Seed cycling is a natural approach to supporting hormone balance and menstrual health. This practice involves consuming specific seeds at specific times during a woman’s menstrual cycle to help balance estrogen and progesterone levels.

The History of Seed Cycling

The history of seed cycling is poorly documented, and it is unclear who created the practice. However, it is believed to have originated from traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, which have long recognised the importance of using food as medicine to support overall health.

The concept of seed cycling specifically emerged in the early 2000s as part of the growing movement towards natural and holistic approaches to healthcare. While no one person or organisation is credited with creating seed cycling, it has gained popularity in recent years as more people look for natural ways to support their health.

Today, naturopathic doctors, functional medicine practitioners, and other holistic health experts often recommend seed cycling as a natural approach to supporting hormone balance and menstrual health. While there is limited scientific research on the topic, many women report improvements in their menstrual symptoms and overall well-being after incorporating seed cycling into their diet.

What is Seed Cycling and How Does it Work?

The protocol for seed cycling typically involves consuming a tablespoon of each type of seed daily during the first half of the menstrual cycle, which is from day one of the periods until ovulation. This is known as the follicular phase. During the second half of the cycle, from ovulation until the next period, the protocol involves consuming a tablespoon of pumpkin and sesame seeds daily. This is known as the luteal phase.

The Four Types of Seeds Used in Seed Cycling

The four types of seeds used in seed cycling are flax, pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower. These seeds are high in nutrients such as lignans, zinc, and vitamin E, which have been shown to support hormone metabolism.

Flax seeds – are a rich source of lignans, and phytoestrogens that help regulate oestrogen levels in the body. Studies have shown that consuming flax seeds may help reduce the risk of breast cancer and alleviate symptoms of PMS and menopause.

Want to learn more about phytoestrogens – click here

Pumpkin seeds – are an excellent zinc source, an essential mineral for hormone balance. Zinc helps the body produce and regulate hormones, and a zinc deficiency can lead to hormonal imbalances and menstrual irregularities.

Sesame seeds – contain lignans and a high vitamin E content, which has been shown to help reduce menstrual pain and regulate the menstrual cycle.

Sunflower seeds – are a good source of selenium, another mineral that plays a role in hormone balance. In addition, selenium helps regulate thyroid function, which can affect hormone levels in the body.

Want a delicious muffin recipe perfect for the Follicular phase of your cycle – click here

How Seed Cycling Can Help Alleviate Menstrual Symptoms and Support Overall Health

The benefits of seed cycling are still being researched. Still, many women report improvements in menstrual symptoms such as cramping, bloating, and mood swings. Seed cycling may also be helpful for women with irregular periods, PCOS, or other hormonal imbalances.

Important Considerations Before Trying Seed Cycling

It is important to note that seed cycling is not a replacement for medical treatment or advice from a healthcare provider. For example, suppose you are experiencing severe menstrual symptoms or are concerned about hormone levels. In that case, it is essential to seek medical attention.

Additionally, while seed cycling is generally considered safe, some people may be allergic to certain seeds or experience digestive discomfort when consuming large amounts. Therefore, starting with a small amount of seeds and monitoring your body’s response is essential.

Seed cycling is a natural approach to supporting hormone balance and menstrual health. By incorporating specific seeds into your diet at specific times during your menstrual cycle, you can alleviate symptoms and support overall hormone metabolism.

Incorporating Seed Cycling into Your Health Routine

Seed cycling is a natural and effective way to support hormone balance and menstrual health, and it’s a topic that every fitness professional should be knowledgeable about. By understanding the menstrual cycle and the benefits of seed cycling, fitness professionals can better help themselves and their clients achieve optimal health and fitness goals.

If you want to learn more ways to work with your menstrual cycle – check out EVEolution™ Lite – an online course that covers this and much much more!

If you’re a Fitness Professional this course will help you with exercise programming for you or your client. Click here

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I was pregnant more than 2 decades ago. Yes, I know. I am showing my age. But for both my pregnancies, the only exercise I did was walking. I was still a teacher, and changing my career to becoming a fitness professional was yet to come. Now lots of things have changed in the world since then. Including a lot more research on why exercise during pregnancy is so good for mum and bub.

