Episode #16 - 5 reasons your current exercise routine may not be working for you
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In this episode, Dayna and Rhonda discuss some reasons you current exercise routine might not be sticking:
1️⃣ You’re not consistent enough.
2️⃣ It’s boring/ too repetitive.
3️⃣ It’s too hard or too easy.
4️⃣ It’s making your pain/symptoms worse.
5️⃣ Your sole focus is on weight loss.
We dive deeper into each point and give some helpful takeaways!
We’re excited for you to listen to this episode and hope you find some of these tips helpful. Let us know in the comments!
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Episode 16 - 5 reasons your current exercise routine may not be working for you
We're excited to have you join us for this episode of Pelvic Health and Fitness. I'm Dayna Morellato, Mom, Orthopedic and Pelvic Health Physiotherapist. And I'm Rhonda Chamberlain, Mom, Orthopedic Physiotherapist and Pre Postnatal Fitness Coach. On this show, we have open and honest conversations about all phases of motherhood, including fertility, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, menopause, and everything in between.
We also provide helpful education and information on fitness, the pelvic floor, and many aspects of women's health, including physical, mental, and emotional wellness. Please remember as you listen to this podcast that this is not meant to treat or diagnose any medical conditions. Please contact your medical provider if you have specific questions or concerns.
Thanks so much for joining us. Grab a cup of coffee. Or wine. And enjoy!
Welcome to episode 16 of the Pelvic Health and Fitness Podcast. Today we're gonna talk about five reasons why your current exercise routine. routine may not be working for you. So I definitely use these topics a lot with my clients, um, especially postpartum moms, because there's a lot of pressure to get back into exercise.
And I think sometimes we think it's going to look the same as. before we had kids and sometimes realizing that it might have to change a little bit. That's sort of part of it. Um, we're also trying to keep our next couple of episodes a little shorter for you all. It's a December when we're recording right now, which is busy for us.
And then it'll be January when you were all, all are listening. So hopefully these will be nice, short, quick ones that you can get some, uh, good tips from moving forward. So the first one, so reasons your current exercise routine might not be working for you. Um, the first one is you might not be consistent enough with it.
So I talk about this all the time in terms of that all or nothing mindset. Um, the fact that consistency trumps intensity every single time. So I know for me before I had kids, I was in the CrossFit world and loved super intense workouts. I was consistent with it. Um, but I still had the mindset after having kids that they had to be super intense to count.
And that has definitely gotten better over time. So just reminding you all that even if you do sort of 10 minute workouts, two to three days a week, that's actually going to serve you really well versus if you're someone that thinks it has to be this super long, intense thing, and you only end up doing.
One hour workout for once a month type of thing. So you're actually going to get more benefit and feel better in your body with those short, consistent exercise routines. So just remembering, just keep it short and simple and try not to overcomplicate it. Absolutely. I think a lot. I hear this a lot. I know you hear this a lot to Rhonda, where clients will say to me that they want it to count or a walk doesn't count.
And a walk absolutely counts. Yep. And in terms of consistency, if that's your movement for the day, and let's add kids into the mix, you're probably pulling a wagon or pushing a stroller and you've got a baby strapped to your front and you're at the park like motherhood is physical. I think adding these other things on and then paying attention to how much movement you do in a day can help you feel like you are more consistent.
Yeah. I will add to that too. I talk about, um, varying up your definition of consistency. So I think we think consistency has to be two or three workouts every single week forever and ever. And so I talk with my clients a lot that we go through seasons in life. So, you know, we're in Christmas season right now.
come the new year, people might still be sort of busy. Um, if you go a few weeks or a month or a couple months without movement, that's okay without intentional movement, because if you zoom out to like six months, a year, 18 months, you're likely moving a lot more than you think you are. So try to just.
Give yourself grace if there's periods of time where your mental health comes first and you're not consistently moving in those weeks or months. Cause yeah, over the long run, you're probably doing okay. Absolutely for sure. Look at the big picture. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So number two, it's too boring or too repetitive.
