Ladies! Ab exercises with prolapse

clairerose11
clairerose11 Posts: 95 Member
edited December 17 in Fitness and Exercise
I have prolapses following the birth of my daughter last May. I know that I can't do traditional sit ups/crunches as it puts pressure on my pelvic floor...

I just wondered if anyone else is in a similar position to me and has some advice on what I can do to try and tone up this wobbly baby belly!

Cheers!

Replies

  • clairerose11
    clairerose11 Posts: 95 Member
    Really, no-one has suffered this after a baby and wants to know how to tone their tummy without doing anymore damage??
  • SmashleeWpg
    SmashleeWpg Posts: 567 Member
    I've not had a baby yet, so I can't help you there - but I did find this good article with exercises to do and not do after prolapse/hysterectomies ...

    http://www.pelvicexercises.com.au/abdominal-exercise-surgery/

    and this video demo:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op3Fuu1thxY

    :)
  • clairerose11
    clairerose11 Posts: 95 Member
    Thanks hun, will definitely check those out!
  • salxtai
    salxtai Posts: 341 Member
    Go see a women's health physio, or whoever specialises in dealing with those issues in your area - its better to get that sorted (yes, it about 90% of cases can, at the very least, be "improved") than to have to put up with it :smile:
  • clairerose11
    clairerose11 Posts: 95 Member
    I do see one, and with me surgery is my only option in the long run.. In the meantime I have a whole bunch of 'down there' exercises that I do, but struggling to find someone that knows about abs and core etc.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    In all honesty, you don't even have to do a sit up or a crunch to lose the stomach.

    Just eat a deficit, do cardio/strength training and when the fat wants to come off it will.

    I barely do ab work(only when my trainer makes me) and I've got a pretty flat stomach.
  • clairerose11
    clairerose11 Posts: 95 Member
    Have you had a baby though hun??
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    Have you had a baby though hun??

    No but the same principal applies to anyone.. Baby or not.

    You lose fat by eating at a deficit and doing cardio/strength... abs start in the kitchen as most say. Since you can't spot reduce fat, it's all you can do... and when it wants to come off it will come off.
  • BarbWhite09
    BarbWhite09 Posts: 1,128 Member
    Have you had a baby though hun??

    No but the same principal applies to anyone.. Baby or not.

    You lose fat by eating at a deficit and doing cardio/strength... abs start in the kitchen as most say. Since you can't spot reduce fat, it's all you can do... and when it wants to come off it will come off.

    ^ this.
  • MomOfJoey
    MomOfJoey Posts: 58
    Not necessarily the same exercises whether you have a baby or not... if you have a separation in your diastastis recti after having a baby, you should do exercises to strengthen your transverse abdominis as well as whatever else you are doing. I wish I had found this out sooner post partum. I discovered it when my son was 2, and only started actually doing something about it recently. I wish OBs told women about this! There are isometric exercises, not the traditional crunches and sit ups, that you can do, which I just started. If you don't fix and tone that muscle, you will have a belly pooch forever no matter what else you do.

    http://www.fithealthymoms.com/2011/04/15/how-to-test-for-diastasis-recti/
  • clairerose11
    clairerose11 Posts: 95 Member
    I say about whether you have had a baby as I had a bit of a belly before, but it's totally different now... really different.

    My stomach muscles came back together beautifully after her birth, the MW said it was due to me drinking gallons of Raspberry Leaf Tea lol

    Thanks for the link MomofJoey! x
  • mareed123
    mareed123 Posts: 85 Member
    Hiya, this might help you too?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASXhL0fO8og

    Its a video of core exercises made my a physiotherapist for women with prolapse :) Hope it helps!
  • mugsisme
    mugsisme Posts: 127 Member
    I've had 7, but I've never ripped or torn that muscle. I do have a friend who did with #3. She did those special sit ups you have to do where you cross your arms over your belly or something as you pull up? She was able to repair the tear. So even though I didn't go through it, I can tell you people do and fix it. Don't give up.
  • ishallnotwant
    ishallnotwant Posts: 1,210 Member
    In all honesty, you don't even have to do a sit up or a crunch to lose the stomach.

    Just eat a deficit, do cardio/strength training and when the fat wants to come off it will.

    I barely do ab work(only when my trainer makes me) and I've got a pretty flat stomach.

    I had 5 in 10 years, and the last 3 came within under 3 years of one another (35 month old, 22 month old, newborn.) The above poster's advice is spot on.
  • ishallnotwant
    ishallnotwant Posts: 1,210 Member
    I've had 7, but I've never ripped or torn that muscle. I do have a friend who did with #3. She did those special sit ups you have to do where you cross your arms over your belly or something as you pull up? She was able to repair the tear. So even though I didn't go through it, I can tell you people do and fix it. Don't give up.

    I may be mistaken, but I don't believe a prolapse is the same thing as diastasis.

    ETA: 2 COMPLETELY different things...
  • darrcn5
    darrcn5 Posts: 495 Member
    I am honestly not sure what a prolapse is, but what about plank type exercises? There are many variations you can do.
  • ishallnotwant
    ishallnotwant Posts: 1,210 Member
    After Googling prolapse after baby, I would caution you to speak with your doctor before doing any type of exercises that make you put pressure on the abdomen. You can't spot reduce anyways, better not to make your condition worse before you have surgery. As the above poster stated, for now, just work on losing the baby weight and after you have your surgery and are fully recovered maybe you can try doing some ab work. It doesn't matter for now anyways, you can have the flattest abs in the world, but if there is a thick layer of fat over them nobody will be able to see them. :flowerforyou:
  • GreenTeaForDays
    GreenTeaForDays Posts: 166 Member
    I've been avoiding situps/crunches because they hurt my back sometimes. Instead I do body holds, squats (which I heard were great for prolapse!!) and twist lunges. Would these exercises be okay for you?

    Body holds (plank):
    http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/ss/abexercises_10.htm

    Body weight squats:
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/361178-squatting-exercise-for-bladder-prolapse/

    Lunge w/ twist:
    http://www.womenshealthmag.com/files/images/wm-0809-lunge-reach-twist.jpg

    Best wishes!
  • MzMandi1025
    MzMandi1025 Posts: 78 Member
    My daughter is now 3 1/2 & I'm finding my stomach the hardest thing to tone up. I've never had to deal with prolapse, so I can't help you there. I did have a c-section & that wreaked havoc on my stomach muscles. Instead of doing traditional crunches, is it possible for you to do leg lifts? You can lay on the floor & bring your legs up then lower them down w/out touching the ground? Maybe crunches on an exercise ball will help. My husband has told me that running is also good, for toning the body, especially the abdominal area.
  • tenunderfour
    tenunderfour Posts: 429 Member
    Is the OP talking about a diastasis or a prolapse? They are two different things.... two different body parts. And treated differently. I would strongly suggest seeing a physical therapist who specializes in pelvic floor work (if the problem is an actual prolapse).
  • BodyRockerVT
    BodyRockerVT Posts: 323 Member
    I do see one, and with me surgery is my only option in the long run.. In the meantime I have a whole bunch of 'down there' exercises that I do, but struggling to find someone that knows about abs and core etc.

    Wanna PM me the "down there" exercises??? I have no advice but I could benefit from your knowledge.
  • crimznrose
    crimznrose Posts: 282 Member
    Last July was a nightmare: July 1 had my 3rd child, July 2nd complications during tubal ligation (doc couldn't find the tube to cut and literally dug around looking for it, July 12 admitted to ER for perforated appendix. I literally had open wounds draining/healing through mid-August after that and it took forever to heal.

    Fast forward to March and I attempt to start P90X. On day 1 of my core workout, I tore an abdominal muscle (my guess from still not being healed). Anyway, I've also noticed in the beginning if I didn't completely empty my bladder it was hard to not have an accident - there was just not pelvic floor muscle. I've been working out at least 2 days a week (except the ab thing) and can do jumping jacks again. My abs still have a long way to go, but the obliques on the sides are starting to firm up.

    Just take your workouts easy and listen to your body. If it's telling you that you're trying too much too soon, stick with lighter workouts. I hear yoga is a great tool to tone post-baby, so maybe that's a good start and you can work up your intensity from there as you start to rebuild your bod. : )
  • Cazzy34
    Cazzy34 Posts: 159 Member
    Hi,

    I just saw this post!! I have a global prolapse so I feel your pain! I have 3 kids the youngest now 1 year and have been to see 2 different woman's physiotherapists.