But what hasn’t changed is the anxiety that all mums will have around making sure that the exercise that they are doing will not harm their unborn child.

For women who have experienced miscarriage or stillbirth, there may be a heightened sense of anxiety around exercise safety during pregnancy. They may worry that exercise could increase their risk of miscarriage or stillbirth or feel guilty for engaging in physical activity after experiencing a loss.

For other women, exercise provides a sense of normalcy and stress relief during a difficult time.

Here are three tips to help ease that anxiety and help your clients feel more comfortable and confident during their workouts.

1. Listen to your client’s concerns

The first step in helping a pregnant client feel more comfortable with exercise is to listen to their concerns. For example, many women worry that exercising during pregnancy could harm their baby or cause complications. They may also be concerned about their safety, significantly as their bodies change and their balance becomes less stable.

As a fitness professional, taking these concerns seriously and addressing them thoughtfully and reassuringly is essential. Ensure your client knows that you understand their fears and are there to support them in safely and effectively achieving their fitness goals. Be open to their questions and concerns and take the time to explain the benefits of exercise during pregnancy, such as improved cardiovascular health, reduced risk of gestational diabetes and high blood pressure, and potentially easier labour and delivery.

2. Customise their workout routine with a clear purpose for each exercise

Every pregnant woman is unique, and their fitness needs and goals may vary depending on their health status, fitness level, and stage of pregnancy. As a fitness professional, it’s essential to customise your client’s workout routine to their individual needs and preferences. However, it’s equally important that every exercise prescribed has s clear purpose that aligns with your client’s goals and needs.

For example, upper body exercises that build arm and back strength are ideal for helping them hold and carry their baby for long periods. Breathing exercises can help reduce stress and anxiety, while stretches can help alleviate back pain or sciatica. Pelvic floor exercises (both strengthening and relaxing) can help prepare the body for labour and delivery. They can also help prevent urinary incontinence and other pelvic floor disorders.

By prescribing exercises with a clear purpose, you can help your client understand the benefits of each exercise and feel more motivated to continue with their workout routine. Additionally, this approach can help prevent injury and ensure your client is progressing towards their fitness goals.

In summary, customising a workout routine for pregnant clients requires thoughtful consideration of their needs and preferences. By prescribing exercises that serve a clear purpose, you can help your client achieve their fitness goals and enjoy a healthy pregnancy.

3. Ensure you have the proper qualifications and communicate this to your client.

When working with pregnant clients, you must have the proper qualifications and training to ensure their safety and well-being. In addition, as a fitness professional, you should have a solid understanding of the physiological changes that occur during pregnancy and the specific exercise needs and limitations of pregnant women.

Ensure you have completed a specialised certification or course in prenatal fitness. Keep your knowledge and skills up-to-date through continuing education and ongoing professional development.

Communicating your qualifications and expertise to your pregnant clients is also essential. Let them know that you have the knowledge and experience necessary to create a safe and effective workout routine tailored to their needs and preferences. This can help build trust and confidence and can go a long way in easing any anxiety they may have about exercising during pregnancy.

By ensuring you have the proper qualifications and communicating this to your clients, you can help ensure a safe and effective workout routine that promotes a healthy and happy pregnancy for you and your clients.

Suppose you still need to complete pregnancy-related qualifications or completed some years ago. In that case, it might be time to revisit this.

Click here to access my Level 1 Training for pregnant and postnatal women at $97AU. This course gives you 1 CEC and the confidence to work with pregnant women.

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If you are a personal trainer, training pregnant clients can be both rewarding and challenging. Knowing the right questions to ask is key in ensuring the safety and effectiveness of your sessions. Here are three essential questions that all trainers should consider when training pregnant clients:

3 critical questions to ask before training expecting mothers:

1. What is your level of exercise pre-pregnancy?

For safety purposes, personal trainers must understand pre-pregnancy exercise levels before creating an individualised care plan. This information allows the trainer to understand better the client’s current body composition and fitness levels to tailor advice on how much activity is suitable for each stage of the pregnancy process. Without this data, there may be a greater risk of injury or straining due to overtraining or inadequate recovery periods.

