What is Exercise Intolerance, and How Can I Exercise if I Have It?? Part 2: Exercise Induced Symptom Flare Ups

Have you ever done more than you thought you could during a workout, just to find that the next day you feel exhausted, perhaps even feverish and flu-like? This is an example of an exercise induced symptom flare up. In it’s simplest terms, exercise induced Symptom Flare-Ups are what happens when someone with exercise intolerance pushes too hard in the gym. When exercise is too much for us, our system gets aggravated and over-taxed, and the body’s way of responding is to go into a flare 1, 2, 3

What is a flare-up? People who live with autoimmune disease, fibromyalgia and other chronic illness know it well, they are intimately connected with the concept of a flare-up. A flare-up looks like this: when you have been feeling ok, perhaps even feeling good, and then all of a sudden you feel awful, you can’t get out of bed, your body is in pain and you can’t even move? That awful, indescribable but totally debilitating feeling is a flare-up. 

Flare-ups look a little different for each person, depending on the individual disease (for example, a Crohn’s flare-up has some symptoms like diarrhea that are different from a Hashimotos flare-up, which may be more flu-like) but generally, a flare looks like this: exhaustion, muscle aches, brain fog, painful body that is tender to the touch, lack of ability to function normally, along with heightened anxiety, depression and/or sadness.

Flare-ups can be caused by a wide variety of factors that can range from the change in seasons, to eating certain foods. Basically, anything that puts stress on the body can cause a symptom flare up. Stress has been documented as a trigger of an autoimmune disease and of a symptom flare-up (you can read my blog on stress here). And while there is a limited amount of research linking exercise directly to the experience of an autoimmune flare, the connection is obvious.

If stress causes a flare-up, then exercise causes a flare-up, because- exercise IS defined as a physical stressor on the body. At its most basic, that is actually the goal and purpose of exercise- to put the body under stress, so the body can adapt to the stress. In this adaptation, change happens- our muscles get stronger, our heart and lungs work more easily and efficiently, our body is better able to regulate hormones, and on and on. All of these adaptations are wonderful- these are the things our doctors want us to experience, to increase our healthfulness.

However, to get these benefits of exercise, we have to actually perform exercise, which causes a temporary increase in cortisol in our system. And for people with autoimmune conditions, that increase in cortisol (otherwise known as our stress hormone) can be too much for our system to handle. As I said before, stress (otherwise known as cortisol increases) can trigger autoimmune symptoms. This is how exercise induced symptom flare-ups happen to people with low tolerance to stress- i.e. people living with autoimmune disease and exercise intolerance. 

However, just because your exercise intolerance puts you at risk for an exercise induced symptom flare-up, it does not mean you should avoid exercise.

Exercise has significant health benefits, especially for people living with autoimmune disease and chronic illness.

It simply means that we need to modify our exercise plan to stay in line with the actual needs of our body.

As I have said before, exercise has been medically proven to be beneficial for those of us living with autoimmune disease. If done properly, not only can exercise provide long term overall health benefits, but it can also help us manage our specific autoimmune symptoms and flare-ups. Chronic pain and autoimmune conditions are exacerbated by inflammation, and, if done properly, exercise can help to reduce inflammation and pain caused by inflammation.

Additionally, the right exercises can teach our bodies adapt to a pain response, which can help us get through the pain and exhaustion of our daily activities. Our bodies need to learn to be comfortable being uncomfortable in a safe, protected way, so that when we are exposed to surprise, challenge and discomfort in our daily lives, our bodies are prepared to handle it.

Without exercise and movement, our physical aches and pains will actually increase over time. The goal here is to exercise daily, doing the right kind of exercise, to help your body reduce the pain experience and increase healthfulness. 

This is where Autoimmune Strong comes in- it’s a workout designed for people living with exercise intolerance. It helps us build strength without overwhelming our systems. It’s designed to help us avoid exercise induced symptom flare ups. It’s designed to help us get back to living our life, loving our bodies, and feeling good every day.

