Show Notes
Have you stopped lifting weights, doing squats, or pushing yourself in workouts because you're scared of leaking, feeling heaviness, or making a prolapse worse? In this episode of Her Body, Her Story, Women's Health Physio Heidi unpacks why strength training is non negotiable for women from age 30 onwards, and how to train effectively without putting unnecessary load on your pelvic floor. This episode is for those who simply want to feel stronger, more capable and more confident in their body, as well as for those who are navigating leaking, heaviness, prolapse or pain and have quietly stopped strength training because of it. Heidi walks through what the research actually says about heavy lifting and pelvic floor symptoms, and gives three practical, clinician tested strategies so you can keep building strength instead of avoiding it. In this episode, we explore: • why women lose muscle mass and strength faster than they think from age 30 (sarcopenia explained)• the surprising stat on how many women stop exercising altogether because of pelvic floor symptoms• why strength training is one of the best things you can do for your bones, balance and metabolism heading into perimenopause and menopause• the WHO guidelines for exercise and strength training, broken down into practical numbers• what the research really says about heavy lifting and prolapse• the "Coca-Cola can" method for understanding pressure, breath and your pelvic floor during lifting• how to use your glutes and inner thighs to support a pelvic floor that won't switch on• why your pelvic floor needs progressive overload just like any other muscle Timestamps 00:00 Why Women Quit Exercise00:56 Strength Training Benefits01:10 Muscle Loss After 3004:32 Weekly Training Guidelines09:11 Pelvic Floor Barriers10:00 What Research Says12:21 Three Key Strategies12:24 Breathing And Pressure Control17:01 Train Glutes And Adductors19:08 Progressive Overload Safely21:26 Monitoring And POP-Q Checks Put this into practice If you're wanting to understand your body more deeply and apply this to your own training, recovery or injury prevention, you can explore: • Your Free Pelvic Floor Essentials Guide → HERE• Your Free Bladder Leaking and Core Weakness Guide → HERE• Read health blog posts or Work 1:1 with me → HERE Stay connected You can follow along for more conversations and education here:• Instagram• Facebook If you're wanting any future topics or questions unpacked, email me HERE titled "Podcast topic". I tailor these episodes to you. Subscribe & Share Follow the podcast and share it with a woman who has quietly stopped lifting, running or training because of her pelvic floor. Episodes drop fortnightly on Tuesdays. Disclaimer This podcast is for education only and does not replace personalised medical advice. Please consult your health professional for support specific to you.
More from Her Body Her Story
Heidi is joined by Dr Natasha Feingold, Women’s Health GP at Her Medical in Southport and co-founder of Pause with a Purpose Retreats. Natasha shares her story of losing her mother to ovarian cancer, living with the BRCA1 mutation and going through surgical menopause, and how it has shaped the way she cares for women today. This episode is for women wanting clear, evidence-based answers in midlife, as well as those navigating perimenopause, menopause, brain fog, or a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer.
Did you know that 60% of women who have a vaginal birth will have some degree of bladder descent, and most of them have no idea? In this episode of Her Body, Her Story, Women's Health Physio Heidi wraps up the leaking miniseries with part three: prolapse. Heidi breaks the taboo around prolapse, explaining what it actually is, why it's so common, and why having a prolapse does not mean adult nappies or giving up the things you love. This episode is for those who simply want to understand their pelvic anatomy more deeply, as well as for those who are navigating a prolapse diagnosis, leaking related to prolapse, or fear and uncertainty around what a prolapse actually means for their life. Heidi walks through the anatomy of prolapse, why so many women have it without any symptoms at all, how it can contribute to leaking, and the practical support options available, including pessaries and pelvic floor strengthening. In this episode, we explore: what a prolapse actually is, and the anatomy behind your bladder, uterus and bowels the common causes of prolapse, including pregnancy, obesity, chronic constipation and hypermobility the different grades of prolapse, and why grade one and two often come with no symptoms at all why 60% of women with a vaginal birth have some form of bladder descent, and why that statistic shouldn't scare you how prolapse can contribute to leaking through a flexible urethra, using the hose and trampoline analogy how a pessary works, and why Heidi describes it as "a bra for your vagina" the role of pelvic floor strength and lifestyle factors in managing a prolapse