It is also quite possible that pregnancy motivates women who have previously been inactive to start a fitness program. And although pregnancy is not the time to set PBs, it can be the time to put great exercise routines into place.

This question will help you design an appropriate program. An experienced athlete will have different abilities from a novice. This applies to when your client is pregnant as well.

2. Have you had previous pregnancies? (Don’t shy away from miscarriage or stillbirth)

Although each pregnancy is individual, previous pregnancies can inform Personal Trainers about energy levels, morning sickness and how their body responds to the changing hormones. For example, many women who experience laxity in their pelvic joints or pubis symphysis diastasis often experience it again with each subsequent pregnancy. This condition has enormous implications on how women move, sleep and feel pain.

Every day in Australia, 6 babies are stillborn and 2 die within 28 days of birth (neonatal death), and 1 in 5 pregnancies will end in miscarriage before 20 weeks**. So it is reasonable to expect your client to come to you with this experience.

For those who have experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth, their physical and emotional well-being is impacted by the lack of conversation around these topics.

Fitness professionals must be well-equipped to provide appropriate support for individuals with a history of pregnancy loss. Open conversations about these issues can help create positive psychological effects, allowing clients to manage their emotions better and tackle any anxieties related to new pregnancies. Additionally, this could reduce the stigma associated with miscarriage or stillbirth, as many people feel uncomfortable discussing these experiences openly.

If your client shares her stillbirth or miscarriage experience with you – make sure you listen thoroughly. Your response should be, I am sorry for your loss. And how does this make you feel about this pregnancy?

This is not the time to jump in with your own experience or that of another client. However, being comfortable with pausing can invite your client to share more.

This is called holding space.

3. What are your biggest fears around exercise and your pregnancy?

Under the romance and flowers of pregnancy, for most women, lies fear. Fear of losing the baby, fear of having the baby, fear of losing their current fitness levels, and fears of not being healthy enough to best support the life of their baby. And a big one is fear that the exercise they do with you will harm their baby or jeopardise the pregnancy. There are still myths kicking around that mothers must rest as much as possible to support their babies.

The research shows precisely the opposite. On the contrary, exercise improves the well-being of the unborn child. It has many benefits for the mother as well.

But understanding their fears can help you better explain why you are giving them specific exercises and programs.

Are your qualifications up to date?

My final note about training pregnant clients is that the qualifications you undertook to become a fitness professional do not adequately equip you to work with pregnant women. Completing education specifically around pregnancy, will go a long way to alleviate your client’s fears.

If you have a pregnant client come to you – it is time for you to upskill.

And if you completed your education years ago – it is time to upskill.

*New Course Alert*

In partnership with FITM I will be running 2 live (delivered by ZOOM) Masterclasses (2 hours on Saturday 11th and Saturday 18th of March 2-23) – You will also receive some online training that you will have access to FOR LIFE that supports this live training.

Come and join me! Sign up here

Online pregnancy training options:

If you are looking for a fully online course – this Pregnancy and Postnatal Training for PTs Level 1 only takes 2 hours and is under $100AU!

Both online options have professional development points for PTs in Australia, New Zealand, the USA and Canada! (see below).

Click on the image for more details!

Or if you want to level up – here is a much more comprehensive course – which includes information from Level 1 and way more!

*Statistic from AIHW.gov.au, 2020

** Statistic sourced from Pink Elephants

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Menopause, and particularly perimenopause, is a confusing time. There are many more symptoms of the menopause transition that don’t get the same attention as hot flushes/flashes. And when women juggle work, home and caring responsibilities simultaneously as menopause, their symptoms can often be overlooked. So it can be difficult to work out exactly when you are in the perimenopause phase of your life.

This blog aims to give you guidance on how to work out if you are in perimenopause.