Click here to join Autoimmune Strong’s workout program and see if it’s right for you.

1. Severity of symptom flare after moderate exercise is linked to cytokine activity in chronic fatigue syndrome
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4378647/

2. Exercise and fatigue
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19402743

3. Post-Exertional Malaise in Patients with ME and CFS with Comorbid Fibromyalgia
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5464757/

What Is Exercise Intolerance and How Does It Impact Those Living With An Autoimmune Disease

Stress and Autoimmune Disease and Exercise

In a recent blog post, I wrote all about stress and how it is linked to autoimmune disease flare-ups. Stress (which comes in many different shapes and sizes) has been medically proven to have an intense effect on the symptoms of chronic illness like autoimmune disease and fibromyalgia. Stress is a trigger to chronic illness symptom flare-ups. This is majorly important when understanding how our bodies process exercise. You can read that article here.

Exercise Intolerance and Autoimmune Disease

At it’s most basic definition, exercise can be defined as stress on the body. In fact, the stress that exercise puts on the body is what makes it work to create change. It is due to the stress of exercise that our bodies are able to adapt and become stronger, better, faster.

However, for those of us living with chronic illness like autoimmune disease, we are already living under so much stress, simply due to the activity of chronic illness within our bodies. And as I wrote in my article on stress, any additional stressor added to the body can aggravate this already overwhelmed system. And this is what leads to exercise intolerance.

Exercise intolerance is a condition of inability or decreased ability to perform physical exercise at what would be considered to be the normally expected level or duration. It also includes experiences of unusually severe post-exercise pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting or other negative effects.

Exercise intolerance has been medically linked to chronic diastolic heart failure and metabolic disorders, yet not much has been published on its connection to autoimmune disease. However, after talking with hundreds of people living with autoimmune disease and chronic pain, I have heard firsthand how exercise intolerance impacts their life.

After explaining exercise intolerance to people living with autoimmune disease, they’ve always responded with, “Yes, that describes me! No matter how hard I try to exercise, I am always exhausted, weak and debilitated. I can barely do the things I want to do.”

And they’re comforted in knowing there is a term for this experience, and understanding that this experience doesn’t mean they are “weak” or “lazy.” Because they aren’t -- there is a real reason for why their bodies won’t do what they want their bodies to do.  

So, why does exercise intolerance happen when you have autoimmune disease?

In order to understand the connection between exercise intolerance and autoimmune disease, you first have to look at the impact that both autoimmune disease and exercise have on the body -- and what happens when you combine them.

Autoimmune disease is a condition in which your immune system goes haywire and mistakenly attacks your own internal organs/systems as foreign invaders. That means that even at rest time, your body is working overtime both to attack and protect you from these “foreign” invaders. This is exhausting to your system, even before you add on any extra exertion like daily activity and exercise.

Additionally, when you live with autoimmune disease, it means that you have systems in your body that don’t function in a normal capacity. These body parts have been under attack by your immune system for a long time and have experienced malfunction and deterioration. Therefore, they have less capacity to function properly. With a malfunctioning organ/internal system, it is more difficult for your body to not only do exercise, but also to recover properly from it so you can do it all again.

All of this together makes exercising with an autoimmune disorder difficult. But bodies are designed to be able to push through tough situations -- at least in the short term. They have the ability to overcompensate using adrenaline. To get through the stress and effort of exercise, your body kicks your adrenaline into gear so you can work harder, sweat more, and keep going. This can lead to an overexertion of your adrenal glands (which produces adrenaline), causing more fatigue and exhaustion. Over time, these little glands become overworked and stop producing the adrenaline as needed, and your body loses the ability to push through.

