Menopause and the Pelvic Floor

Experient with different sets and rep ranges

Some pelvic floor symptoms can get worse with increased volume (sets x reps) because it increases the time under tension and, thus, fatigue.

You may find that simply by reducing the number of sets or decreasing the number of reps per set, she’s less fatigued and has fewer symptoms.

Try a different breathing strategy

There are many breathing strategies that may work to reduce symptoms, depending on the exercise, load, position, and even the day.

• Inhaling on the easy part of the movement, and exhaling on exertion (e.g., inhaling as you descend into a squat, and exhaling as you stands up).
• Inhaling on the easy part of the movement, partially exhaling on exertion, and then applying a light breath-hold (e.g., inhaling as you descend into a squat, partially exhaling as you start to stand up, holding your breath lightly through the next portion of the movement, and then fully exhaling once you are at the top).
• Exhaling on the easy part of the movement, and inhaling on exertion (e.g., exhaling as she descends into a squat, and inhaling as she stands up). You could also have her breathe normally without thinking about it too much and see what happens.

Decrease the weight or range

For women struggling with pelvic floor dysfunction, lifting heavy loads can create too much pressure through the abdominal wall and pelvic floor.

• This can aggravate symptoms like incontinence and dragging in the pelvic floor. You will be able to better manage the intra-abdominal pressure when you swap to a lighter weight.
• Working in a smaller range of motion may allow yourself to have more control over the movement and your body. This may help you maintain a manageable level of intra-abdominal pressure and avoid pushing into depths or positions that trigger symptoms, like incontinence.

How to Modify a 16kg Goblet Squat* to Reduce Pelvic Floor Symptoms.

How to Modify a 16kg Goblet Squat to Reduce Pelvic Floor Symptoms. (Assuming it’s performed for 4 sets of 10 reps with 90 seconds of rest between set

• Decrease the weight: Decrease the weight from 16kg to 12kg.
• Experiment with different set and rep ranges by reducing the volume to 2–3 sets of 10 reps or 4 sets of 6–8 reps (instead of 4 sets of 10 reps).
• Try a different breathing strategy - Try inhaling as you descends into the squat and exhaling as you stand up.
• Decrease the range of motion - stop the squat descent at parallel or a little above, rather than descending below parallel.
• Feel safer - Try squatting to a box to reduce any concerns about balance or falling backward.
• Change the position of the load - Experiment with having the kettlebell lower toward the ground or swapping the large kettlebell for two smaller 8 kg kettlebells instead.
• Make sure you are not creating excessive intraabdominal pressure - draw up through her pelvic floor during your squat ascent. (think about pulling your hip bones together.)
• Try different exercise techniques - Try adjusting your stance so that your feet are a bit wider apart and your toes are turned slightly outward. (If that doesn’t work, you can experiment with other techniques and positions until you find something that does.)