Just a word about the word women. Not all women have ovaries. And not all people with ovaries identify as women. However, everyone who has ovaries will experience menopause. You may notice that I interchange the word woman/women with “person” to be more inclusive.

Words matter.

Menopause is the book end to our reproductive years and is the term that you can use when you are exactly 1 year free of your periods. Perimenopause is the time (7 – 10 years before this).

I invite you to think about perimenopause as you think about puberty. I think it is fair to say puberty was a probably a few decades ago for you now. But as you continue to read, you will remember more about this time.

Puberty – the hokey pokey dance of entering adulthood

Your transition from childhood to adulthood – puberty – did not happen overnight. You might have experienced physical symptoms first, e.g., a quick breast or hip growth or the start of your menstrual cycle. For me, it was like I woke up and my hips had turned into rudders that stuck out from my body and banged on things, as I acclimatised to my changed shape.

Or perhaps what you noticed first was emotional changes. Where you were once happy to go with the flow; your parents or even some of your friends became annoying, or it seemed they didn’t understand you. Life turned from black and white to many shades of grey, and you started questioning where you fit into it all. Or if you fit at all.

Puberty is also the time when we become interested in sex and can experience our first sexual experiences, either with ourselves or with others.

Puberty is much like the hokey pokey dance. Some days you put your whole body into adulthood, and other days your whole body was out, as you reverted to childlike behaviours. On other days, parts of you were adult-like, and others weren’t. Finally, your whole self was in. And the realisation that adulting was a lot harder than it looked from the outside!

However, during this hokey pokey dance through puberty, you went to classes at your middle or high school, where a teacher carefully explained the changes you might experience – both physical and emotional. You might have been given books. Or had talks about the birds and the bees from your parents. You learned that all these changes resulted from changed hormones, which in effect, held your body to ransom and forced these changes upon you. Whether you wanted them or not.

The education you received (whether it was the base line of the state education system or to much more via people you trusted) during this time, supported your transition. It helped remove the fear and confusion.

Symptoms of Menopause

Unfortunately, unlike your transition through puberty, there are no classes that everyone takes to learn about the menopause transition. Our workplaces are not designed to support symptoms like hot flushes/flashes or changes in cognition. Not because they don’t care, but because there is not the same societal support as there is for the puberty transition.

There are 34 official symptoms of menopause. These can be roughly divided into five categories:

• Vasomotor – the region in the brain that regulates blood pressure and heart rate. E.g.: hot flushes, itchy skin, night sweats, headaches, irregular heartbeat and even changes in body odour
• Vaginal – dryness, vulvovaginal atrophy (which can affect prolapse and continence) and decreased libido
• Muscular and skeletal – joint pain, muscle tension and aches, stress incontinence and osteoporosis
• Insomnia and sleep disturbances – which can impact on weight gain
• Mood – including difficulty concentrating, fatigue, memory lapses, dizzy spells, irritability, depression, anxiety and panic disorder

Thankfully, most people going through menopause do not experience all these symptoms.

What will be my menopause experience?

The British Medical Journal stated in June 2022 that more than 75% of those experiencing menopause report symptoms and that over 25% describe their symptoms as severe.

In plain speak, around 1/3 of those transitioning through menopause will feel some changes but will not be subject to significant symptoms and will seem to sail through easily.

About 1/3 of people will experience some symptoms; although they are annoying, they will not affect their overall function.

And the last 1/3 of people transitioning through menopause will experience symptoms that will significantly impact on their ability to function.

It is the last third that are good candidates for Menopausal Hormonal Treatment (MHT).

Just a word about the word Menopause Hormonal Treatment (MHT). You may be more familiar with the term – Hormone Replacement Treatment (HRT). However, there is a move away from this term as your body does not need hormones to be replaced. Menopause is a natural process that reduces sex hormones, like oestrogen and progesterone, to stop reproduction abilities. 

HRT is a term from medicine that historically viewed menopause as a disease or a disorder rather than the natural ageing process. 

Words matter.

There is significant research regarding the genetic disposition of menopausal symptoms. This means that if you know how your mother, or if you are lucky, your grandmother experienced their menopause transition – this might be insightful to you.

