Do you experience pain with working out? Try this!
Do you experience pain/ symptoms with your workouts such as back pain, hip shoulder pain, prolapse heaviness etc?
I've given this advice to many clients over the years, so I thought it would be helpful to share with you all.
I have clients come to me often saying that their doctor or another health care practitioner instructed them to stop an activity that causes pain. Although this advice is well-intentioned, I have another suggestion.
Our bodies are meant to move. When we avoid a certain movement due to pain, the tolerance for that movement diminishes.
If an exercise causes symptoms, before removing it completely, try changing the dosage.
Think of it this way:
When a doctor prescribes a medication for a condition, and the patient experiences side effects from that medication, the doctor will not take the drug away completely. The doctor will play around with the dosage until it’s effective for treating the symptoms but not causing negative side effects.
Exercise can be seen in a similar light. If you are performing an exercise (like a squat for example), and you get symptoms from it (such as heaviness in your vagina, leaking or pain), you do not necessarily need to stop doing squats all together.
Try playing around with the dosage. For squats this might look like:
Alter the tempo of the squat. Slow down and really focus on breath and control through the squat (e.g. count to 5 as you lower into the squat and concentrate on your breathing).
Alter the range of motion of the squat (e.g. if a full squat causes hip pain, only go 1/4 to 1/2 depth to a point there is no pain).
Make adjustments to your technique - Try changing your stance to be narrower or wider, turn your toes out more or less, etc. Remind yourself there’s no such thing as “perfect” form - only the form that feels good for you and your body!
Change it to a less demanding variation of the squat (e.g. do a sit to stand from the couch).
By modifying the exercise, it allows you to continue progressing without increasing your symptoms, and therefore working towards strengthening your body. And gradually increasing its capacity over time to feel strong and confident in your body!
I hope this analogy helps!
For more tips on managing pain/ symptoms during pregnancy/postpartum, check out these resources:
Blog - 5 tips to help with leaking, heaviness or low back pain
Podcast episodes: