Can You Use A Cross Trainer With A Prolapse? Find Here
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Updated On October 31, 2021
Is It Safe To Use a Cross Trainer With a Prolapse?
If you have been diagnosed with prolapse or you are bouncing back from prolapse surgery, figuring out which exercises are safe and not can be confusing.
Prolapse tends to happen in a woman after pregnancy and happens when pelvic organs drop down in the body, causing discomfort and trouble when exercising.
Luckily there is some safe pelvic floor exercises you can perform with prolapse, and using a cross-trainer is one of the exercises which is safe.
In our guide below we will cover which exercises you should avoid with a prolapse, which exercise you should do and some tips for using a cross-trainer with a prolapse safely.
Does Exercise Help Prolapse?
Exercising can help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and reduce the chances of your getting a prolapse while also easing the pain and symptoms of this problem.
You should never exercise excessively with a prolapse however as rest is key, avoid high-impact exercises and stick to low-impact ones instead.
Exercises To Avoid When You Have a Prolapse
Even though exercise is recommended for women with prolapse, there are still some exercises you should avoid at all costs if you want to avoid pain or injury to your pelvic floor area.
We have listed the main exercises to avoid when you have a prolapse below.
Weighted pelvic exercises - Lat pull downs or overhead presses can put downwards pressure on your pelvic floor and cause damage.
Wide legs - Sumo squats or any other wide-leg exercises such as lateral shuffles should be avoided as this can cause pelvic pressure.
Excessive walking - Postpartum you need to rest, being on your feet all day can make a prolapse worse.
Abdominal exercises - Crunches or sit-ups and exercises such as planks can put pressure on your pelvic organs.
High-impact exercises - No jumping, burpees or running should be done with a prolapse.
Tips For Exercising When You Have a Prolapse
When exercising with a prolapse you should make sure you are monitoring your body and how you feel, we have listed our best tips below for a good workout when you have a prolapse.
Breathe properly - Breathing in and out when working your core with prolapse is important to regain strength, never forget to exhale.
Monitor gravity - After birth, you need to reduce the amount of footwork you are doing and how much time you are spending on your feet.
Pay attention to how your body feels - Always listen to your core and check in with it while working out, if you feel any heaviness or pressure then stop.
Vary positions - Try side-lying, seated or on your back, avoid exercising when standing as much as you can.
Check your form - To retrain and restrengthen your pelvic floor make sure you are keeping the right posture and keeping your body in a neutral spine position.
Tips For Using a Cross Trainer When You Have a Prolapse
Cross trainers are quite a low impact machine so are perfect for a woman who is suffering from a prolapse. This doesn't mean you shouldn't use them without any caution, however.
We have listed out top tips for using a cross-trainer when you have a prolapse down below.
Maintain a proper posture - Having a good upright posture will decrease the amount of pressure on your pelvic floor while working out.
Keep it comfortable - Use the right stride length while you are getting back into exercises and adjust it to be right for you.
Check the resistance - Too heavy resistance on your cross trainer can cause you to push down on your body while you work out and hurt your pelvic floor.
Use the handles - Do not lean on your handlebars but instead hold them for support when needed or when you feel unbalanced.
Last Words
To conclude, if you have a prolapse a cross trainer machine is an excellent low impact exercise for regaining strength in your pelvic floor and will not put as much pressure or pain and your muscles as running does.
Just ensure you are always keeping a good posture and resting when needed, if you ever feel pain stop the exercise you are performing straight away.
From personal trainer to home fitness guru, Christian discovered the ultimate workout hack: the cross trainer. Minimising risk while maximising results, he founded CrossTrainerHome.co.uk to elevate your at-home fitness game.
One comment on “Can You Use A Cross Trainer With A Prolapse? Find Here”
many thanks for this i have been attending the gym and just realisedi have been using the incorrect equipment for prolapse bladder. so i will now use the cross trainer. Please let me know if it is safe and suitable to use the rowing machine gently
many thanks#kind regards
Jean
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many thanks for this i have been attending the gym and just realisedi have been using the incorrect equipment for prolapse bladder. so i will now use the cross trainer. Please let me know if it is safe and suitable to use the rowing machine gently
many thanks#kind regards
Jean