Um, it's very easy to kind of get stuck in a rut and just, especially with kids in the mix and you want to get your movement in and just feel like you're done. But, I mean, we're humans, so we like to have, um, variety. Our bodies like to move in a variety of ways, so it can, if you're too bored and you're not stimulating, you know, your tissues or even just your brain, it can make you not want to do it.
It's boring. So, think about it as we were just saying. Maybe it is that walk to the park with wagons and, Baby carriers, or maybe it's for myself. I know I always try to have a yoga day in the week in. I am a fair weather runner and I use runner very lightly. Um, but I try to get yoga and running and some strength training.
So it's never really the same. And then it always feels sort of new to me each time, which makes, keeps it fresh. Yes. And then I, I also think of our, one of our mentors, Anthony Lowe, that, uh, he talks often about just our body loves varieties. Our body loves just different types of movements, um, often that can sort of, um, prevent injuries and symptoms too, if we're adding variety, because if we're constantly doing the same thing, so even someone that loves walking and, um, Yeah.
Doesn't have other things in their life that can lead to sort of repetitive strains if you're just doing the same movement over and over. So adding variety and that's, you know, in my fitness programming, um, again, I come from that CrossFit background where we do have a lot of different movements, so I try to, um, encourage my clients to just find different functional movements that they don't mind doing and just continuing to, yes, go back to the basics, but try to vary it up so that you don't get bored.
Yeah, absolutely. And for walks, yeah, repetitive strains, but find a new path, go up and down some hills, play around with it, have fun with your movements too, right? Walk backwards, walk to the side, like, you know, play around with your movements. I love that idea of just variety for people. Yeah, that's a good point.
Yeah. Okay. So number three, four reasons your current exercise routine might not be working for you. Um, it's too hard or it's, So first of all, no one likes to feel like they suck at something that is discouraging. And no one also likes to feel like it's not at least a little bit challenging. Um, and the degree of challenge depends on the season you're in.
So if you're pregnant, postpartum, if you're injured. That definition of challenge is going to change, but overall, this is an antony antony low thing too. It's important to stress to progress. So, um, again, this is what I try to do with my fitness programming. I try to find that sort of gray zone for people where, um, it's not too hard because that, again, that can be discouraging and it can potentially lead to like strains and injuries, but it's also, if it's too easy, then people feel like, what's the point?
Or like, I feel like I'm not getting stronger. So finding that sort of messy middle, which is, can be challenging. And I think, again, just working with a fitness coach is super helpful for that. Trying to navigate that pathway of like what is too hard or what is too easy. Um, yeah, so it can be a little bit tricky, but.
Just a few things to kind of keep in mind that you shouldn't be so sore the next couple days that you can't walk or you can't go to the bathroom. I hear that all the time, like just sitting on the toilet. And again, that's going to happen, especially if you're So, um, yeah, Someone that's just getting back into exercise again, you will probably be a bit, uh, have a bit of soreness, but yeah, it shouldn't be debilitating and that shouldn't continue on.
Um, that's also not a sign of an effective program. Like you don't have to be sore every single time after every single workout in order for it to be effective. Absolutely. And I think too, it's important to note that the same program can feel harder or easier depending on what else is going on in your life.
So having, having a coach that can kind of give you, you know, on the days where baby was up all night, or you already were doing a whole bunch of other things in your day and you need something that feels a little bit easier. These are sort of your basic movements, like you said, and on days where you've got a little bit more bandwidth, everybody slept in your house, everybody's healthy, you know, you're feeling good.
The sun actually is out for longer than it is currently in December in Ontario. Um, maybe you're willing to push yourself a little bit harder. I think it can change. day to day what feels easy and what feels hard. That's a good point too. Yeah, and be and having sort of like grace with yourself. If you are having a day where you didn't sleep or you're feeling high stress, maybe yeah, sometimes pushing through and doing an intense workout isn't the best thing which takes time.
