Hypermobility & Pelvic Floor: What Active Women Should Know — with DR. BROOKE WINDER

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the Active Mom Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Brooke Winder, physical therapist and Associate Professor at California State University Long Beach, where she leads the Dance Science program and mentors young dancers on optimizing their health, performance, and injury prevention.Brooke specializes in supporting artistic athletes—including dancers, aerialists, and circus performers—through orthopedic rehabilitation, pelvic floor physical therapy, and hypermobility management.We dive into her research on pelvic floor function in performing artists, explore the unique physical demands of dance, aerial work, and circus arts, and unpack how hypermobility, high-tone pelvic floors, and systemic conditions like POTS and MCAS intersect in this population.Brooke also shares strategies for pregnancy and postpartum recovery in hypermobile bodies, plus how to stay strong, stable, and resilient across every stage of life—from peak performance years to parenting and beyond.In this episode, we cover:🔹 Systemic issues linked to hypermobility🔹 Building support and stability at end ranges of motion🔹 Pelvic floor challenges unique to dancers and circus artists🔹 Strategies to manage a high-tone pelvic floor🔹 Staying active and mobile through all stages of lifeWhether you’re a performing artist, a former dancer or gymnast, or a mom navigating postpartum recovery, this conversation will give you the tools and insights to make your flexibility work for you—not against you.Time Stamps1:00 Introduction6:04 hypermobility in the dance community9:00 mobility after dance13:10 the pelvic floor and dance27:06 circus performers and aerialists30:32 hypermobility explained34:38 POTS and MCAS42:06 neurodivergence and hypermobility46:08 dancers in pregnancy and postpartum50:48 looking at a survey study60:28 rapid fire questionsCONNECT WITH CARRIEIG: https://www.instagram.com/carriepagliano/Website: https://carriepagliano.comCONNECT WITH BROOKE:Website: www.renewmotionpt.comIG: https://www.instagram.com/drbrookewinderpt/The Active Mom Podcast is A Real Moms' Guide to pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause & beyond for active moms & the professionals who help them in their journey.  This show has been a long time in the making!   You can expect conversation with moms and professionals from all aspects of the industry.   If you're like me, you don't have a lot of free time (heck, you're probably listening at 1.5x speed), so theses interviews will be quick hits to get your the pertinent information FAST!  If you love what you hear, share the podcast with a friend and leave us a 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and review. It helps us become more visible in the search algorithm! (Helps us get seen by more moms that need to hear these stories!!!!)