If the brain is in a constant stress-related state, sleep may not actually be restful. Rather, rest is a state of being in the present moment – to stop doing and start just being.
And there’s a lot of evidence for how important this is for us.
Superfoods for Your Pelvic Floor
An important subset of the physical component is what we eat: the type of fuel we give our bodies directly affects how we move through the world. Both physically and mentally.
Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy, Pelvic Floor Rehab, Pelvic Floor Melbourne FL, Dr. Paige, Recharged Performance Therapy, Recharged Pelvic Floor
Knee Pain- Outside of the Knee
First, it’s important to run through a little bit of the anatomy of the hip and knee. Almost every major muscle that originates at the hip inserts at the knee – and act on both! The structure we’re concerned about is the iliotibial tract band (ITB), a thick band of fascia that runs from the side of the hip down to the top of the knee. If you run your hand down the side of your thigh, you can probably feel it. Now, that ITB only has two points where it inserts, allowing it to move back and forth as we move our leg (e.g., walking, running, standing up). At the top of the hip, it connects into the major glute muscles that help stabilize us when we move around. (This is important to remember in just a minute.)
Pelvic Floor PT, Recharged Performance Therapy, RPT, Dr.Paige, Melbourne FL
Doooowwwnn, Bessy!
Here are 3 AMAZING ways to help your pelvic floor stay relaxed and amazingly strong… and guess what! They have NOTHING to do with Kegels!!
We don’t have to live with a tight pelvic floor. There are some simple, practical habits you can incorporate into your daily routine to help loosen everything up. If these tips don’t feel like enough, going to a pelvic floor physical therapist to evaluate your specific needs might help!
Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation, Pelvic Floor PT, Pee Leakage, Urinary Frequency, Incontinence, Dr. Paige, Recharged Performance Therapy, Health, Hormones, women’s health
Skincare & Hormonal Health
Xenoestrogens are synthetic hormones (“xeno” means “forgein”) designed to mimic the natural hormone estrogen. They’re found in everything from the plastic in our water bottles to food additives, household cleaners, and in the pesticide you use on your lawn. Basically, if you live some semblance of modern life, Xenoestrogens are there to keep you company.
Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation, Pelvic Floor PT, Pee Leakage, Urinary Frequency, Incontinence, Dr. Paige, Recharged Performance Therapy, Health, Hormones, women’s health, Melbourne FL
Stop Peeing Every 5 Minutes!
It is normal for most people to go to the bathroom six to eight times per day – maybe more if you drink a lot of water. IT IS NOT NORMAL for you to go to the bathroom more than every 2 hours UNLESS you have something that causes Bladder Irritation.
So what is Bladder irritation? This is where the inside lining of the bladder (this inside lining closely resembles the inside of your mouth) gets irritated and causes the bladder to contract.
Pelvic Floor rehabilitation, Pelvic Floor PT, Pee Leakage, Urinary Frequency, Incontinence, Dr. Paige, Recharged Performance Therapy
G R A T I T U D E
Okay...guys! With Thanksgiving approaching, we often take the time to look at what we have been thankful for over the past year.
Research shows that developing a mindful gratitude ritual on a daily basis has tons of positive health benefits -- both mentally and physically.
Cultivating a sense of gratitude helps us feel connected to others as well as happier and healthier. It is more than just saying, “Oh, thank you!” when something good happens, but developing a grateful attitude on a consistent basis -- during the good days and the bad ones.
A feeling of gratitude has been linked to many benefits, including:
An improvement in overall physical health
Lower blood pressure
Better sleep
Better eating habits
An optimistic outlook on life
First, we want to be clear about the distinction between gratitude and “toxic positivity.” This is a term that has been floating around a lot recently -- and can sometimes be confused with gratitude. Taken to an extreme, “100% positivity all the time” can keep us trapped in some unhealthy habits and demotivate us to make important changes in our lives. This “good vibes only” approach often makes us avoid difficult emotions and replace it with a cheery, often (falsely) positive outlook. Research has actually shown that this “forced cheerfulness” has the opposite effect on our mood and well-being in the long-term.
Gratitude, on the other hand, is about recognizing those difficult emotions (pain, sadness, anger) and giving them the space to be looked at -- to be curious about why we are experiencing these emotions and what they may mean. (It doesn’t mean that these hard emotions take over our lives.) More research shows that “completing the cycle” of emotions (being curious and then finding a way to resolve them) is an important part of managing stress -- and gratitude plays a big part in this.
So…. gratitude ≠ positivity!
Now, you’re probably thinking: “That’s all well and good, but I’m so busy. I don’t have time to actively think about practicing gratitude.”
Well, my friend! I have some easy tips for you to get started.
Start small! Try focusing on the little, everyday things. Your health, for example. A pet or family member; your home or a hobby that you really enjoy.
