For personal trainers, coaches and fitness professional.
Women’s health issues are very common, but sadly there is not much awareness around it which leaves huge gaps in potential not only for health and quality of life, but also performance.
Women’s Health Physiotherapists and other health professionals who specialise in this area will often only see people when the symptoms have become very extreme.
Personal trainers and coaches are in a unique position where they can screen the general population and the athletes they work with for women’s health issues that they may otherwise not feel comfortable bringing up, or not know that there are solutions to in the first place!
We know that it can be pretty daunting and uncomfortable talking about these issues, especially for men.
Some advice we can give on this is to try and include regular general discussions about it in all of your sessions. Many women may feel embarrassed to raise these issues themselves which is why it’s important to not make it taboo by discussing it regularly, so they know that whatever they are experiencing is nothing to be embarrassed about.
Upskilling in this area will also help you to feel more confident talking about it, see the end of this blog for some links to great resources.
If you don't feel comfortable talking about it, putting a few of the questions below into your initial screening can alert you to refer on if necessary.
Women’s Health Questions to ask:
1. Do you ever experience leakage, or feel like you may leak, during things like heavy lifting, skipping, sneezing or coughing?
Answering yes to this could indicate Stress Urinary Incontinence.
2. Do you ever experience the feeling of pressure in your pelvis/pelvic floor during during things like heavy lifting, skipping, sneezing or coughing
Answering yes to this could indicate symptoms of prolapse.
3. Has your menstrual cycle been normal the past couple of months? (Assuming client is not pregnant or on hormonal contraceptive).
Changes to menstrual cycles can alert you to signs of RED-S in athletes or people that train intensely.
4. How does your cycle affect your mood/energy levels?
Understanding your client’s individual responses to their cycle can help you to plan sessions around this to help them perform at their best.
What to do if your client is having issues?
Considering the pelvic floor and menstrual cycle during training is important, but if your client is having issues they will often need a health professional to diagnoses and treat, at least initially.
Normally these health professionals will aim to work with you and your client to get them back to training with confidence.
At Formotion Physio we have an interest in Women’s Health, and are able to assist with returning to exercise with consideration of the pelvic floor, but we would recommend referring to a Women’s Health Physiotherapist for pelvic floor issues first.
For menstrual cycle or hormonal issues we would recommend referring to a Women’s Health GP or Sports Medicine Physician, particularly if you suspect RED-S (see below) or other more serious health issues.
You can find directory of Women’s Health Physiotherapists on the Australian Physiotherapy Association - Find Physio page here.
A few resources on the topic that we think are helpful and important are listed below:
Continence Foundation of Australia
Julie Wiebe - Women’s Health Physical Therapist
“Pop Up Lift” Instagram page & Website
Jessie Mundell - Pregnancy and Post Natal Fitness Coach
RED-S Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport
RED-S Clinical Assessment Tool
If you know of anymore to add to this list please get in touch or comment on this blog.