602: What you need to know about pelvic floor health | Sara Reardon, PT, DPT

“Look at the symptoms you thought were just 'normal for being a woman'—they’re actually related to your pelvic floor health,” explains Sara Reardon, PT, DPT.  Reardon, doctor of physical therapy and board-certified pelvic floor specialist, is on a mission to normalize pelvic floor conversations and revolutionize the care we receive—at every age and stage. In this episode we cover everything from how to strengthen and support your pelvic floor to the truth about kegels and so much more:   - Misconceptions about the pelvic floor (~1:40) - Assessing pelvic floor health (~2:22) - How to improve pelvic floor health (~4:20) - The truth about Kegels (~6:30) - Strengthening vs relaxation (~8:10) - Breath, resistance training, & the pelvic floor (~10:35) - Pelvic floor health by decade (~14:15) - Optimal bathroom habits (~17:00) - What to avoid for your pelvic floor health (~18:45) - Eye-opening statistics (~20:20) - Reardon’s story (~24:15) - Hormone replacement therapy (~26:15) - Data that deserves more attention (~30:30) -  Integrating pelvic floor therapy into healthcare (~32:45) - Strength training & pelvic floor exercises (~34:30) Referenced in the episode:  - Follow Reardon on Instagram (@the.vagina.whisperer)  - Check out her website (https://thevagwhisperer.com/)  - Pick up her book Floored  This episode of the mindbodygreen podcast was created in partnership with MassMutual. MassMutual believes in helping people live well—so they can live more. Learn more at MassMutual.com/Wellness. We hope you enjoy this episode, and feel free to watch the full video on YouTube! Whether it's an article or podcast, we want to know what we can do to help here at mindbodygreen. Let us know at: [e-mail]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices