Workouts vs. Posture Training

Body: 

I apologize in advance if this is covered elsewhere, 3 or 4 searches didn't reveal the answer.

I have the First Aid for Prolapse video. Am I correct to say the exercise program on that video is mainly designed to improve one's ability to maintain WW posture?

I have been using the posture for about 3 months, but not using the exercise program. Might I see more improvements if I began to use the exercise program as well?

Also, I am generally out of shape and would like to be doing some strength training and cardio. Should that be a separate endeavour from training for the posture? Or would the FAFP exercises accomplish both goals (it doesn't seem very intensive, strength-wise).

Any resources for abdominal exercises that are WW-friendly? (maybe there are some in the video, I apologize, I haven't reviewed it in some time)

Thank you in advance.

Forum:

Hi Lemontree,
The First Aid for Prolapse exercises are a great help in lengthening and strengthening the body into whole woman posture, but maintaining the posture the best you can throughout the day, and especially some good strong whole woman walking is a great way to work on those posture principles.
You are right, the whole woman exercises are not like the usual strength and cardio exercises out there, but on the other hand, they work the body in a very fluid and therapeutic way, from toe to head, really stretching and working those muscle groups for the better. I have incorporated them mostly into my daily routine, but I get my main exercise from walking, hiking, and biking.
If you are talking about core strength training, that is a whole other animal, based on a man's anatomy, and definitely not prolapse friendly for women.
Christine does have more specific abdominal exercises in her Third Wheel Yoga DVD, but I have noticed from doing all of her videos, that they all offer an abdominal workout, just not in the traditional crunches that we have become accustomed to. The abdominals actually feel like they are being lengthened rather than tightened in a specific area. I had recently pulled out my Goddess Belly DVD and gave it a go. Afterwards, I did feel quite a bit of tightening in my abdominal muscles, but of course in a different way.
Hope that makes sense and helps you to better understand what our bodies are really meant to do.

Full disclosure alert....... In my 6+ years doing the WW work, I have gone through several LLLOOOOONG stretches of time when I wasn't doing any exercise workouts at all. Christine has reminded us many times, this is not primarily an exercise program. The exercises support the posture, and it's all about the posture. Just as you have said.

That being said, and particularly only 3 months in, you would no doubt be maximizing your progress and benefits if you did make it a point to work out when you can. Not just for the prolapse, but for your whole body health and well-being. But any way you slice it, you are better off doing what you're doing, than another woman who might be fixated on the exercise piece, and not even grasping the posture itself....maybe not even exercising in posture.

I find I can get a great cardio workout from Whole Woman running, which I often do indoors by simply running in place (on toes, in excellent posture). I can really get my heart pumping, and I can keep it up as long as I need to.

I also do think that weight-bearing exercise is important for many reasons. That's why a profound understanding of WW posture trumps everything else in the exercise department.....because you can adapt pretty much any exercise activity to be prolapse-friendly, if you truly "get" the posture. - Surviving

Thanks for the info ladies :)