I feel like I'm still sort of navigating that whole thing myself. Yeah, I think that just leads into a little bit of body image stuff, which is a whole other discussion. Yes. Yep. So true. We'll write it down. Yeah. Um, number four, it's your exercise routine is making your pain or your symptoms worse. That can be upsetting.
It can feel like the worst thing ever. If you've worked really hard, you know, an example of prolapse, you know, to get rid of that heaviness or that feeling of dragging in the pelvic floor, or you someone who experiences low back pain or knee pain, if you have that come back, it can feel very discouraging, particularly if you've like been symptom free for a while.
So you just want, again, I think coming back to some of these other things, having options that keep you moving. But aren't necessarily aggravating your symptoms are important so you're satisfying that need for movement and challenging your body in different ways, which can actually help you return to whatever it is that has maybe sort of major symptoms worse.
Yeah, yeah, I think that sort of goes back to like number three it's too hard or too easy it's like finding that like. Perfect dose amount, right? Which again can be super challenging and will change day to day, week to week, month to month. So just really getting in tune with your body, really learning to listen to your body symptoms.
Um, and also remembering we had an episode talking about the fact that sometimes symptoms arise. from multiple reasons. So also not always quickly blaming yourself that, Oh, it must have been the workout I did. Right. So again, there's, it's a lot of messy middle. There's a lot of gray with these topics, but, uh, just remembering that if you are injured or if you are dealing with symptoms, um, you might need to scale back and, uh, just work in the mode that you're in right now.
Absolutely. And again, you've to use your phrase, you've used it a couple of times, give yourself grace, give yourself permission that workouts in those moments don't necessarily have to feel super intense. There is a lot of beauty in doing mobility. I think sometimes we forget that getting on a foam roller and taking yourself through some flexibility, um, positions, whether that's yoga or just sitting in a hamstring stretch and a quadricep stretch like that, that is exercise.
I think somewhere along the line that got that point has got missed for some people that it has to be strength or hit or cardio to be exercised. And really, I believe that those mobility sessions can really help settle your symptoms, decrease any pelvic floor tension. If that's where your symptoms are coming from, decrease any low back pain and get you back.
quicker to doing what you maybe consider more to be an intense workout. Yes. I love that. Just, I'm, that's something I am getting better at is just sort of like exploring movements and like, Oh, you know, if my back is sore, just trying a couple of different things. Like, is this bothering it? Um, what can I do?
Um, and just sort of being curious about your symptoms and trying to kind of navigate that in that way. Absolutely. And it's, I think that I love that phrase. I use that all the time with clients get curious about it because pain can be alarming. It can be scary. Um, and so just trying to use almost play a little bit of a mental game with yourself.
Like what, what have I been doing? Where is this coming from? Why, why is it bringing up fear and working through some of that as well? For sure. Okay. So the last one, and those that follow me know that this one will come up. Um, the, one of the reasons your current exercise routine might not be working for you is that your sole focus with exercises on weight loss.
And I always say I, you know, I don't demonize weight loss as a goal. That is a very valid goal, especially in a very fat phobic society where there's a lot of benefits to being thin. Um, I get it. We sort of get into a slippery slope though. So when, if weight loss is your only focus, only goal, and the pounds don't immediately fall off when you're exercising, then a lot of people are likely to quit because they think what's the point.
This is not working. Um, and often it's after a very short amount of time, cause they're sort of expecting cause it's sold to us. That exercise is this quick magic fix that's going to shed all the pounds and solve all the problems, which it does not. And so just trying to reframe your why with exercise, that's something I talk about a lot with clients.
So if they come to me with weight loss questions, goals. Again, I'm going to validate that goal. Um, very understandable. And then I will also ask them why. So let's try to dig a little deeper, why you feel so strongly that weight loss needs to be a goal for you. Um, and then just exploring other reasons to work out because there's.
a million different reasons that exercise is super beneficial for us outside of weight loss. And if we can start to focus more on those things and realize that, um, yeah, we can get tons of benefits from exercise. We'll more likely stick with it if that is more the focus. Absolutely. As a physio, I mean, we don't really coach, um, weight loss in any way.