That’s why those of us living with an autoimmune disease have struggled with exercise intolerance -- it’s just too hard for our bodies to power through in this “no pain, no gain” fitness society. We quickly burn ourselves out when we try to overexert ourselves with traditionally-designed exercises like lengthy cardio sessions, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), Cross Fit and Power Yoga. And for many people, even just walking or restorative yoga can be too much. If we push through and do the exercises anyway, we often end up with an exercise-induced symptom flare-up, which puts us out for days, if not weeks on end.

So, if you think that exercise intolerance is something you have, the first and most important step is to acknowledge it and accept it. This is a very hard thing for people to do. When it comes to exercise, we often have in our head “what we think we should be able to do” or “what we used to be able to do”. We set our expectations accordingly, and when our bodies fight back and won’t let us do these things, we often respond with anger, frustration and negativity- and we direct those thoughts and feelings inward. We feel badly about ourselves. We tell ourselves that we just need to “get it together”, that we are lacking in determination, effort, or willpower, and we fill ourselves with negative self-talk around this issue.

If you have exercise intolerance, it’s critical to take a moment and realize that no amount of willpower or determination will change the fact that your body is simply not capable of achieving that aggressive goal that you set for yourself- or at least not at this moment in time. So- by accepting that exercise intolerance is something that you are experiencing, you can release yourself from this cycle of picking the wrong exercises, pushing too hard, and having a bad experience by either not being able to finish, or having an exercise induced flare-up afterwards. Through the acknowledgement of exercise intolerance, you can begin setting your body up for success.

However, this does not mean that you should give up and stop exercising.

It also does not mean that you should use your exercise intolerance as a reason not to start exercising.

It just means that you need to create a modified exercise program to work in tune with your body.

This is where Autoimmune Strong comes in- it’s a workout designed for people living with exercise intolerance. It helps us build strength without overwhelming our systems. It’s designed to help us avoid exercise induced symptom flare ups. It’s designed to help us get back to living our life, loving our bodies, and feeling good every day.

Click here to join Autoimmune Strong’s workout program and see if it’s right for you.

Why Daily Commitment To Exercise Matters, Even If It's Just For Five Minutes..

This week, Lorri, one of my Autoimmune Strong members, had a big moment and I wanted to share it with you.

When she signed up for Autoimmune Strong, she set a goal for herself of doing her Autoimmune Strong exercises every day.

Then, her daughter had to go in for emergency surgery. Like any mom would do, she rushed to her daughter's side, and stayed with her for days, nursing her back to health.

And while there was nowhere she would rather be than taking care of her daughter, a little voice inside her head expressed concern that she was not accomplishing the goal she had set for herself of doing her Autoimmune Strong exercises every day. So she reached out to me with concern, wondering how she was going to take care of her daughter and herself.

And here is what I told her:

"We all have unexpected stressful situations that come up in our lives, right? Well, exercise helps you manage that stress. When life gives you stress, exercise gives you an outlet. Otherwise we just store up all that stress inside of us and it festers. When you exercise, your body and your mind can process and release all of the negative and scary thoughts and feelings that might come up in a situation like this. So yes! The best self care you can do is to take a few minutes and exercise. You will feel better and calmer afterwards, and you will be a stronger caretaker for your daughter."

And guess what? She took my advice and took a few minutes to do her Autoimmune Strong exercises. And here is what she told me afterwards:

"I really do feel better. I thought I needed cardio to feel the exercise endorphins, but I am feeling them now. Off to the shower and heading to the hospital feeling better than I did an hour ago!"

I know that many of you have emailed me, saying that you really want to exercise, but that life is too busy with all of your responsibilities- taking care of elderly parents, or of your young kids, or working a tough job, or even just feeling too tired.

I encourage you to push through that voice in your head that says "I don't have time".

I encourage you to make time- even just 5 minutes- to help yourself get stronger.

Not only will you feel better, but it will make you a better caretaker, a better friend, a better parent, a better spouse. The exercise endorphins that Lorri mentioned- they are real! And they do make us feel better. So take 5 minutes for yourself, and everyone around you will be thankful.

