Episode 1886 - Pelvic floor considerations for the ultra runner

Dr. Heather Salzer // #ICEPelvic // www.ptonice.com  In today's episode of the PT on ICE Daily Show, ICE Pelvic faculty member Heather Salzer discusses that ultramarathon runners often exhibit a unique level of physical and mental endurance that enables them to tackle extreme distances, sometimes exceeding 100 miles. Heather discusses the concept that this capacity remains intact during the postpartum period as she recounts a personal experience with a woman she met during the Chuckanut 50K ultramarathon, who was five months postpartum and still performing exceptionally well. This runner had trained throughout her pregnancy and was accustomed to longer distances, making the 31-mile race feel relatively short for her. Heather reinforces that healthcare and fitness professionals often harbor preconceived notions about what postpartum athletes can or cannot achieve. Underestimating their capabilities can lead to unnecessary restrictions on their training and performance. Heather encourages practitioners to set aside these biases and act as supportive guides for these athletes. By doing so, they can help ultramarathon runners navigate their training safely and effectively, allowing them to pursue their passion without undue limitations. Take a listen to learn how to better serve this population of patients & athletes or check out the full show notes on our blog at www.ptonice.com/blog. If you're looking to learn more about our live pregnancy and postpartum physical therapy courses or our online physical therapy courses, check our entire list of continuing education courses for physical therapy including our physical therapy certifications by checking out our website. Don't forget about all of our FREE eBooks, prebuilt workshops, free CEUs, and other physical therapy continuing education on our Resources tab. Are you looking for more information on how to keep lifting weights while pregnant? Check out the ICE Pelvic bi-weekly newsletter!