Obviously it is a topic that comes up with clients, particularly when we're talking about the health of the abdominal wall and healing any sort of diastasis and wanting our tummies to look a certain way. Um, but yeah, it's, you'd have to kind of evaluate your why's understanding that your body, especially if we're talking postpartum period, there's so many.
Effects on your body as well too. So people sort of equate exercise with trying to lose the, I'm doing air quotes here. The baby weight or mm-hmm. bounce back, which, yeah. Ugh. . Oh, mommy, mommy tummy. Mommy tummy. Me. I, yeah, I just having visceral responses over here, if you could see my, But, um, yeah, so evaluating your why, why do you feel like you have to look a certain way, particularly after your body did this monumental thing.
And I think sometimes if you start to appreciate the other benefits that you're getting from exercise, like, look how toned your arms look just from carrying your baby around. Remember when you couldn't run down the street for me, it was like three kilometers. I could run three kilometers postpartum. It didn't really matter what my body looked like.
I was able to do it again. And that was huge. Yes. Yeah. And that's been a big mindset shift for me. And, uh, for me, a lot of it is just really starting to learn and dive deep into, you know, the origins of diet culture and the fact that it comes from, you know, the sin ideal stems from racism and white supremacy, like all of that tied into, for me, that was enough to be like, I do not want to participate in that.
And so I often get my clients, I, you know, I'll get them to follow. more diverse accounts online. That's a big part of it. And just start to do a bit of research why it, there is such a focus in our culture on the thin ideal. And yeah, I think a lot of people, once they start to realize that they're like, I do not want to pay into this industry that just wants me to feel really terribly about myself.
Yeah, I think it's important to have a look at the accounts you follow on social media too and some of the messaging that we're getting around a lot of these things that we've talked about weight loss for sure, but like this idea of never miss a Monday and like just set the goal so that you never miss your workout and like all that messaging can be can feel at least for me personally, I felt it was a bit damaging for me in the postpartum period because then you start to get in these guilt, shame, spirals, if you don't work out hard or you do miss that Monday.
And it's, um, so just have a good look at some of the messaging that you're receiving from these, from these different sources as well. I think yes, could be one of the reasons why your exercise program is not working for you. Truthfully. Yeah, that's like kind of like a bonus one. Cause I feel like I. You know, I am a fitness coach.
I'm a physiotherapist as well. So I do have clients that share with me, um, past experiences with different programs, which I won't name any names, but a lot of the messaging with some of those programs. And it's like catered sometimes to postpartum women is very shame filled and very like, if I can do it, so can you, and just super damaging, right?
So I try to be super mindful of that. And again, just doing my research on. What is happening in the industry and just really trying to actively reject that and it is growing. I feel like the I live in a bit of an echo chamber in a good way. I have a lot of people on my instagram that are really pushing the boundaries and are really changing the narrative.
But, um, Sometimes you go. So I went on like Pinterest for a very short time. It didn't last long. Um, partly because it was just filled with five exercises to shrink your love handles by the five best ways to shrink your mommy tummy. And just, I would just bombarded with these messages and I just, you know, I saw it and I was like, no, thank you.
I don't want to be here. Yeah. Yeah. I would say those are, those are flags. If you're seeing that messaging for sure. Agreed. Yes. That could be a whole other episode like red flags to watch for with fitness programs, fitness programs. Yeah. Yes. Okay. So I'll just do a bit of a recap. So five reasons your current exercise routine might not be working for you.
So number one, you're not consistent enough. Number two, it's too boring, too repetitive. Number three, it's too hard or too easy. Number four, it's making your pain or symptoms worse. And number five, your sole focus is on weight loss. So hopefully you can get some practical things out of that today. We'd love to hear from you if any of this resonates with you.
Thanks for listening to today's podcast. We hope you enjoyed the conversation. If you liked what you heard, we would love if you could share this with a friend, leave us a review, or subscribe to anywhere that you listen to your podcasts. Thanks for being here.