However, we also must consider that your mother or grandmother probably could not talk openly about their experiences at the time. And culturally, an inclusive language around menopause had not evolved.

Please note that most studies have focused on hot flashes/ flashes as the primary symptom studied (ignoring the other 33). However, this research also concluded that white women were more susceptible to hot flushes/ flashes. This might also help explain why this is the symptom everyone is most familiar with.

Research from 2022 has concluded that women of colour reach menopause earlier and experience more intense symptoms compared with white women.

But how do I know when I am in perimenopause?

There are 3 ways to ascertain if you are in the perimenopause phase of your life.

• Do the maths. The average age of menopause – (when you are one year free of your periods) is 52. Perimenopause symptoms can start between 7 – 10 years before this. 52 – 10 equals 42.
• Ask your mum, aunts or older sisters. What age were they when they went through menopause? What were their symptoms?
• Make a note of any changes you are experiencing.

Testing hormones is not the answer.

Unfortunately, no accurate hormone testing kit can predict if you are Officially Perimenopausal. Your hormones will change during the transition, as the drop in oestrogen and progesterone is part of the natural way your reproductive system shuts up shop. However, these hormones can change from day to day and from hour to hour. Therefore, you would need to invest in trice – daily hormone tests over several months to draw a clear conclusion.

And if we return to our puberty memories, we did not do hormone testing to know that we were transitioning into adulthood. We knew that it happened for most people from around the age of 12 and took around 7 – 10 years to conclude. Our hokey pokey hormones took a while to settle down Along with our psychological acceptance of closing the door to our childhood.

A final word on menopause

Menopause is a natural and normal phase every person with ovaries undergoes. This transition for you may have few symptoms, or it may have debilitating symptoms. If your menopause symptoms make it difficult for you to work, live and enjoy your life. Then it is well worth seeing a menopause specialist and seeing if MHT is suitable for you. This is where your notes on the variety and severity of your symptoms will be handy. Alongside any genetic information, you can share.

The perimenopause years can also be framed as the gateway to the next third of your life. Your reproductive abilities may have finished, but your life is far from over. However, the decisions you make and behaviours you put into place health-wise during this time will significantly impact how you age.

If you want to learn more about menopause, I highly recommend these 2 masterclasses:

Kirstyn Campbell, a legend in the NZ fitness industry  had this to say about the Menopause Masterclass:

“I thoroughly enjoyed Mish’s menopause presentation. It was informative, educational, practical, creative, and darn right hilarious without losing the seriousness and importance of the topic being covered. Mish is such a pro with a world of experience and knowledge and gift of communication. I highly recommend doing this presentation if you work with women from their 30’s onwards – you’ll learn so much to add to your wheelhouse with your clients.”

As a flash sale we are doing a 2 for 1 deal on these 2 Masterclasses – get both Perimenopause – Training women age 37+ and Menopause in a BUNDLE for just $35! 

CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE TO GET THE COURSE OR CLICK HERE.

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It’s no secret that online education continues to be a growth industry. With the technological advances and the pandemic we’ve seen in recent years, it’s only natural that more and more people are opting for online courses over traditional classroom instruction. What does a quality online course bring to your business?

Here are the top 3 benefits an online course can bring to your business:

• Stop trading time for money. Packaging up your expertise means that you can sell again and again for the price of creating once. Having even just one small online course can add a revenue stream that delivers with compounding interest.
• Deliver at your best. It is very easy to get complacent when you are repeating information again and again. The information might be shiny and new to your clients. But when you have delivered it more times than you can count, it is hard to maintain the delivery with the same enthusiasm. The temptation to cut corners, or imagine that your clients already know your stuff, is very real. Recording your content when you are delivering it at your best – creates a lasting impression about your professionalism.
• Clients learn at their own pace. I started my fitness career working with mums, who usually had their little people with them. This meant that I was often competing for their attention. Plus clients who signed up to work out wanted to work out! Their expectation was a physical workout. But I needed them to know why I was training them the way in which I was. Allowing clients to learn at their own pace and in their own time is a win-win situation. It also enhances your face-to-face coaching.