Small Group Coaching!!!

Autoimmune Strong is now offering small group coaching!!!

What does this mean?? Well, it means that Autoimmune Strong will be running an online class, lead by a real live coach- and its me! That means you get private access to a personal trainer who specializes in autoimmune and chronic pain exercise. This means you can review your progress with me in real time, talk about your successes and challenges, and even get some personalized exercise modifications if you need it. Also, it means you will have a small group of other Autoimmune Strong members to support you, encourage you and motivate you- because you will all be going through the exercises at the same pace. It’s like a warm hug all around.

Here is how it will work:

To kickoff, the group will get together on a video conference call, and I will lay out the goals for the group that week (and don’t worry- each goal can be made individually for each person, depending on their health, their body and their schedule needs).

Then, the group will get together weekly on a zoom call every Saturday (time is still to be determined) and talk about their experiences watching the videos and doing the exercises. Based on your experience, new goals will be set for the next week- and during the week you will have quick check-ins, to keep you on course with your goals.

The course commitment is 12 weeks- enough time to make some serious change to your body. By the end of the 12 weeks- you will be feeling amazing in ways you never expected!

So- for those of you who feel you need more accountability, motivation and support- this is perfect for you!!!

The program will begin on Saturday April 28th, and will end on July 28th. This is the perfect way to feel great just in time for summer!!

Cost is $349 for the 12 week commitment- but I am offering a $299 early bird special for those who want in. 

But hurry- the early bird special ends Tuesday April 10th!!!

AND...there are only a few spots open- it’s a small group, which will keep it private and intimate. So, if you are interested, don't wait! Spots will fill up quickly. 

As always, I am here to answer all your questions, so feel free to ask anything. Email me at info@getautoimmunestrong.com.

I am so excited to offer this opportunity for such personalized coaching- and I hope you are excited too!!!

Small Group Coaching

Why we MUST keep "climbing the ladder" to get stronger!

Now, I know what you are thinking. She wants me to climb a ladder??? She’s crazy!!

And you are right. I am crazy sometimes. But no- I don’t want you to climb an actual ladder.

What I am talking about is in reference to exercise progression. It's great to get your body moving, and start exercising. But...

If we do the same exercises all the time, we won’t get any stronger.

We will get really good at those exercises, but ultimately, we won’t see any major change in how our bodies feel. In order to see real change, we have to keep “climbing the ladder”- which means that we have to keep making the exercises a little more challenging, so that our bodies are continually challenged. That is what will make us stronger- we have to adapt to more pressure and intensity over time.

That is why the Autoimmune Strong has three levels. Level 1 is designed to get your body moving, build proper muscular and postural foundations, and teach you the basics of each exercise. This is the stage where you start feeling good, start feeling stronger, and fall in love with the exercises. And some people fall so much in love with these exercises that they stay there, and practice these exercises over and over again.

This is a great first step, but if you want to feel real lasting change in your body, at some point, you will have to leave the basic exercises, and challenge yourself to do the advanced section. For some people it can be scary- leaving the comfort of the exercises you have gotten so good at. But don’t worry- the Level 2 exercises were designed in a very specific way to challenge your body a little bit more, but not too much. And the best part is that the Level 2 exercises takes the same exercises you loved in Level 1 and just makes them a little bit harder. So you don’t have to learn new tricks, all you have to do is make a little adjustment, and you will continue to get stronger without flaring your body.

And when you complete Level 2, keep climbing that ladder, and get all the way up to Level 3.  

And here is what happens when you climb that ladder:

“Autoimmune Strong has done wonders for me. It has worked so well that I am now at a place where I can manage my life, because of all the information and help you have provided.”

— Jennifer S.

“I am so happy with this program of yours, Andrea Wool. I started in December and I am now in week 2 of level 3. I can feel that I get stronger every day. I could not have done it without you because I was so afraid of flare-ups. I love that your positive energy has kept me on track.”

