"Regular physical activity (light exercises as part of our daily routine) and exercise (planned activities, engaged as routine with the purpose for fitness or training to improve physical fitness) are important for our physical and mental well being"

Leading an active lifestyle:

• help prevent and manage medical conditions; reduce the risk of various chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, obesity, depression and osteoporosis.
• improve mental health and self-esteem; reduce anxiety and depression.
• help with staying independent through ageing.

Did you know?

40% of the UK population dedicates less than 2 hours per week to physical activity

Inactivity increases with age, and it is more likely experienced by women (A.L.A.S, 2021-22, Sports England).

Women are less likely to be active and to engage in sports compared to men of the same age group

Thirty-nine % of women aged 16 and above are not engaging in regular physical activity (A.L.A.S, 2021-22, Sports England). Social (time, cost, motivation, fear of judgement, childcare, self security...) and physical (injury, pre and post natal, pelvic floor pain, incontinence...) barriers cause considerable limitation to fitness and sports participation in women. 

One in 3 women across all sports experience pelvic floor symptoms during training and competition, including adolescent athletes

Mild to severe pelvic floor symptoms lead to stop exercise in 1 out of 4 women. Severe urinary incontinence (SUI) has been reported as the main cause. Gynecological cancer survivors,  post-natal women and women over 65 with SUI often find exercises as shaming and uncomfortable. 

Less than 10% of women discuss it with a health professional

Women rather adopt coping strategies: using pads for leaking; avoiding exercises that might provoke the symptoms; stop physical activity (Dakic et all., 2023). 

Have you ever experienced pelvic floor symptoms during exercise?

Urgency with bladder - Leaking urine - Pain with tampon usage - Pain in the abdomen, hip, and lower back

If YES...Have you ever talked about it to an Health Care Practitioner?

Pelvic floor dysfunctions are part of Women's Health.  A Women health specialist can help you treat pelvic floor dysfunction through exercise. Women's health includes:

"Health issues unique to women (menstruation, pregnancy, menopause, vagina and uterus health)"

"Medical conditions which might affect women differently from men (for instance cardiovascular disease and diabetes)"

A sedentary lifestyle has been associated with a higher risk of developing physical and mental health conditions. Nevertheless, women are still not engaging in exercises as much as men, due to social and physical barriers. Pelvic floor dysfunctions have been associated with limitation to exercises in women. An increase in awareness within the population and the sports community could:

• encouraged women to seek help from Health practitioners;
• receive pelvic floor screenings and therapy;
• improve women's health;
• increase participation in sports and exercise.

In this blog, I will review and discuss the present research on Women's health medicine, pelvic floor therapy and sports rehabilitation.

➡️ Stay Connected!!!

xx 💋 Laura