Exercise for Weight Loss

Hi Rachy,
You can go ahead and try some different exercise and see how it feels prolapse-wise, but most of those machines in a gym are not prolapse friendly. The general rule to follow is if you can't maintain the posture, don't do it, but walking, biking, and running tend to be the most prolapse friendly exercises to engage in. In fact, Christine does show running in the First Aid for Prolapse, as well as the third wheel yoga, and blossom series.

The first step really is getting the posture down well, and the First Aid for Prolapse has great practical information as well as strengthening exercises to get you on your way to a nice strong posture.

Hi Rachy,
I did the posture for a long time before adding exercises to further my strength and flexibility.

If you live in the posture, your whole body will function better, with your spine the correct shape, your internal organs free to function properly in their natural space and position.

This will help you breath better through your nose, your body will be held strongly, yet relaxed and not tense like with the conventional posture with pulled in stomach etc.

AND it will help you with your weight and overall shape, as you will have a better functioning body.

I live in the posture as a foundation to this work & Christine's DVDs as an adjunct to this. Her approach is holistic and I needed to see how far I could get with it and so far it ticks ALL the boxes.

I have enough knowledge now of what to look for in other approaches like in gyms and running, even yoga and dance. I can usually pick unhelpful positions, philosophies and terminology within minutes of looking at them more closely. If not done with WW principles, it won't help my rectocele, hips and whole body in general...

The only exercises in my research, ( Christine uses a modified bicycle to ride in WWP), which come close apart from walking & running the Whole Woman way is some swimming as long as the chin isn't lifted up, & Scottish Country Dancing.
Square dancing is done with walking so it would pass as long as it is done in the posture.

Even so the shoes for Scottish country dancing are not wide at the toe box.
I managed to find Butterfly Twist flat shoes as I also didn't want leather will do so far.

Some of the warm down exercises I will not do as they don't make sense the WW way, and I make sure that my foot turn out has my knees over the 2nd and third toe, which protects the knees from strain.

The posture required for this dancing is WW right down to leading with the torso, and Christine advocates exercising with hip turn out, which is included and we also dance on toes. Brilliant!

I have gone to my Mum's gym with her ( she is 82 this yr) and I do my WW DVDs from memory on the mats, in the gym machine room, and have asked to go barefoot as most gyms have a shoe policy..... the foot is completely overlooked with its part in overall physical health.... I did some of her seniors' exercise class done on mats and modified a few of the exercises not compatible with WW.

My advice is to not focus on weight loss but health and well being first.
Study Christine's approach...she also has dietary advice and lifestyle advice on her DVDs not just exercises, and much information on this site.
Then you will be equipped with a sound foundation of knowledge to discern what is conducive to health and exercise the conventional way, adapting it if possible. Some teachers wouldn't allow me to adapt so I moved on...

All the best,

Aussie Soul Sister

I have found this is much more easily accomplished through dietary improvements, than by trying to burn it off, so to speak. Ditch the sugar, refined carbs and processed foods; eat lots of leafy greens, healthy omega 3 fats....do your own research and see what works for you. I have lost 30 pounds in the last year, solely through fixing my diet; exercise actually played no part in this whatever (I'm embarrassed to say). Exercise to stay fit and healthy in a way that protects your pelvic organs and supports the posture (Soul Sis, great post!) but don't rely on that for weight loss. "Calories in vs. calories out" has been shown to be a false concept. - Surviving

Rachy 16, & Surviving,
Christine does Scottish Country Dancing, and I eventually found a group..The Royal Scottish Country Dancing Society is the one to look for.
And you will never guess where I am from.... a happy co - incidence, as my main reason for doing this dancing is because it ticks the boxes with WWP and principles!
It is great exercise, quite strenuous...I have been doing just Christine's posture and later adding her DVDs and now being able to add other activities like this carefully to avoid injury.

I was able today to fill and take several wheelbarrow - fulls of mulch up a fairly steep property using WWP and what I have gained in strength so far. Another achievement I would have never dreamed of when I started WW....

Congratulations Surviving on that achievement. What we choose to eat certainly has an effect on weight, health and well - being!

All the best,
Aussie Soul Sister

Soul Sis, I did check it out, and shockingly, there is a branch of this organization only 75 miles away. Unfortunately, given the logistics of my life at present, it might as well be in Siberia. I will put it on my wish list! Wonder if I could teach myself from YouTube? - Surviving

Oh Surviving what a shame,
There are only a few Scottish country dancing instructional videos on youtube. It is often danced with a group, but you could learn the footwork & dance with yourself or a friend.

Christine's Faerie dance is very similar, and the dancing she demonstrates in her studio on the 1st Aid DVD is great too.

I realize how very lucky I am to have classes near me..I am not very good at it yet, but am persevering!

Aussie Soul Sister