— - V. Dilja

So… to get stronger, just like these women did, I encourage you to be consistent, and go through the entire three-month course! It’s self-paced, so it may take you longer than three months, and that’s just fine. As long as you continue progressing, and you continue to climb that ladder and challenge your body in the Autoimmune Strong way, you will continue to feel stronger, healthier and more vibrant.  

5 Ways to Find Time for Exercise During Your Day

I am a busy busy person. I run my own business, I have two children, a husband, a fish, and a household to care for. I have friends and family and did I say I run my own business? Well, all of those things take time and energy to manage them, and make sure they run smoothly. 

I imagine that you are busy too! It's just how it this world works. We have a lot of demands for our time, and free time to relax and take care of ourselves is hard to find. 

However, it is SUPER IMPORTANT that we take time to care for ourselves throughout our day. Otherwise, we spin ourselves in circles trying to do all the other things in our lives that keep us busy. 

I try to focus on exercise every day, and although it's hard to find the time, somehow I do. Here, I am going to share with you the ways I sneak in some movement during my busy day. 

1. Planning: I find that it helps to plan ahead. Every Sunday night, I make an exercise plan for the week, and I block off time for it in my schedule. Then, I make sure I get the extra help in place to make sure I can take that time. My husband usually takes the kids to school 3 mornings a week so I can exercise before work. Or sometimes, I can find play dates for them after school and I can squeeze in a workout then. Or many times, I just workout in my house or at a playground, and they join me! (More about that below)

2. Accountability: I think it's important to have someone be accountable to when it comes to exercise. My schedule keeps me accountable (I am the type of person who gets obsessed about sticking to the schedule). But I find that talking to friends and family about the exercise you are doing helps to keep you accountable. Even better if you can find a "buddy" to do it with you, or at least be there for check-in support. The Autoimmune Strong Facebook group is a great place to find a buddy to keep you accountable to your Autoimmune Strong videos!

3. Priorities: We spend our time doing the things we think are important, right? So, if you consider exercise to be important to your health management, then you will make sure to do it. Set exercise as your priority for at least 3 days per week, and you will be more likely to squeeze it in.

4. Make it Fun:  Find a yoga class you like, or go for a walk with a friend. Personally, I like to take my kids to the playground and play chase- they think it's fun, and I get a workout in. I have even been known to do my Autoimmune Strong exercises at night in front of the TV- that way I can catch up on my shows while moving my body. You may need to try a few different things to see what you like best. Maybe rock climbing is your sport and you didn't even know it!

5. A Little Goes a Long Way: For those of us with little to no time, or extreme pain and fatigue- this one is for you. You don't have to "hit the gym" to get fit. Stand on one leg while you are in line at the deli counter. Take breaks and practice your abdominal bracing in your office. Get a standing desk. Practice a few sun salutations when you wake up, or before bed. Plank 1x a day. These are all examples of useful movements you can squeeze in during the day. 

I believe in movement every day, anywhere! Click HERE to follow me on Facebook to see all the random places I do my Autoimmune Strong moves to keep my body healthy- and check out my post on abdominal bracing at my son's soccer practice. 

4 Easy Exercises to Reduce Stiffness & Pain

We all have been told over and over again that daily exercise is good for us. And yes- it is indeed true. And it stands true even more for people with autoimmune disorders, as daily movement has been shown to have a major impact on the reduction of physical and metal symptoms of autoimmune disease and other chronic pain disorders such as fibromyalgia and lyme disease. (click here to read more on this topic)   

However, all us of suffering from these chronic pain disorders know that we DO perform daily exercise, and that it doesn't always feel good. In fact, daily activities that require movement, like walking, climbing stairs, carrying groceries, all of these activities can cause pain. During my times of my most heightened symptoms, I learned that these daily exercise activities were hurting me, rather than helping me. 

But the question is why? If daily exercise is good for us, why did I dread having to climb up the stairs to go to bed every night? 

