How to get back into jumping and impact without symptoms.
There’s a lot of noise out there about pelvic organ prolapse, specifically when it comes to exercise with POP. There are so many rules and so much fear-mongering about how to move in your body after a pelvic organ prolapse diagnosis. One of my missions is to cut through all of that noise to give you the real deal information on things like POP, diastasis recti, and exercise before and after baby. Because there really isn’t a one size fits all list of do’s and do not do’s that will work for every single body and the “rules” can be overwhelming and defeating at times.
So let’s tackle a common “rule” of exercise with pelvic organ prolapse- jumping exercises. Because of the impact on the pelvic floor as you land, any exercise or activity that requires jumping has been put on the no no list for those diagnosed with POP.
What if I told you that getting back into jumping exercises with pelvic organ prolapse is possible? If getting back to higher impact activities like HIIT and more cardio-based exercises, hell even just jumping on the trampoline with your kids, is your goal, a return to those things after a POP diagnosis can be possible with the right approach.
In this blog I’m going to break down how to jump back in to jumping with POP. (Pun totally intended)
Lay the foundation
The first step to returning to impact with prolapse is to lay the foundation. This means starting with core and pelvic floor recovery exercises, continuing them if need be, and layering in strength training exercises that focus on helping you build a strong base. This will not only strengthen the muscles required for jumping and impact activities so they are more coordinated and able to sustain more impact, it will also help you test out strategies to reduce symptoms if they arise and ultimately become more connected with your body.
Building a strong foundation is an important first step in getting back to any activity, but particularly when we’re talking about load, impact, and intensity.
Slow and Steady Wins the Race
This can be a hard one, especially for driven individuals who just want to challenge themselves. However, working back to jumping exercises with prolapse is much like the tortoise and the hare- taking it slow will get you where you want to go faster than if you try to rush it and end up having to pull back several times. Here’s how I may help a client return back to jumping exercises:
Build the foundation
Increase load and challenge
Start with a few reps of an unweighted jumping exercise (let’s say jump squats) with 15-20 seconds in between reps to reset the pelvic floor and monitor any symptoms
Decrease time between reps, keeping period of work short and period of rest between work long (15 seconds on, 30 seconds-1 minute off)
Add in more challenge such as increased work time, varied jumping positions or exercises, and greater volume in a workout (maybe in the first workout you did 2-5 jump squats and as those start to feel less scary you move to 2 rounds of 30 seconds of jump squats in a workout and then eventually to an all cardio-based workout, if desired)
This could take a matter of weeks or even months, but taking it slow ensures you’re able to watch for symptoms and dial back if necessary. Which brings me right to my final point…
Watch for symptoms and reassess if need be
Keeping tabs on your symptoms is probably something you’re already very familiar with and when it comes to monitoring symptoms from an exercise standpoint, I give my clients these guidelines to watch for:
Take note of your symptoms before a workout. If you’re already experiencing an increase due to stress, lack of sleep, or hormones, keep the workout low intensity and don’t add in anything new. This may mean going back to core and floor recovery and early foundational movements, which may feel like a step backwards but it isn’t forever, just for now.
Monitor symptoms halfway through a workout or after each set. If you notice an increase in discomfort or symptoms, dial back the intensity and modify the exercises- either with lower weight/impact or modified movement completely. When beginning to layer in more demanding movements, it could be monitoring on a rep to rep or every few reps basis and that is completely fine as long as you aren’t overthinking or becoming very stressed out about it.
Note how you feel after your workout and throughout the rest of the day. If you notice an increase in symptoms, dial back the intensity for the next workout. Find your happy place, stay there for a workout or two, then push the envelope a bit again. Test. Retest.
If you do notice an increase in symptoms it likely doesn’t mean there’s a five alarm fire and you’ve ruined your body, it is just a sign that your body needs a little bit less at this time. Not forever, just for now. When it comes to adding things like jumping in after a POP diagnosis there may be a lot of testing, pulling back, inching forward, and finding your confidence in your body.