Answer to Can I Exercise with a Prolapsed Uterus?

The other day someone asked me if there were safe exercises to do if you had uterine prolapse issues.  First, I had to look up what a uterine prolapse was.  Basically your womb (uterus) is surrounded by muscles and ligaments that hold it in place in your pelvis.  When the muscles weaken (typically after several vaginal childbirths or after menopause when estrogen levels reduce) the uterus sags a little into the vaginal cavity, causing discomfort.

According to the National Institute of Health obesity and chronic constipation can make it feel worse.  Symptoms include feeling like you are sitting on a ball, frequent urination, painful sex, and lower backaches among other things.  For a complete overview of the condition, symptoms and treatments noted at the NIH click: here.

Ouch!

So what’s a woman with a prolapsed uterus to do?  Talk to your doctor first and foremost to get a proper diagnosis.  If your doctor clears you for exercise it seems that kegels and low-impact exercises like biking, walking and dancing are the way to go, according to Livestrong.com.  (Check out the exercise suggestions:  here.)  If you’ve never done a kegel before the easiest way to figure out how to do it is to tighten your muscles while you are urinating so the flow stops.  The cool thing about kegels is that you can be sneaky and do them anytime, anywhere.

And if you are a man, thank you for reading my blog.

Careful!  Avoid heavy lifting as that can increase pressure in that area, making it feel worse.  (So can coughing, but I don’t know how you could stop that…)

Hope that answers your question!  If nothing else hope it gives you a good starting point for a discussion with your doctor.

Lisa

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