Cystocele and workingout at the gym

I have been diagnosed wt CYSTOCELE after noticing that there was a problem doing situps and various activities at the gym.  My main concern is...  how much will my 5 x a week workouts affect my condition ?  I have 40 lbs to lose still, can I continue, will it worsen and shouls I get some sort of repair done now ?  I am 50 and have not experienced no other side effects.

[sherrieP]

You can continue to exercise but when you have POP it is extremely important that you do it the right way so your prolapse concerns don't get worse. It would also be a good idea to get fitted for a pessary or use an Incostress (send me a PM if you need more info on this) for internal support while exercising when you have POP of any type; this will provide internal support for your pelvic organs.

If you are doing floor exercise or machines, it is important to pay attention to what sensations you feel in your vagina and pelvic floor area; if you feel any outward pushing of tissues in your vaginal canal you need to either adjust how you are exercising or stop doing it. Situps are a tricky dance with POP, I would suggest you keep your legs in a "crunched up toward your waist" position when coming forward with your upper body (instead of leaving your legs on the floor), it will help prevent your tissues from pushing out. You can also hold your legs straight up in the air and try to touch your toes or sides of ankles to work upper abs or try a scissor ab exerxise (R knee + L elbow).

It would be of great benefit to try pilates or Pfilates, these core strengthening exercise programs are helpful for POP. Swimming is great too. If you run or do aerobics, you truly should have a pessary or Incostress in place or it can really create problems with POP.

I am glad you recognize that you need to adjust something in your regimen, I am a huge exercise fanatic and am glad to hear you want to continue; it is vital however that you take the proper precautions to prevent your POP from getting worse. Also please read the article in the Health Pages (upper right side of this page) about Kegels and Kegel Breathing, this is an additional tool you can use to maintain pc muscle strength.

Good luck, keep up the good work!
Sher

[sherrieP]

You can continue to exercise but when you have POP it is extremely important that you do it the right way so your prolapse concerns don't get worse. It would also be a good idea to get fitted for a pessary or use an Incostress (send me a PM if you need more info on this) for internal support while exercising when you have POP of any type; this will provide internal support for your pelvic organs.

If you are doing floor exercise or machines, it is important to pay attention to what sensations you feel in your vagina and pelvic floor area; if you feel any outward pushing of tissues in your vaginal canal you need to either adjust how you are exercising or stop doing it. Situps are a tricky dance with POP, I would suggest you keep your legs in a "crunched up toward your waist" position when coming forward with your upper body (instead of leaving your legs on the floor), it will help prevent your tissues from pushing out. You can also hold your legs straight up in the air and try to touch your toes or sides of ankles to work upper abs or try a scissor ab exerxise (R knee + L elbow).

It would be of great benefit to try pilates or Pfilates, these core strengthening exercise programs are helpful for POP. Swimming is great too. If you run or do aerobics, you truly should have a pessary or Incostress in place or it can really create problems with POP.

I am glad you recognize that you need to adjust something in your regimen, I am a huge exercise fanatic and am glad to hear you want to continue; it is vital however that you take the proper precautions to prevent your POP from getting worse. Also please read the article in the Health Pages (upper right side of this page) about Kegels and Kegel Breathing, this is an additional tool you can use to maintain pc muscle strength.

Good luck, keep up the good work!
Sher

[Galsal59]

Sorry to pop into this thread.

When working with a Trainer and using a Bender Ball for ab workouts is when I found out BIG time there was more than just a bit of leakage when laughing, coughing, etc.  Those specific exercises caused a scenario that required more than a light pad.  Oh my, how embarrassing the first time or two it occurred too!  Didn't give up those exercises but work something more capable.  Btw, legs were with bent knee in a "crunched" position.  

Thankfully, nothing seemed to be otherwise occurring...that I could tell at least.

I'm so glad to hear another was affected...I don't feel it was me only.  ;)

[sherrieP]

All comments and suggestions always appreciated!!!!! The more we share the more we learn!

[Galsal59]

Thanks Sher.  At least I don't have to hear that Trainer say any more, oh well that's your age...work on it more.  Grrrr

[sherrieP]

Ya, whenever women tell me a health care practioner says something so ridiculous, it makes the hair on my head stand straight out! The good thing is comments like that fire my engines to make me work even harder toward our goals!

[Wtdymn]

Hey Sherrie, thanks so much for the terrific info, I have been so busy working out, I am adapting my workouts around my Cystocele.  However it seems to be aggravating it more and more.  Is there a product out there that I can use while exercising ?  I seriously need to figure something out soon for it is beginning to interfere wt many of my activities... Any advice will be appreciated at this point.

[sherrieP]

There's actually a few things you can try.Using a pessary will create support and can be inserted in AM and worn all day if you like. It should prevent problems occurring while working out or lifting any heavy loads (including children/grandkids); the downside is needs to be fitted by a physician and sometimes women have problems getting the proper fit. (They come in many shapes/sizes.) You can also try inserting a tampon prior to working out, the problem with this is done repetitiously in peri-menopause or menopause in tissues that are already dry and a bit irritated, it may cause discomfort. There is also a product available in stores in Europe and online that I'll send you a PM on. You can check this product out and contact the inventor and she can guide you with whether or not it will help in your situation. It's gotten rave reviews from women physically active and I think it might be a good fit if you don't think a pessary or tampon are good options.

Sher

[Wtdymn]

Time has passed, my work outs came to a halt due to my condition, and my weight went right through the roof !
Good news is... I had a bladder lift done on Nov 3rd and feel excellent.  In 8 weeks I can resume my workouts and hopefully lose what I have gained back and move forward.

[sherrieP]

That's great! Be sure to give yourself time to heal completely, and continue to incorporate external core support and Kegel exercises to maintain your repair.

[Wtdymn]

I think I over did it!  Got carried away wt moving some furniture out of the way and now I think I blew it!!!!  How long before this heals completely...

[sherrieP]

Was mesh used for your repair? If not it's a bit concerning, tissues stitched together for support do not hold up well under circumstances like you describe. There was enough time for healing if you had mesh.Check with your dr if you are not sure. Also important to know there are 5 types of POP (that's the reason I feel women should see a urogyn rather than an ob/gyn for these repairs), perhaps this is a different type occurring. Rectocele often comes with cystocele, get a handheld mirror and take a look at your vagina for bulges. Go to the APOPS site and check out the different types and symptoms, it may give you a better idea.
http://www.pelvicorganprolapsesupport.org.


Sher

[pilaf]

Hi and congratulations on your surgery. I know there are different approacbes to thiy surgery. ...
Robotic, intravaginal or abdominal. Supposedly the robotic one can  be very good unless the docs make a mistake.then the results could be devastating. Not sure which one would be best. The abdominal means cutting and longer healing and a scar. Any advice? Thanks Ladies
                     Pilaf

[UKlady1001]

Are you asking about having surgery yourself and what POP do you have?
The type of surgery depends on what POP you have and who is doing the operation as not all surgeons can do the robotic surgery.  

Open abdominal surgery can mean longer healing but some surgeons operate in this way due to the nature of the condition and look at the approach that will give the best results.  It is important to search for a good Urogyne for POP who is experienced in whatever operation you are having.

Hope this helps

[pilaf]

Hi and congratulations on your surgery. I know there are different approacbes to thiy surgery. ...
Robotic, intravaginal or abdominal. Supposedly the robotic one can  be very good unless the docs make a mistake.then the results could be devastating. Not sure which one would be best. The abdominal means cutting and longer healing and a scar. Any advice? Thanks Ladies
                     Pilaf