Well, the answer is that not all exercise is created equal. It is not just daily exercise that can make us better, it's the proper daily exercise that can make us better.

You see, we all have postural misalignment. It's inevitable in today's modern society- we sit at desks all day staring at computers, we look at our phones, we drive our cars- and all of these positions reinforce some muscles to be tight and others to be weaker. Eventually, the tight/weak muscles imbalance becomes one that is chronic and difficult to undo. And every time we move, we compound this tight/weak muscle relationship instead of undoing it. So, even going for a walk could cause or aggravate pain. This holds true for all people, but for autoimmune and chronic pain sufferers, the pain is greater, making even a gentle exercise like walking feel impossible. 

So, while daily exercise is important, it is more important to use exercise to correct these imbalances. Once the imbalances aren't so major, the basic daily activities discussed above won't hurt so much.

There are many ways to work on correcting these imbalances. Stretching is the best place to start. You could get a deep tissue massage, which would release some of your tight muscles, or you could try a yoga class.   

Here, I am going to give you my 4 favorite exercises to start bringing your body back into balance. Three are stretches, to work on the tight neck, shoulders, back and hips. The last is a butt booster- since our glutes and hamstrings- are often the weakest part of a person's body. 

1. Neck Stretch: Sit or stand with a straight back. Place your right hand on your head, and use that hand to gently pull your neck towards your shoulder while you keep facing forward. Hold for 30 seconds, and then repeat on the left side.

2. Forward Fold: Standing straight up, feet hip width or wider, pull your belly button in, and raise your arms to the ceiling. Then start bending your body at the hips, folding forward. Bend your knees, let your arms neck and head fall forward and release. Hang for as long as feels good, and then slowly, pulling your belly button in, squeeze your bum and lift your body back up. 

3. Hip Flexor Stretch: Kneeling on the floor (or on a yoga mat or towel for more padding), place the right foot out on the floor in front of you, knee bent. Sit up all, and lean forward toward the bent knee, and you should feel the stretch in your left groin and upper thigh area. Hold for 30 seconds and then switch legs. 

4. Glute Bridge: Lie on your back on the floor, rug or a mat, with your feet on the floor and your knees bent, pointing to the ceiling. Lift you bum off the ground, pressing your feet into the floor. Hold for 30 seconds.   

Here is the thing about these exercises: doing them once in awhile probably won't help. Your muscle imbalances have been there for a long time, and so it will take some time to undo their tension. However, if you commit to these three stretches every day, you should see, and most importantly, feel some change in your body. Stiffness and pain should dissipate, and ease of motion should return. And that is a good thing. :)  

And for those of you who want video instruction on these exercises, sign up for the free trial here, and you will find these exercises (and many many more!) in the Autoimmune Strong program. 

Strengthening the Core: Pelvic Floor

The pelvic floor is totally underestimated.

In this kick-off post for the Autoimmune Strong blog, I wanted to talk more about the core. Get it? An apple core? Ok, but seriously, I wanted to give you more information about one of my most essential foundations, Abdominal Bracing. And you don’t even need to be a member to learn how to do this Abdominal Bracing Technique- just download my free video by scrolling to the bottom of the homepage (click here) and you can follow along while I teach this important technique.

I talk in the video a little bit about why the Abdominal Bracing technique is important, but I want to expand upon that topic here. You see, most of us have poor posture from spending our days sitting in our chairs (I know I did!). For the general population of people, poor posture can cause a number of problems, such as back pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, sciatica, bursitis, etc. However, this is magnified for people with chronic pain issues caused by Autoimmune Disease, Fibromyalgia, Lyme, and other such conditions. This Autoimmune Strong population often has a higher sensation of pain due to our malfunctioning organs, nervous system and immune system. So, for us, poor posture can cause a cascade of extremely painful physical problems.  