But of course, to make anything look simple takes skill. And when creating an online course, it is very easy to get things wrong. Very wrong.

Here are the top 3 ways to achieve a terrible online course:

• Your course is an information brain dump. This is the commonest mistake I see. You imagine that everything you have is gold or will “value add”. People are time-poor. Your learners don’t want everything – they just want the quickest, most effective way to solve their problem. Your job is to take them by hand and guide them through all the noise to the destination of their problem solved.
• The learner is an empty cup. This is so common, I know that you have shared this experience. This is a presentation where the expert knows their stuff so much that they can hardly take a breath. Their PowerPoint is so full of words and graphs and information, that you don’t even know what to concentrate on. So swept up in the delivery of their information that they have overlooked one vital part of the relationship. The learner. The learner leaves not only feeling overwhelmed by the volume of information. But the overwhelm results in not even knowing where to start! Their cup is overflowing. The presenter has failed in the most important step. Giving their learner the next best step.
• Details matter. Do you remember the fly on Mike Pence’s head? That fly now has his own Twitter account. Did that fly help you remember what the Vice President of the United States was saying? Absolutely not! Because you were too distracted to listen! This is the same if your presentation does not look professional or your background is messy or busy. These details don’t cost anything but attention. Having uniform fonts, colours and layouts are soothing to the brain, which is constantly looking for differences. Having a background that is pleasing, yet nondescript stops internal conversations that the learner has with themselves in their distracted brain space.

I get it. You are a content expert in your field. And as a teacher, you may be communicating your expertise that is either the way that you learn, or you remember being taught. Which for many of us, extends to someone at the front of the class talking at us.

Or perhaps in the rush to communicate all your wisdom, you have not really given any thought to how people learn?  And to be fair, it is a science all to itself. Pedagogy or andragogy is the science of how children and adults learn. But you don’t need to do a degree at university to learn these skills. And it is important to remember, that relatively few people are natural teachers. Like relatively few people can pick up new languages, or instruments easily and quickly. But quality teaching is simply a collection of skills. Which means anyone can learn them.

Even with a background in education and a teaching career, I have made all the mistakes when making online courses. But over time, (I have 19 online courses under my belt – everything from 1-hour masterclasses to in-depth university courses) I have finessed the process of how to create an engaging online course into 5 essential steps.

And I have learned a truckload of hacks that save me oodles of time (and heartache). This means my courses get finished.

Because only published courses can make money.

My latest masterclass – Clever course content creation – 5 essential steps in creating an online course holds your hand and shows you exactly how to turn your expertise into a product that you can sell again and again. I am ridiculously excited to share all my goodness, to help you create and publish your own online course.

Oh, and I reckon you will enjoy the process too.

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The key reason that this cue is given by fitness professionals, yoga and Pilates teachers alike, is that they want you to activate your transverse abdominal muscles to create a support for the spine. These deep muscles lie underneath the major abdominal muscles and require a subtle activation. The transverse abdominal muscles are part of the core. The word “Core” is possibly simultaneously the most overused and misunderstood term known to women, and men. Fitness professionals and clients alike.

And quite frankly, “Pull your belly button to spine” is a term that I bloody loathe.

Current Education Bias

The term Pull your belly button to the spine is deeply rooted in everything that is currently wrong with exercise/movement/sport for women. All sport and exercise information and education is based on research almost always, carried out on men. And usually, young fit men to boot.

“Pull your belly button to spine” makes a huge assumption that there can be a one size fits all approach to activating your core. And this one size is male – based on research on male anatomy and male response to exercise.

This anatomy bias is being actively taught to fitness professionals

A few years ago, I was presenting at FitEx – the wonderful fitness conference based in Auckland, New Zealand. I love presenting here because the fitness professionals that attend this conference are very appreciative of the overseas presenter. And also, I get to see who is who in the zoo. When I am not presenting, I get to attend other people’s sessions and see what is the latest and greatest in the world of exercise. And as a teacher, I love learning.