Change your self-talk! Negative self-talk can have a big impact on your mental health. This is easier said than done, of course. But you gotta start somewhere!
Keep a gratitude journal. Think about setting aside 5 minutes in the evening to reflect on the day and list 3 things that you’re grateful for. Writing things down helps us really solidify things (instead of just being tossed around in our brains, mixed in with all the negativity and stress!).
Put post-it notes around the house of things that you’re grateful for. It never hurts to have a little reminder.
Say “Thank you!” to those around you. Your spouse or friend or even a co-worker. Thank them for being or doing something that has been your life a little bit easier ...or even just something you really appreciate about them.
For a fancier twist: try writing thank you notes (and no, not just after Christmas or your birthday. An out-of-the-blue thank you card can make someone’s day! And help you center yourself in your appreciation/love for them.
With this holiday season, take some time to practice your thankfulness. Hopefully, it will turn into a daily ritual that enriches your life, your health and your mentality!
<3 The Recharged Performance Therapy Team
References
https://www.pelvicsanity.com/post/2017/11/29/7-health-benefits-of-gratitude
https://www.pelvicsanity.com/post/2017/12/01/three-ways-to-cultivate-gratitude-throughout-the-year
https://gyngwinnett.com/blog/how-being-thankful-can-improve-your-health
https://www.npr.org/2020/06/02/867905101/want-to-be-happier-evidence-based-tricks-to-get-you-there
https://gyngwinnett.com/blog/how-does-stress-affect-gynecological-health
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3489271/
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/figure/10.1080/02699931.2011.595393?scroll=top&needAccess=true&
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-high-functioning-hotspot/202107/what-is-toxic-positivity
Mommy Tummy- Diastasis Recti
Diastasis Recti is a condition normally seen at the end of pregnancy and after birth. It is normal until about 12 weeks postpartum. If you are still experiencing a “gap” after 12 weeks, you need to see a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist for Diastasis Recti!
Good News- There is a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist for you here in Melbourne, FL!
Stress & Your Pelvic Floor
Stress can present itself in a lot of different ways. It may mean racing thoughts or never feeling quite settled -- like you just don’t have enough bandwidth for everything going on. Stress can also externalize itself in your body. This may mean having tight muscles that never relax no matter how much you stretch them or stress headaches or not sleeping well. This almost ALWAYS hits your pelvic floor!
September Update
COVID-19 and Pelvic Floor Problems
COVID-19 can highly effect things like pee leakage, pain during intercourse, lower back pain, pelvic organ prolapse and more.
This blog breaks down how COVID affects your pelvic floor in both its Mild version and the most severe versions of the virus.
Pelvic Floor Therapy, Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy, Pee Leakage, Incontinence, Diastasis Recti, Pain During Intercourse, COVID-19, Life After COVID
Keeping your Feet Happy! (and why it matters to your pelvic floor)
Plantar Fasciitis, Toe Pain, and Ankle Sprains can lead to pelvic floor issues! Its crazy- we know. Which is why this months blog post centers around your tootsies.
Trust us- your feet, and your pelvic floor will thank you for reading this! And schedule an appointment with pelvic floor physical therapy. You will thank us, we swear.
Pain in the Piriformis
The Piriformis comes in: a long, slender muscle about the size of a hotdog buried deep under our gluteus maximus muscle. It runs from the side of the sacrum (near the tailbone) to the femur (the top part of our thigh bone). It is considered part of the “deep six” hip rotators that are responsible for stability at the hip and pelvis, especially when we are moving.
There are two things we need to know about the piriformis: it is a workaholic and a drama queen. And schedule an appointment with pelvic floor physical therapy. You will thank us, we swear.
Setting Boundaries a.k.a Knowing Your Limits
The #1 thing to do for your C-Birth Scar
Did you have a C-Birth (C-section)? If you did, or may have one in the future, then you NEED to read this latest installment to our Blog! We go over the easiest ways to help your scar heal and look better too! And schedule an appointment with pelvic floor physical therapy. You will thank us, we swear.
Cesarean Section
What does your posture look like?
Y’all- posture matters! You would be SHOCKED by how much better women FEEL & look when we get them in a better posture!
Watch this video from Dr. Paige! She goes over what “perfect” posture is and how to get your posture right! And schedule an appointment with pelvic floor physical therapy. You will thank us, we swear.
Diastasis Recti Muscles
Massage for DOWN THERE to help with birth!
Postpartum Recovery
In this blog, Dr. Paige goes over a few tips and tricks to improving recovery after delivery of your baby! You just went through a life changing event and should be cared for- even though most people don’t talk about recovering after birth. Learn how to better care for you so that you can better care for your baby! But more than anything- you need to go see a pelvic floor physical therapist! They will change your life!