How do we fix poor posture? Well, we start with strengthening the core. But not in the old school, traditional way.  Most people think that the way to strengthen the core is through sit-ups or crunches. Well, I am here to dispel that myth right now. Sit-ups and crunches only exacerbate the problem. You see, sit-ups and crunches work the rectus abdominis, which is the muscle down the front of the core that connects the lower rib cage to the hips. I consider this muscle to be a “glamour” muscle- as it really contributes most to the appearance of a 6 pack, not to the actual strength and support needed by the core. And more over, we are not 1 dimensional beings. Our front muscles are not the only muscles that need to be worked in our core. Our sides and our back matter too- otherwise we will just end up with a super imbalanced core instead of a strong healthy well rounded core. Plus, when beginning an exercise regime, sit-ups and crunches can be too aggressive for people with immune and nerve problems- they can be overtaxing and put us at risk for flare-up.

So, for us to have complete core strength in a way that won’t overwork our system, all the core muscles need to work in harmony in a gentle but firm way. This includes:

• the rectus abdominis: located down the front of your core, connecting your lower ribs to the hip bone
• the transverse abdominis: the deepest core muscle, wraps around the entire core, front to back, like a corset, and holds all of your organs in place
• the internal and external obliques: responsible for all your side movements, important for twisting and turning safely
• the multifidus and the erector spinae: both are spinal support muscles and are critical for the strengthening our core muscles in our backs
• the pelvic floor: located at the base of the core, holding all our organs snugly inside our core

This is why the abdominal bracing technique is essential- it activates all of these core muscles at one time, strengthening the deepest core muscles all the way around the entire body, in a gentle way that won’t overwork the body. So, I encourage you to really consider practicing this exercise- it can really impact your posture, which can impact your experience of pain.

For those of you who are working on the practice of abdominal bracing already, I want throw in a new exercise to help you along.  This is an exercise to isolate the pelvic floor- the “squeeze” part of the abdominal bracing “tuck, suck & squeeze”. This “squeeze” is essential for the abdominal brace to be most effective, and for many of us, it is the hardest part.  (Watch the video if you don’t know what I mean by “squeeze”!)

What is the pelvic floor? It’s a muscle located at the base of your core, in between your legs. In women, it connects from the pelvic bone in the front to the coccyx bone at the base of your spine. It’s shaped like a hammock and its job is to hold your pelvic organs in place- the uterus, vagina, bladder and bowels.

We hear about the pelvic floor for women all the time, especially before and after childbirth. But I want to shout from the rooftops- men have pelvic floors too! And they are just as important.  In men, the pelvic floor supports the bladder and bowels and forms the bottom of the core, holding all of the organs up and supported.

The exercise I am about to present is a pelvic floor exercise for both men and women. It’s called the Kegel. That’s right, folks! Men can do Kegels too.

So, here is how you do it. It’s really quite simple, you can do it anywhere, and it’s very effective.

Step 1: “Squeeze” your pelvic floor muscle, like you are holding in your pee.

Step 2: Release.

Step 3. Rest.

Step 4. Repeat. As often as you can.  

See? Very simple. You can do this while sitting in your office chair, or driving your car. The best part is- nobody will know that you are exercising your pelvic floor! It’s like your own little secret.

As this gets easier, you can experiment with making the Kegels harder. It is most easily accomplished while sitting down, so you can start there. Then you can progress to do it while standing up. This puts more pressure on the muscle, requiring it to work a little harder to contract. You can also hold for longer periods of time (I recommend starting with a 5 second hold, and when that gets easy, move to a 10 second hold, and onwards). You can also experiment with holding your Kegels while in motion. Try it while walking, doing the dishes, cooking dinner, walking through the market- really you can do it anywhere! It is harder to maintain the “squeeze” while in motion, but getting good at that is our ultimate goal.

So, start doing your Kegels. Have fun. Your core will thank you.

And please- let me know how it goes!

Share your funny Kegel stories below.

Or, join the Autoimmune Strong Facebook Group and let's chat about your Kegels there!