When I first “cracked the code” on stabilizing and reversing prolapse, and wrote and published Saving the Whole Woman, I set up this forum. While I had finally gotten my own severe uterine prolapse under control with the knowledge I had gained, I didn’t actually know if I could teach other women to do for themselves what I had done for my condition.
So I just started teaching women on this forum. Within weeks, the women started writing back, “It’s working! I can feel the difference!”
From that moment on, the forum became the hub of the Whole Woman Community. Unfortunately, spammers also discovered the forum, along with the thousands of women we had been helping. The level of spamming became so intolerable and time-consuming, we regretfully took the forum down.
Technology never sleeps, however, and we have better tools today for controlling spam than we did just a few years ago. So I am very excited and pleased to bring the forum back online.
If you are already a registered user you may now log in and post. If you have lost your password, just click the request new password tab and follow the directions.
Please review and agree to the disclaimer and the forum rules. Our moderators will remove any posts that are promotional or otherwise fail to meet our guidelines and will block repeat offenders.
Remember, the forum is here for two reasons. First, to get your questions answered by other women who have knowledge and experience to share. Second, it is the place to share your results and successes. Your stories will help other women learn that Whole Woman is what they need.
Whether you’re an old friend or a new acquaintance, welcome! The Whole Woman forum is a place where you can make a difference in your own life and the lives of thousands of women around the world!
Best wishes,
Christine Kent
Founder
Whole Woman
Christine
May 9, 2012 - 9:24pm
Permalink
right on, Curiousity
This is an anatomical reality. When you walk with your feet parallel, your femurs rotate inward toward the midline. The obturator internus muscles, which are continuous with the pelvic floor muscles, elongate and the tailbone lifts.
When you turn your feet (hip joints, really) out, the obturators are contracted. This tends to contract the pelvic floor as well, pulling the tailbone down.
Now...you can get maximum leverage to lift your bladder up and forward by exercising with your hips externally rotated *and* your tailbone lifted by strongly pulling up into WW posture, thus overcoming the tendency of the pelvic floor to shorten.
As far as standing, I often alternate "3rd position" - staying strongly pulled up, but relaxed, with my hips turned out and one heel at the arch of the opposite foot. When you tire, alternate feet.
Good, intuitive work, Curiousity!
Christine
curiousity
May 9, 2012 - 9:48pm
Permalink
thanks Christine
I'll experiment with the 3rd position :-)
Surviving60
May 10, 2012 - 6:20am
Permalink
confusion re: turnout
I found this exchange a little confusing because Curiosity was not making a distinction between walking and standing posture. My interpretation of the question/answer is this: Walking should be done with feet parallel and not turned out, but when you are standing and/or exercising, turnout from the hips is very beneficial. We all know that turnout is used extensively in the workouts. But we aren't supposed to walk that way. Please someone tell me if I'm incorrect, because it's really really central to the program.
Christine
May 10, 2012 - 9:06am
Permalink
turnout - the longer story
Good clarification, Surviving - thank you.
We are basically forward and outwardly propelled beings. Rarely do we turn our feet in, or pigeon toed. Even if you never exercise with turnout, you still use this. Say you are walking with your feet pointing straight ahead and you suddenly change direction. Look down and your feet will be externally rotated. If you are in very poor condition you may actually "pull something" in your knee or around your hip joint from making such a sudden move.
Here is where "training" becomes so important. In order not to have your hips/knees/ankles subject to injury, your leg should be aligned such that the relationship between your thigh/knee/foot is exactly the same externally rotated as it is parallel. Absolutely nothing changes except rotation *at the hip joint*.
Most women cannot achieve this level of alignment when turned out because their lateral gluteals (medius and minimus) are weak from lots of sitting and un-externally rotated exercise.
Exercising with turnout (and pulled up into WW posture) creates a level of strength that allows the torso to be comfortably seated over the hip joints in both parallel and turned out positions.
You can then stand either parallel or comfortably turned out because the muscles around your hip joints are holding you up into WW posture. The only way walking with turnout is beneficial is when you are keeping this alignment, which looks more like dance than a natural walk - something we just wouldn't do.
Hope this helps..
Christine
Surviving60
May 10, 2012 - 9:43am
Permalink
Turning out
Thanks Christine, I couldn't let this pass without clarification because it is a near and dear subject for me. I have always tended to be pigeon-toed, and when I have dabbled in ballet (as I have on two occasions in my adult life), I have sensed that working on turnout was beneficial. WW posture has helped me most of all. My best standing and exercising poses are those where I am turned out, while being careful not to turn my feet farther than my hips can go (I actually had a painful event in one class a few years ago, such as you describe). Now, I understand even more that this extra benefit stems from that act of "overcoming" the shortened pelvic floor. This is all part of my "torso seated over the hip joints" milestone that I've been raving about. Love that posture!!!