Founder's Perspective: How I Changed My Workouts After My Prolapse Diagnosis
Before experiencing pelvic organ prolapse (POP), I never gave much thought to how I breathed when I lifted something, whether I was properly engaging my core, or how much my glutes had to do with my pelvic floor.
I exercised. I moved my body. I considered myself an active person. But I wasn't thinking about how all the different parts of my body worked together.
That changed after having my first daughter.
When I was diagnosed with pelvic organ prolapse postpartum, I became much more aware of things I had always taken for granted. Movements that used to feel effortless sometimes caused heaviness or pressure. I started questioning whether certain exercises were helping or making my symptoms worse.
Working with a pelvic floor physical therapist helped me understand that pelvic floor health isn't just about doing Kegels. It's about learning how your body works together as a whole.
Over time, I made some meaningful changes to how I moved, exercised, and cared for myself. Some were surprisingly simple. Others took a lot of repetition and practice.
Here are six of the biggest lessons I learned during my pelvic floor journey, and why they continue to matter.
Watch: Can You Still Work Out With Prolapse? I'm Stronger Than Ever
In this video, I'm sharing more about the changes I made after my prolapse diagnosis and the everyday habits that helped me rebuild strength and confidence in my body.
1. Learning Not to Bear Down Was a Game-Changer
One of the biggest things I had to learn was how to stop bearing down during everyday movements and exercise.
Before having prolapse, I didn't think twice about how I lifted something heavy, got up from the floor, or pushed through a difficult exercise.
But I learned that I was sometimes creating more downward pressure than I needed to, especially when holding my breath or straining through a movement.
Bearing down happens when you push pressure downward through your abdomen and pelvic floor. It's something we naturally do during certain activities, like having a bowel movement or giving birth. But repeated straining can contribute to uncomfortable prolapse symptoms.
I had to learn the difference between engaging my muscles to support a movement and pushing down through my pelvic floor. This required slowing down, paying attention to how my body felt, and sometimes modifying movements until I could perform them with better coordination.
What helped me: Becoming more aware of how I managed pressure during everyday activities instead of simply pushing through challenging movements. It's an ongoing practice, but one that has made me much more intentional about how I move.
2. Exhaling on the Effort Changed How I Exercise
If there's one phrase I heard repeatedly during pelvic floor physical therapy, it was exhale on the effort.
And for good reason.
This is probably one of the simplest changes I made, but also one of the hardest to consistently remember.
What does "exhale on the effort" mean?
It means breathing out during the most challenging part of a movement.
For example:
- When standing up from a squat, exhale as you rise.
- When lifting your child, exhale as you lift.
- When pushing yourself up from the floor, breathe out during the push.
- When strength training, coordinate your exhale with the most challenging part of the exercise.
Your diaphragm, abdominal muscles, and pelvic floor work together to help manage pressure inside your abdomen. Learning to coordinate these muscles helped me better support my body during exercise.
Exhaling on the effort isn't a rigid rule for every exercise or every person, but it was an incredibly helpful starting point for me. I still catch myself holding my breath sometimes, especially during challenging workouts. When I do, I remind myself to reset.
What helped me: Practicing this technique during simple movements, like standing up from a chair or lifting a laundry basket, before applying it to more challenging exercises.
3. Proper Core Engagement Is About Coordination, Not Just Strength
Another big lesson was learning how to engage and brace my core properly without relying on other muscles to compensate.
Before my prolapse diagnosis, I thought of core strength mostly in terms of abdominal exercises like planks and crunches. But now I know that core function is much more complex.
Your core includes your diaphragm, abdominal muscles, back muscles, and pelvic floor. These muscles work together to create stability and support movement. And having strong abdominal muscles doesn't automatically mean you're coordinating them well.
I had to become more aware of whether I was creating the right amount of abdominal tension for a movement or simply gripping and bracing as hard as I could.
Sometimes I was holding my breath. Other times, I was using muscles that didn't need to work quite so hard.
The goal wasn't to keep my stomach tight all day. It was to learn how to engage my core when needed, manage pressure, and allow my muscles to relax afterward.
What helped me: Focusing on quality of movement rather than rushing through exercises or lifting heavier weights before I was ready. I also learned that more tension isn't always better. Your pelvic floor needs to be able to contract and relax.
4. Strengthening My Glutes Was Surprisingly Important
One of the most interesting things I learned was how connected the pelvic floor is to the rest of the body. Before prolapse, I had never really thought about my glutes being part of my pelvic health.
Your glutes help control movement at your hips and pelvis. When these muscles aren't doing their share of the work, other areas of the body may compensate.
While glute exercises don't directly treat pelvic organ prolapse, strengthening these muscles can support better movement mechanics during activities like walking, lifting, and squatting.
For me, this meant making glute strengthening a consistent part of my routine.
Some examples of exercises that may be included in a strength program are:
- Glute bridges
- Squats
- Lunges
- Step-ups
- Hip hinges and deadlift variations
Not every exercise is appropriate for every person or stage of prolapse, so it's important to find a starting point that works for your body.
What helped me: Understanding that supporting my pelvic floor wasn't just about working on my pelvic floor muscles. It meant strengthening the surrounding muscles and learning how they work together.
That shift in perspective changed how I approached my workouts.
5. Full-Body Strength Training Became a Priority
After my prolapse diagnosis, I was understandably nervous about exercise. I didn't want to make my symptoms worse, but I also didn't want to give up being active.
