Introduction to the Hypopressives Method

I've been practising Hypopressives for 5 years.  I actually came across it 18 years ago when I was looking for things to help with pelvic organ prolapse.  I discounted it at first because it looked weird and I didn't see how it could work

But I got the chance to try it out at a conference early in 2017 and enjoyed how much lighter I felt afterwards.

That's what the name means - a reduction of pressure.

Traditional core training can cause an increase in pressure.  And if you have any dysfunction in your core - diastasis recti, hernia, incontinence, prolapse or back pain - increased pressure can make these worse.

In fact, when I prolapsed crunches were the first thing I gave up, along with high impact

After the conference I practised off and on - basically any time I felt 'a bit prolapsey'.

A year later, at the same conference, I decided to train in the technique.

That evening after the training, whilst sitting in my hotel room, I realised that my stomach felt like I was sucking it in!  I wasn't but for the first time since I'd had kids, my core muscles were doing what they were designed to!  It was like I was wearing a corset!

After that I did an intensive two months of practise and the more I trained, the more benefits there were:

• I had a decrease in prolapse symptoms
• sneezing and coughing had no effect
• my pelvic floor lifts felt stronger
• my waist measurement decreased
• my stomach became more toned
• I felt stronger when doing exercise

Five years on and with consistent practice I am seeing even more benefits. I don't get any prolapse symptoms these days and am confident that I will avoid surgery.

I love the start to my day - breathing practice, gentle exercise and easing out my body.  Practising regularly has also helped with back and joint pain

It's helped to keep me relaxed - it's great for anxiety because of the focus on the breath

It's improved my posture, especially my shoulders, which have a much better range of movement. 

And I have managed to add impact to my workouts at home and have upped my weights - all without any deleterious effects on my pelvic floor.