When I was cleared to exercise after having my baby, I worked out for a week and then threw my back out.
I spent the next several weeks babying my back (as much as you can with three kids, one of which was a nursing newborn) until I was cleared, yet again, to resume working out. I started working out and then, BAM. COVID-19 struck and shutdowns happened all over the place. And along with a new vocabulary (social-distancing, coronavirus, etc.) came an entirely new batch of anxieties and worrying about things we’ve never worried about before. That’s when I started to eat my feelings…and let me tell you, there was A LOT of feelings in that time period.
That’s why I told myself it was time to FINALLY take control of my health. I’ve had body image issues my entire life but they started getting worse during that time period. I realized that the reason I didn’t feel good about my body was because I didn’t feel good in my body. My lower back and shoulders ached almost constantly and I was still dealing with the dreaded “post-baby leakage” even though my baby was two!
It seemed as though every time I coughed, sneezed, laughed, ran, jumped on a trampoline, or someone snuck up behind me I had to excuse myself or make sure I crossed my legs! That’s when I found out about pelvic floor rehab.
I found a local physical therapy clinic that–praise be–has a female pelvic floor therapist. The past several weeks I’ve been seeing her and let me tell you, I can already tell a difference! While writing this post I sneezed (thanks, Oklahoma weather!) and everything was fine! It’s an incredibly freeing and confidence-boosting feeling to know that I can finally feel like my body is being put back together!
True, the “workouts” I do at physical therapy aren’t trimming my waistline or getting my body “summer ready” (will it ever be, though?) but they are helping me to just feel better in my own body! Its been the stepping stone I need to move on to bigger goals.
It’s amazing how empowering Kegels can be!