This notion of graduated exposure can be applied to many a scenario, but I am talking about it with reference to exercise and activity levels. Pacing slowly, with small increments of change, will usually prevent failure. From the beginnings of exercise, to the highly tuned athlete, training programs will always follow the paradigm of graduated exposure to allow the body to adapt and to prevent injury. 

What is the opposite of graduated exposure?  Being a “boom and buster.” Intrigued? Could this be you when it comes to exercise or activity levels?

Here is the scenario. You set out on a new activity - say, jogging. Perhaps you’ve been injured, or unfit and want a new challenge. Sydney’s City to Surf or another of your favourite fun runs has come around again and you are keen to get involved. It’s hard at first to get training, but you get a hang of it after a few weeks. Perhaps you start like a bull at a gate. You jump up considerably in your running volumes because you’re feeling so damn good - but, uh oh. You’ve boomëd ( hooray!)…but also busted (uh oh). You find yourself back at the “I’m unable to exercise because I’m now injured/too tired and fatigued/in pain” stage.

And so the ‘boom or bust’ cycle begins.

The solution?

✅ Slow and steady. Pace up sensibly with no huge jumps. Your fitness and the way your tissues ( muscles, tendons) adapt will do so without the crash and burn! Just like our little man above in the image. Small steps will lead you to your goal, and often that goal surprises you.

✅ You will need more time than you think to reach this. If you have a end date as the goal, start your training program at least 12 weeks before the run and not the month before.

✅ If you have no end date, enjoy the small steps to reach your goal! And if these are no steps up for a week or so, it is not the end of the world. Start where you left off and keep on building!

Easy! Find yourself a good physio or exercise physiologist (EP) to set the baselines and progressions in your exercise build.

#boomandbust #exercise #paceit #safeexercise

Yes! The research shows that nearly all pregnancy related pelvic girdle pain resolves after labour. Every woman is different.

It may take a few weeks to months.

It may disappear immediately you walk out of the birthing rooms.

You may require the expert guidance of a physio to get everything well aligned in your hips and pelvic region after the pregnancy changes, and muscles working again in the appropriate way to support the pelvis.

You may need short term activity modification or taping around the pelvis as you return to gentle exercise.

You will need to start your exercise journey post bub by reconnecting with your deep abdominals, pelvic floor and breath.

You will need to find this inner strength before adding impact like running, jumping, or loads such as weight lifting.

But do know that your pelvis will be alright after the miracle of pregnancy and birth!

#pelvicgirldepain #pelvicpain #pregnancypain #pregnancypelvicpain #pregnancybackpain #sijpain #spd #psd #pubicsymphysis #postnatalbackpain #postnatalpelvicpain #thefixprogram #thefixprogramonline #pregnancyphysio

Pelvic girdle pain is as common as 7 out of every 10 pregnancies. That’s a whopping 70% of pregnant women going about their day with anything from mild intermittent troubles, to barely being able to walk.

Pelvic girdle pain is often confused as back pain in pregnancy. If your pain is located more across your buttocks or over your tailbone/sacrum, or at the front of your pubic area, you are one of the stats. Pelvic girdle pain refers to the changes that occur in the 3 large pelvic joints due to pregnant postures, weaker support muscles for the pelvis in pregnancy, changing hormones and increasing weights in the pelvis that come with growing a little human.

Here are the facts:

👉 The sacro-iliac joints (SIJs) and pubic symphysis (PS) are the 3 joints of the pelvis. None, 1, 2 or all 3 of these joints can give a woman problem during her pregnancy. Yes, all at the same time!

👉 Most pelvic girdle pain experienced in pregnancy resolves after birth and the early weeks of the postpartum period. Hooray! YO will not be left with this pain for your whole life.

👉 If you are unlucky with 2 or more pelvic joints painful in your pregnancy, you are more likely to need physio and a longer time to recover after having your baby from pelvic pain. Never fear, things will settle with the right exercises and targeted physio treatments.

👉 Simple strategies when you’re pregnant can make a huge difference to your pain levels if you feel you have pelvic girdle pain. These include targeted safe exercise in your pregnancy to build muscle support about the pelvic region. This is balanced with rest, avoiding standing on one leg, sleeping with a pillow between your legs and using 2 legs to get out of your car.

👉 Pelvic support or compression belts and tights work for almost all women suffering from pelvic girdle pain. For a few, belts can make the pain worse. So, see your pregnancy physio as she knows all the tricks and can prescribe the right exercise, belts and advice for you!

👉 So, yes! Your pelvis can feel the same after your pregnancy and labour.

#pelvicgirldepain #pelvicpain #pregnancypain #pregnancypelvicpain #pregnancybackpain #sijpain #spd #psd #pubicsymphysis #postnatalbackpain #postnatalpelvicpain #thefixprogram #thefixprogramonline #pregnancyphysio