How The Right Exercise Can Help with Pelvic Floor Issues
The New Zealand Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs) is Supporting Continence Awareness Week in June.
Do you know how many people you know who are affected by continence issues?
Most people don’t, and those who do know probably didn’t talk about it much. It’s not a subject that is easily
discussed, causing embarrassment for sufferers.
If you believe the advertisements on TV would have you believe, that women should expect to have incontinence when they
laugh, cough or move fast. They tell you it is normal and should be managed by purchasing their product - why fix the
problem when there is a band aid solution.
It’s no wonder these products are so popular, with more than 1.1 million (25%) New Zealanders experiencing bladder or
bowel control problems at some point. In total, incontinence costs our country around $8.05 billion every year. This
accounts for $7,000 per person with incontinence per year in health, loss of productivity, and other costs.
If you have visions of people in retirement homes being the ones having bladder issues think again, as 46% of women will
at some point experience incontinence, with some having this issue as early as their teens, and many more after giving
birth. It’s not a problem that will just go away, even if you do exercise regularly and take care of yourself.
Exercise is such an important part of being healthy, but recent studies reported by Pelvic Floor First have revealed
that some exercise options can contribute to pelvic floor problems. While all exercise is great for your waistline and
your fitness levels, when it comes to looking after your pelvic floor muscles, not all exercise is created equal.
So how do you know you are making the right choices when it comes to pelvic floor friendly exercise? There is no
compulsory registration of people providing exercise advice in NZ, so some trainers and facilities could be offering
sessions involving exercises that will have a negative impact on continence, and some more extreme exercise options can
cause real damage.
Using a trainer that is registered with the NZ Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs) means you know they meet
industry recognised standards of education and knowledge. Pelvic floor education is important as women (and men) realise
that this is a problem that they do not have to put up with, or manage, and that with appropriate professional care they
can restore their pelvic floor strength. It’s understandably an embarrassing topic, so working with a registered
exercise professional you feel comfortable confiding in is important.
The NZ Register of Exercise Professionals understands that educational resources on issues such as these should be
available to everyone, so a handy ‘Tell Me More’ consumer information guide has been released on Core and Pelvic Floor
advice. This guide is available on request from your local REPs registered exercise professional from June onwards. Go
to www reps.org.nz to find a REPs Registered exercise facility or trainer in your area.
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