With guidance from my pelvic floor physical therapist, I gradually incorporated more strength training into my routine. And not just pelvic floor exercises or core work.
I focused on strengthening my entire body.
Think about lifting a toddler into a car seat. You're using your legs, glutes, back, arms, and core. Or carrying a heavy bag of groceries. Your whole body is involved. Building strength throughout my body helped me feel more capable of handling those everyday demands.
My workouts included exercises targeting my:
- Lower body, including glutes, hips, and legs
- Upper body, including back, shoulders, and arms
- Core and trunk stability
- Overall balance and coordination
What mattered most wasn't how much weight I could lift. It was being consistent and gradually progressing in a way that worked for my body.
I also learned to pay attention to symptoms. If a workout caused increased heaviness or pressure, that was information I could use to adjust the movement or discuss it with my physical therapist.
Progress Takes Time
One thing I want to emphasize is that pelvic floor recovery can be a long process. In my own journey, I experienced varying levels of prolapse symptoms until around 15 months postpartum.
By that point, I had developed a consistent strength training routine, my daughter had weaned from breastfeeding, and my body had simply had more time to recover.
It's difficult to know exactly how much each factor contributed to the improvement in my symptoms, but I do know that building strength and giving myself time were important parts of my experience.
What helped me: Shifting my focus away from trying to get back to my pre-baby body and toward building a body that felt strong, functional, and capable.
6. Hydration and Nutrition Deserved More Attention
The final lesson wasn't about a particular exercise or movement technique. It was about making hydration and nutrition a bigger priority.
When I started putting more effort into strength training and pelvic floor health, I realized that what I did outside my workouts mattered, too. I couldn't expect my body to feel its best if I wasn't supporting it with adequate nutrition, hydration, and recovery.
One particularly important connection is bowel health.
Constipation and repeated straining during bowel movements can increase downward pressure on the pelvic floor. Staying hydrated and eating enough fiber can help support regular, comfortable bowel movements.
Nutrition also supports muscle recovery, especially when you're strength training regularly.
I started thinking more intentionally about:
- Drinking water consistently throughout the day
- Including fiber-rich foods to support digestion
- Eating enough protein to support muscle recovery
- Fueling my body for workouts and daily activities
None of these things are a quick fix for prolapse. But together, they helped me build a more sustainable approach to taking care of myself.
What helped me: Recognizing that pelvic floor recovery wasn't limited to physical therapy appointments or workouts. It was also about the small decisions I made throughout the day.
What I Wish I Had Known Before My Prolapse Diagnosis
Looking back, one of the things that surprises me most is how little I knew about how my body worked before experiencing prolapse.
I didn't understand the importance of breathing coordination during movement. I didn't think about managing pressure or whether I was bearing down during exercise. And I didn't fully appreciate how connected my glutes, core, and pelvic floor were.
These are things I took for granted because I had never been given a reason to think about them.
I wish more women had access to this information before experiencing pelvic floor symptoms. We spend so much time preparing for pregnancy, labor, and delivery, but there's often much less education about what happens to our bodies afterward.
Pelvic floor education shouldn't only begin after someone experiences a problem.
Understanding how your body works, how to move effectively, and when to ask for help is valuable at every stage of life.
The Biggest Lesson: It's About Working With Your Body
If I could sum up everything I've learned throughout my pelvic floor journey, it would be this:
Your pelvic floor doesn't work in isolation, and neither should your approach to supporting it.
Breathing, core coordination, glute strength, full-body movement, hydration, and nutrition all contribute to your overall health and function.
And progress doesn't happen overnight.
There were plenty of times I remember feeling frustrated or discouraged. I wondered whether I would ever feel comfortable in my body again or be able to do the things I enjoyed without constantly thinking about prolapse.
But over time, I learned to work with my body rather than against it.
That doesn't mean I do everything perfectly now. I still forget to exhale during challenging exercises or need to remind myself to slow down and focus on my form. The difference is that I have more knowledge and tools to support myself.
And I hope sharing these lessons helps other women feel more informed and confident in their own pelvic health journeys.
More Ways to Feel Supported
If you're navigating pelvic organ prolapse or postpartum recovery, know that there are resources available to help.
- Explore additional support: Learn how Hem Support Wear's pelvic floor support underwear may help manage feelings of heaviness and pressure during everyday activities.
- Work with a pelvic floor physical therapist: A personalized plan can help you better understand your body and build strength with confidence. Our pelvic health directory contains a list of pelvic floor PTs and other pelvic health resources to help you find the support and care you need.
- Keep learning: Explore more pelvic health articles and resources for practical information and support.
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Join our community: You don't have to navigate your pelvic health journey alone! Join our email community to get practical pelvic health tips, helpful resources, personal stories, and encouragement delivered straight to your inbox. We're here to help you feel informed, empowered, and supported every step of the way.
You deserve support, helpful information, and the opportunity to keep doing the things you love.
About the Hem Support Wear Team
Meet Cristin, Lauren, and Alexa: a small, mission-driven team passionate about helping women feel supported, seen, and strong—especially when it comes to pelvic health. Hem Support Wear was founded by Lauren Fleming, whose personal journey with prolapse sparked a mission to make healing feel less lonely and a whole lot more empowering.
**Medical Disclaimer: This post is intended to provide information and resources only. This post or any of the information contained within should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis, treatment, or advice. Always seek the guidance of your qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your healthcare, conditions, and recommended treatment.