    The advice i was given was... NO Sit ups, NO squats, NO high impact exercise, NO heavy lifting and nothing that puts any pressure on the pelvic floor as this can make your prolapse worse.

    You can do light crunches but that's about it!! Torso type twists and hula hooping are great and tend not to cause too many other symptoms. If you engage your lower abs when you are doing your pelvic floors or kegels it can help.

    Add me as a friend if you want as i know how difficult it is living with this horrible condition. I think i will be going for surgery within the next year :( Good luck xxxx
  • clairerose11
    clairerose11 Posts: 95 Member
    Wow, just been catching up with all the posts here. I have vaginal prolapses, quite bad Rectocele (that's in my opinion though, that's the one that bothers me most, my PT says she has seen tonnes worse!)... also have mild urethral prolapse and bladder, although the past couple of months or so these two seem to have done a lot of natural healing of their own. I guess as the rectocele is bothered by bowel movements all the time it's difficult and much less likely that it will naturally heal, hence the need for surgery in time...

    Cazzy I was told, and have read on the internet that squats are amazing for pelvic floor, have a google of Katy Bowman squat. I have the Tasha Mulligan dvd and reguarly seek advice from her via www.prolapsehealth.com it's such a great site, and I have learned so much from there. Tasha's dvd is brilliant and that is what you need BodyRocker! You don't need to do loads of kegels, just 2 sets of 4 a day done correctly. She also tells you how to workout your whole pelvic basket, so that your core holds it all better... she is an amazing woman!

    I don't do any kind of crunches, as even with light ones I can feel downward pressure. I have just started doing zumba, and although that is low impact (most of the time in the beginners section you have one foot on the floor, so it's classed as low) I do have to adjust it for me and if I am having a bad prolapse day I don't do it, I hop on the exercise bike.

    MzMandi... leg lifts create a whole heap of downward pressure on your pelvic floor, so they're a no-no :( ...it's a real shame as I used to like those!

    My advice to any woman would be to get Tasha's dvd, whether you're post-baby, living with a vaginal prolapse or you simply want to keep your pelvic floor strong to avoid complications in the future, it's amazing for 'down there' ... !
  • amethysts269
    amethysts269 Posts: 28 Member
    I suffered from a prolapse after my 3rd child... the best exercises at the time under physio direction was pilates, this helps to strengthen the core muscles and puts very little stress on the abs (if done correctly you focus on your pelvic floor as opposed to the abs). She wrote a book called 'My Pelvic Flaw', she being Mary O'Dwyer, her exercises helped my heaps but unfortunately, they weren't enough to repair the damage.

    I have since had surgery and still do the same kinds of exercises and planks. I also find that when I work out I tend to incorporate the pelvic floor exercises into my routine which seems to have helped strengthen them as well.

    Good luck and if you're not sure talk to your physio.
  • clairerose11
    clairerose11 Posts: 95 Member
    Thanks so much hun. What prolapses did you have, and how are you doing after your surgery? x
  • amethysts269
    amethysts269 Posts: 28 Member
    not sure of the technical term but, mine was a rear wall prolapse and it was bad enough that when I had my surgery I had to have a hysterectomy as well, because it was that bad I would have been back 6 months later to have it removed anyway.

    I wasn't allowed to do anything for 6weeks after and it took me about 3 months before I started to feel normal again probably about 6 months all up to get back to normal (but, I think this was mainly because I had a hysta).

    It has been 12 months since the surgery and I am exercising everyday, I incorporate weights with cardio and also do classes such as Body Combat and Pump. I try to avoid crunches but after a while I can feel when there is to much pressure on my pelvic floor and hold back... the muscles are slowly getting stronger... hopefully, this will continue because I don't particular want to go through surgery again to have my front wall repaired.
  • ErinReneeL
    ErinReneeL Posts: 12
    I'm so glad I found this post! I have a cystocele and rectocele and am trying to get back in shape after having g 2babies in 18 months. I am glad to see there are some things I can do and that I'm not the only one!! I'm hoping to have more babies too but afraid of what will happen to my body....
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