Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is this for women and men? 

Yes absolutely! Both men and women have pelvic floors and core muscles and can experience issues with both. Although some pelvic floor issues such as vaginal prolapse or erectile dysfunction are sex specific, others can and do occur in anyone - incontinence, diastasis recti, pelvic pain and back pain for instance.  

2. Is this for postpartum women?

Yes, whether you have recently had a baby or you are 10 or 20 years postpartum, this coaching is ideal for you.

I generally suggest waiting till you are at least three months postpartum - there are profound physiologsical changes that occur in those first few weeks and that, combined with having about 3 minutes of free-time a day, mean coaching would not make sense for you until you body and your baby have settled a bit.  Please reach out to me if you are in this stage though and we can have a chat.  

3. Is this program for menopausal women?

Again a big yes! The (peri)menopausal transition is often a time that women first experience pelvic floor issues and the coaching is designed with you in mind. Much of what we will do is supportive for the bone and joint changes that occur during this life phase as well. 

4. Is this program for amateur athletes or sports enthusiasts ?

Yes. The athletic and sporting population is very much affected by pelvic floor issues and these might be limiting your participation in your favourite activities. This coaching can very help you with your symptoms and hopefully the return to your sporting activities. As this coaching is rehabilitative I recommend stopping or modifying any high-impact activities that are causing you symptoms while you work to increase your capacity in a safe way. 

5. Is this coaching for pregnant women?

This coaching is not designed for pregnant women. The movements I teach are generally safe and adaptable to pregnancy but I believe you would be better served with a pregnancy-specific program. If you would like a recommendation please contact me and I can send you there. 

6. Do I need to be medically cleared for exercise? 

You are responsible for ensuring that you have sufficient capability for general exercise. It is particularly important that you speak to your doctor if you have any health condition that means exercise might be contraindicated or if you have particularly severe symptoms or birth-related injury.  If you are newly postpartum (< 6 months) you must have had your post-birth check and release. 

7. What time commitment do I need to make this effective?

In addition to the private sessions, I recommend practicing at least 5 times a week for at least 30-60 minutes a day plus daily walking. You do not need to carve out that time all in one go - doing shorter practices spread throughout the day are very effective. This might sound a lot but in my experience those that commit to a regular and long-term practice make sustainable and long-term improvement. There is a three-month minimum commitment to the 1-2-1 coaching program so I suggest choosing a period of the year when you know you have time to implement our work together.

8. Do we do any pelvic floor specific exercises? 

Most of the movements we will do together are not pelvic floor specific. We work on hip, leg, shoulder, core, spine and whole body movements all of which move the pelvic floor indirectly making it more supple and strong. I believe you can make significant progress without doing any isolated exercises for the pelvic floor. However practicing control of the pelvic floor muscles can be helpful to bring awareness to that area and complement the other work you will be doing. I offer these exercises via recorded lessons so you can practice in private and choose whether to try them or not.

9. What equipment do I need?

The initial equipment you will need are a yoga mat, block, strap, half-foam roller, blanket and bolster. In many cases you can substitute some of these for things you have at home like a pillow, dressing gown belt and sturdy books.  As you progress we might also use elastic resistance bands and light weights. 

10. What technical equipment or knowledge do I need?

You need to be reasonably comfortable with technology particularly if you are a remote client.  If you are remote you will need to have a good camera set up for Zoom so I can see and hear you well. Everyone needs to be happy to use google drive which I use to store all your private homework and supporting material and you need a reasonable internet connection to watch online classes via my website.  

11. Do you guarantee results? 

The answer is no, it would be unethical for me to do so! Complete resolution of your symptoms might not be possible with movement coaching alone, especially if there is significant tissue damage from a birth injury for example or there are other underlying medical issues. We can never be exactly how we were before having a baby and ageing is an inevitability for us all, but I do believe that everyone can improve with movement coaching.  

If there is anything else you would like to know please get in touch with me and I will be happy to answer any further questions you might have.