you up against gravity. Finding your tight and weak spots will help balance you out. 2. FOCUS ON YOUR LEGSTeddie’s vet visit was also a great reminder of how important it is to keep your legs strong as you age. Have you ever noticed that some folks have difficulty standing up from chairs/sofas as they get older? It’s related to a variety of things- hip weakness, stiffness in their joints, and/or a fear of falling that can develop due to decreased vision, balance, and flexibility. The fear leads to them not leaning their trunk forward enough to stand up and it just spirals from there. And guess what they start to do- overuse their arms to stand up! Just like Teddie… Left unchecked it'll increase their fall risk. Falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury-related deaths for age 65 or older. Having a solid strength training program for your legs is a key component to staying active & agile as you age. Unlike dogs, we can't walk on our hands! Focus on your hip mobility & strength and use these exercises to help you get started. DAILY MOVES: Take Sit to Stand breaks throughout the day. It’ll help counteract all the negative effects sitting has on your posture and joints but also help your heart stay healthy. There is research showing that standing up once every 20 minutes is more effective than walking 15 minutes on a treadmill for cardiovascular and metabolic changes. It’s also more beneficial than standing up 35 times at once. You’ll want to stand up every 20 minutes to overcome the negative effects of sitting. Teddie has to do 3 sit to stands per day but you need to do 3 per hour of sitting.
POWER MOVES: Add these Power Moves to workout routines for stronger legs, hips, and core muscles. OVER TO YOU: Which moves will you start with this week? FYI if you need snacks to get you motivated at first like Teddie, aim for protein snacks (it's OK to sneak in a little dark chocolate too). To Strong Legs! Mollie P.S. Want more help with your tight & weak spots? Our next round of SHINE™ & opportunity to be a part of Rest Crew #2 is coming up soon- get on the waitlist here. What do you do when you’re feeling stuck in a rut? It doesn’t matter if it’s fear, overwhelm, confusion, or cognitive fatigue holding you back. There is one MOVE that can help you start moving forward again. Move Your Body. It’s the best bang for your buck when you’re stuck. Why? Physical activity is the number one way to manage stress and complete a stress cycle. It’s also going to bathe your brain in BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor). A protein that is essential for the survival of neurons (cells that make up the brain). It protects the brain from ischemic damage (damage from lack of oxygen), degeneration (deterioration) and promotes long term memory. Just 20 minutes of any kind of physical activity can boost BDNF levels and improve learning, energy levels, memory, MOOD, focus, even your creativity. Stop beating yourself up or trying to figure out why you’re stuck. Start moving and your brain & body will know what to do. Although any form of movement works, one of my favorite moves when I’m feeling stuck is to take a walk. POWER MOVE: Make it Interval Walking. Research shows it IMPROVES:
HOW TO INTERVAL WALK*:
MODIFY TIP: If you’re overcoming a lower body injury and aren’t ready for that much walking, then do the same thing on a stationary cycle until you can transition to walking more. FIT TIP: The more you enjoy it, the better it is for you. Add your favorite music and the dopamine will start flowing (your pleasure hormone). Next time you’re feeling stuck, go for a walk. It’ll help your brain & body get back in flow so you can move forward. Your heart will love it too. Get Moving! Mollie P.S. For more on the benefits of Interval Training and some more workout recommendations, check out this FIT Blog: How To Get Stronger in 1 Minute *From the book: The One Minute Workout by Martin Gibala, Ph.D. **For intensity guidance, refer to the Modified Borg RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion) Scale from 1 (extremely easy) -10 (extremely hard or max effort). |
Mollie, Ender, Ty & Teddie
Mollie Miller, PT
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