Do you get a sudden rush to pee the moment you hear water, put your key in the door, or walk towards a toilet? In this episode of Her Body, Her Story, Women's Health Physio Heidi continues the leaking miniseries, this time unpacking overactive bladder and bladder urgency, a completely different type of leaking to the stress incontinence covered in part one. This episode is for those who simply want to understand their bladder more deeply, as well as for those who are navigating a sudden urge to pee, leaking on the way to the toilet, or common triggers like water, keys or arriving home that send them running. Heidi breaks down how the bladder actually works, why urgency isn't always a pelvic floor problem, and the everyday habits and drinks that could be training your bladder to become more sensitive. In this episode, we explore: how your bladder normally fills and signals you to go, using the balloon analogy why overactive bladder is often a bladder issue, not a pelvic floor issue common triggers like water, keys in the door, or arriving home how caffeine, artificial sweeteners and alcohol can increase bladder irritability why "just in case" peeing trains your bladder to feel urgency too early how skulling large amounts of water can trigger sudden urges, and how to check your hydration using urine colour how pelvic floor tension can also contribute to an overactive bladder
Do you leak when you cough, sneeze, laugh, run or exercise, and you've been told to "just do your kegels"? In this episode of Her Body, Her Story, Women's Health Physio Heidi kicks off a leaking miniseries, breaking down exactly why stress urinary incontinence happens and why doing kegels alone doesn't fix it for so many women. This episode is for those who simply want to understand their bladder and pelvic floor more deeply, as well as for those who are navigating leaking with coughing, sneezing, laughing, running or exercise and haven't been able to find an answer beyond "do your pelvic floor exercises." Heidi breaks down the five real reasons behind stress urinary incontinence, using simple analogies (a balloon, a bicep, a hose on a trampoline) so you can understand exactly what might be happening in your own body before jumping straight to kegels. In this episode, we explore: the stats on leaking that nobody talks about, including how few women actually ask for help how your bladder works like a balloon, and why increased pressure can lead to leaking why a weak pelvic floor is only one possible cause of leaking, not the only one how a pelvic floor that is too tight can actually become weak, using the bicep and handbag analogy why an uncoordinated pelvic floor can cause leaking even if it's strong enough how sphincter weakness and hormonal changes like menopause or breastfeeding affect leaking why a flexible urethra ("hose on a trampoline") means kegels alone won't stop the leaking Timestamps 00:00 Why Leaking Matters01:50 Stress Incontinence Basics04:00 Weak Pelvic Floor Myth04:39 Tight Yet Weak Muscles06:35 Timing And Coordination08:32 Sphincter And Hormones10:35 Urethral Hypermobility13:42 Supports Beyond Kegels14:23 Wrap Up And Part Two16:04 Final Notes Disclaimer Put this into practice If you're wanting to understand your body more deeply and apply this to your own training, recovery or injury prevention, you can explore: Your Free Bladder Leaking and Core Weakness Guide → HERE Read health blog posts or Work 1:1 with me → HERE Stay connected You can follow along for more conversations and education here: Instagram Facebook If you're wanting any future topics or questions unpacked, email me HERE titled "Podcast topic". I tailor these episodes to you. Subscribe & Share Follow the podcast and share it with a woman in your life who leaks when she coughs, sneezes, laughs or exercises, and hasn't found a real answer yet. Episodes drop every 3 weeks on Tuesdays. Disclaimer This podcast is for education only and does not replace personalised medical advice. Please consult your health professional for support specific to you.
Have you been told your test results are "normal," but you're still in pain? In this episode of Her Body, Her Story, Women's Health Physio Heidi is joined by Isabelle, wife, mother of three teenage boys, founder of Prayer and Grace, and a survivor of endometriosis and interstitial cystitis. Isabelle shares her long and deeply personal journey through years of unexplained pelvic and bladder pain after a chronic UTI, multiple surgeries and procedures, motherhood, faith, and what it actually took to feel at home in her body again. This episode is for those navigating pelvic pain, chronic UTI's, endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, painful sex or bladder symptoms that doctors haven't been able to explain. Heidi and Isabelle walk through why pain can persist even after the "damage" has been surgically removed, and the practical tools that helped Isabelle move from constant pain and fear to a pain-free, intimate and active life. In this episode, we explore: why Isabelle's test results kept coming back "normal" while her pain was very real the difference between endometriosis and interstitial cystitis, and how they can influence each other why pain can persist even after surgery, Botox and nerve blocks, explained through the "car alarm" analogy how stress, mental health and past experiences shape how much pain you feel tools for desensitising painful sex, including touch retraining and graduated dilators navigating painful sex, silence and shame within a Christian marriage and upbringing how food, stress and movement can flare interstitial cystitis, and how to manage flares without panic Timestamps 00:00 Guest Intro And Symptoms01:14 Procedures And Diagnosis02:56 First Flare During Move05:12 Endometriosis Surgery Relief09:59 Interstitial Cystitis Found14:18 Why Pain Persists21:36 Stress And Relationships24:48 Desensitizing Painful Sex28:59 Stress and Pelvic Tension30:09 Daily Homework for Healing30:39 Bladder Irritants and Food Triggers32:18 Managing Flares Without Panic33:12 Tools for Comfortable Intimacy35:57 Faith Culture and Sex Education41:44 Ask for Help and Keep Advocating44:58 Rebuilding Strength and Fitness45:15 Motherhood Business and Delegation48:54 Joy Practices and Final Flash Questions51:06 Closing Thanks and Transformation Connect with Isabelle Website → Prayer and Grace