There was one session, that I was very keen to attend. The male presenter was the international star of the conference, having been bought over from the US. He had recently published a book on his research on back pain and older adults. This is important stuff with back pain topping the list of chronic conditions in most western societies.

I was keen to learn and soak up all the goodness. However, what I heard horrified me. The key findings of his research findings were that getting your older client to activate their transverse abdominis before loading, allowed for more supported activity, which in turn would build the trunk muscular system. Using the intra-abdominal pressure inside the abdominal cavity to act as a buffer to support the lower back.

In laypersons speak:

Pulling your belly button to the spine before adding weights, movement or effort.  This will activate the deep core muscles to support the lower back. Supporting the lower back will allow for both more exercise and potentially avoid further injury to the lower back. Activating the deep abdominal muscles uses the intra-abdominal pressure as internal support for the lower back.

There is nothing wrong with this information.

But there is a difference in how this concept works for female bodies.

It has to do with anatomical differences and the impact of gravity.

Why pulling your belly button to the spine sucks for women (particularly older women).

There are very obvious and fundamental differences between the anatomy of a female body to that of a man.

The one that I want to focus on is the extra opening that we have at the base of the pelvis, that male bodies don’t have. The vaginal opening.

You can see quite clearly the sphincter muscle of the anus – the part that looks like a dry date and gives you the function of holding your farts. And the sphincter muscle of the urethra has a similar purpose of being able to control the flow of urine.

Although the vaginal opening technically has a sphincter muscle and contraction… it is not nearly as obvious, or as strong as the other 2. If you have a vagina, a urethra and anus – you will know this to be true.

Therefore the vaginal opening is a susceptible place for downward pressure. Thanks, Gravity. Hence why 2 out of 3 prolapses exit from this opening.

What we also know about pelvic organ prolapse, is that prolapse also disproportionally affects older women. Or to be more concise, women who have had children are now either going through menopause or are post-menopause.

Pulling your belly button to the spine puts downward pressure on the pelvic floor. The vaginal opening is the very weakest place to mitigate the constant intra-abdominal pressure. Pulling your belly button to the spine and then adding movement or weight, will further add pressure downward. For women who have a stage 2 or Stage 3 prolapse, this might be the difference between keeping their internal organs on the inside or having them rub against their knickers.

Standing up for research bias against women.

Let’s return to the story of being in a large conference for fitness professionals, where they are being taught the best and more current research on dealing with lower back pain in older adults.

I listened carefully and patiently waited for the researcher/presenter to acknowledge who made up his research. And for him to educate his eager learners, on the obvious sex differences and what this might mean for those older women who have a level of prolapse.  All I saw was an overpacked lecture with students studiously scribbling notes, nodding their heads at the information gleaned. Fitness professionals were undoubtedly already thinking about how they were going to be able to help a whole lot of their clients who experience back pain.

I could stand it no longer. I raised my hand and broke out in a cold sweat because I know what it is like to deliver a presentation and have your peers watching. Worse still, being challenged by them in a public forum.

So, it gave me no pleasure to ask:

“What about for women who have prolapse, knowing that pelvic organ prolapse is even more common for older women? Won’t this approach simply push their insides out, like a grape out of its skin?”

He barely skipped a beat and turned to the students and added – “Tell women to use their pelvic floor.”

A little too much information. A little too late.

Horrified I saw what one person with research bias, could do to the end-user. The client.

To you.

All of those fitness professionals were now armed with the latest research to apply practically and immediately to their clients. Believing they would be 100% helping them. And probably not be made aware that for more than 50% of their clients, this could become a very bad day at the gym.

And let’s face it, it takes a brave person to put their hand up and tell their fitness professional: “What you are asking me to do makes my pelvic organs pop out like a grape out of its skin”.

They are even more unlikely to describe to them the consequences:

• I am uncomfortable for the rest of the day.
• My prolapse makes walking difficult.
• I feel like my body is letting me down.
• I can’t do this.

What can women do instead?

