Health Organization for Pudendal Education

Has anyone tried swimming for exercise? I used to be a huge exerciser until PN and now don't know what to do to keep my heart healthy and my weight down. Is swimming safe for PN'ers? Any luck with any other exercises? I have heard of some people being ok w/ the ellyptical but have been told to stay away from it also. Thank you!

Stephanie

I swim laps. Just NO frog kicks.

Stephanie,

Swimming is awesome! See my post below about it. The elliptical is a no-go. Power walking is also good, but no walking up hills! Lifting weights, even light ones, IMHO are out of the question.

Good luck with the swimming!

http://www.pudendalhope.org/forum/viewt ... 372#p11013

Thanks for the replies. I will definitely give it a go. I have swam/walked in the pool 2 times now but am just so anxious as to cause a flare but will now be less anxious about it. Thanks!!

So Lernica, i need to ask about the weight lifting you mentioned, even light ones. What is IMHO? and why is even lifting very light weights bad? And, do u know why the elliptical is bad? Is there too much hip flexion? Thanks!!

Stephanie

IMHO = "in my humble opinion"

I will do my best to answer your questions. I'm not a doc or a physiotherapist so I may not be right.

Weight lifting is not good because your ligaments/muscles/tendons, when contracting, may compress on your pudendal nerve. I cannot even lift a pound without feeling it in my sacrum and hips. Elliptical is also not good, I think for the same reason. Because of our condition, there is only a miniscule amount of room around the nerve (if any at all) and if you strain to, e.g., lift things, or cough, or sneeze, or have a bowel movement, you will compress the nerve.

Great explanation Lernica, i would like to add one other thing to your list and that is strangely enough laughing loudly which seems for me to really pinch something inside me and has caused a big flare up for me this weekend.....I was looking at old photographs with my Sister and it has hurt me so much.

Swimming is great to take the weight off the sore and aching muscles however the Breaststroke is to be avoided as its been reported by many of us PN'ers to cause extreme pain. Its not easy to exercise without causing more pain...!!!!

Stephanie,

Please be sure not to do too much legwork while swimming. I tend to do very little legwork and instead swim mostly with my arms (containing the second largest muscle in the body and hence good for aerobics). If I kick too much it hurts my sacrum and hips. So I use a flotation device between my legs every second length.

For the same reason I have not attempted water running or walking. I am sure it would flare me up.

Amanda, laughing gets at my nerve too! Stephanie P

Lernica, I also swimg with a pull buoy between my legs as I have to be very careful how much leg work I do when swimming laps. If I'm having a bad day I just put on a flotation belt and hang out in the deep end of the pool and just gently move around or do nothing.

Swimming is wonderful and probably the best activity. There are a few things to watch however. If the water is very cold, we tend to contract our muscles and that can affect the pudendal nerve negatively. But most important the chemicals used in pools (especially in crowded public pools) can irritate our nerves.