Sometimes well intentioned health and fitness professionals hurt people with their words.
They say things like…
“You have prolapse so you shouldn’t run anymore.”
“If you do those exercises, your diastasis will get worse. Only do the “safe” exercises.”
“You leak when you jump? Well that’s normal after having kids.”
“Why do you need to lift that heavy anyways?”
“You should just bike or swim, or take up yoga.”
The underlying message is that you are broken and if you aren’t careful you could end up more broken. Do less. Be less. Accept it.
Except that it’s bullshit.
Sometimes restrictions ARE needed. But even then, it’s often temporary and with appropriate modifications and progression, we can move forwards towards what you want to be able to do. We can find ways to manage and progress.
A lot of the time though, that well intentioned fear mongering restricts people unnecessarily – holding them back from pursuing the athletic endeavours that make their hearts sing, the ones that we know are best for optimal bone density, the ones that drive wondrous adaptation in our cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems, and the quite frankly, the ones that keep many of us sane.
Athleticism brings us JOY.
And I’m ready to fight for that – for everyone who (good intentions aside) has been sidelined from life and from themselves, by unnecessary restrictions.
If you are looking for a physiotherapist who will work WITH you to help you do the things that bring you joy, give me a call.
Teresa Waser, RX Physio