Understanding your true core is fundamental. Spoiler alert: It includes the pelvic floor! It is far more effective to think of your core as being a cylinder that includes the diaphragm and pelvic floor, rather than as a belt of muscles just around your middle.

When you hear the cue “Pull your belly button to spine” or “Zip up a tight pair of jeans” or any other belt analogy, I want you to do this second. The first part is always to activate your pelvic floor – starting at your anus. Drawing everything closed and up. After the exercise, remember to allow it to relax as well.

Understanding how to do a pelvic floor contraction in isolation is key.

Understanding the difference between contracting your pelvic floor a little or a lot is vital.

Understanding how to do this all together with exercise can be a bit like rubbing your head and patting your tummy.

But with good understanding and body awareness, you can use that internal support.

And you can get a pelvic floor workout at the same time.

International Women’s Day – Breaking the bias.

The 2022 International Women’s Day theme is Breaking the bias.

I want you to break the bias on how research conducted in the sport and exercise world is not necessarily applicable to women.

EVEolution™ the revolution in women’s wellness is committed to breaking this bias.

In the very first module, you learn the fundamentals of what is your true core, how to do a great pelvic floor contraction… what a difference breathing and your posture have to your ability to work with (rather than against) your intra-abdominal pressure.

And keep you safe.

If you’re a fitness professional or any other service provider for women and want to become an EVEolution™ partner CLICK HERE.

If you’re interested in learning more about EVEolution™ CLICK HERE.

 

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You asked and we have delivered!

The most common feedback we have received from the short course Pregnancy + Postnatal Training for Personal Trainers is that YOU wanted more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You asked for a greater depth of information and more practical applications – ie: how you can implement the learning into your daily professional toolkit when working with women.

Pregnancy and Postnatal Training for Fitness Professionals Level 2 builds on the Level 1 course and expands out the what, and the how-to train pregnant women and to work with them effectively and safely post-pregnancy.

In the pregnancy modules, we have included pregnancy exercises and case studies on what kind of program to deliver depending on what trimester your client is in.

The postnatal module is everything you need to know to about the pelvic floor, what can go wrong with it and how to write safe and effective programs that can be individualised to your client’s needs.

This course will also give you a clear understanding of some of the other common conditions that you will most definitely come into contact with – endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), as well as how to work with women who have experienced hysterectomy, breast or ovarian cancer.

And of course, how to program effective and supportive exercise programs for each of these conditions.

Empathy Training

I also understand that pregnancy, postnatal, pelvic floor dysfunction and/or any of the common women’s health conditions that affect women might not be something that every Fitness Professional has personal experience of.

And let’s face it… it does not matter how good your exercise knowledge is… if you can’t ask the questions that need to be asked to design the programs that your clients need, Or if you can not empathetically engage with their answers… then your clients will walk with their feet.

Maya Angelou once said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

No matter what your background, Pregnancy and Postnatal Training for Personal Trainers Level 2 has a whole module dedicated to building the empathetic skills that will allow you to effectively communicate and KEEP your clients.

Do I do level 1? Or go straight to level 2 of this course?

Perhaps your biggest question you have is should I do Level 1, OR I have already completed level 1… do I need to do both courses?

Here is the thing about learning… we do it best when we have a base knowledge. Consider Level 1 of this course as the base knowledge – it is like a tree with strong roots growing into the ground. Level 2 is growing the trunk and limbs of the tree, going in all directions that give you a canopy of education for working with women in this phase of their life.

 And one more thing for you to consider.

Courses have a LOT of information – it is impossible to remember everything you have learned. If you completed Level 1 a year or more ago… then you owe it to yourself, your professionalism and your clients to Level up.  If you have already completed level 1, then the parts that are familiar will help grow you with all the new information.

This course has been created in partnership with Fitness Education Online and through them, you have lifetime access and will give you 6 CECs!

All this for an investment of $197.00

Interested to learn more? 

If you’re a fitness professional or any other service provider for women and want to become an EVEolution™ partner CLICK HERE.

If you’re interested in learning more about EVEolution™ CLICK HERE.

 

 

 

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