This World Menopause Day, Kegel8 Founder and Managing Director, Stephanie Taylor, was invited to the BBC to talk about the importance of a positive menopause experience, and the power of the pelvic floor.
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Stephanie spoke to BBC Radio Humberside host, Lucy Clark, about the taboo that surrounds the menopause, why we need to break it, and the role of the pelvic floor within the transition.
Kegel8 Managing Director said:
“Menopause is a key trigger for weakening the pelvic floor because of hormone changes within the body.
“We do forget to exercise the muscles on our pelvic floor. We only usually know that they’re there when we start having a problem.
“PositivePause is a campaign that is built around a group of physiotherapists called Pelvic Roar, and also Hot Flush; a group of us getting together and trying to sell the positive sides of menopause. We hear so many negative things, we don’t necessarily want to medicate it with HRT, but we just want women and men to know what the symptoms are so that they can handle it.”
Menopause and Weight Gain
Stephanie also spoke about the problems of weight gain during the menopause;
“As soon as we hit menopause, we can put on 4 pounds in a year without changing our eating habits.
“[This weight gain] is bad news for the pelvic floor because if we carry too much weight, it puts a pressure on our pelvic floor, and it means that our bladder and bowels are more likely to leak. 1 in 3 women leak, 1 in 4 men leak.
“Educate yourself, find out what you need to do. Stay active, see your doctor. There are menopause clinics that are set up to help women understand the symptoms. Get a proper diagnosis and then do something about it.”
Don't Pad the Problem
Stephanie also highlighted the dangers of trusting pad manufacturers;
“One of the challenges that we have in society is that women think it’s ok to use pads. So that if they have an oops moment or if they leak when they sneeze, all of these are symptoms of a weak pelvic floor. Those symptoms will get worse. The woman could then go onto have a prolapse. 63% of women who suffer with incontinence will actually have a prolapse.
“Please do not pad the problem. It’s not a normal part of aging. Our body’s will really benefit if we do something about it.”
Listen to the full interview below:
To learn more about the symptoms of menopause, visit Hot Flush for further information.
Let us know your opinions about the menopause and help us break the taboo!
