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Pelvic Floor, Core & More | Healing Beyond Kegels: Core Rehab, Prenatal Fitness, Birth Prep, Postpartum Recovery, Nervous System Regulation, and Holistic Self-Care for Moms: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Dr. Desiree Cassell | Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist, Women’s Health Specialist, Strong and Fit Momma
The podcast where nervous system healing meets pelvic floor rehab. Helping you LOVE movement again and LIVE WITHOUT PAIN, PRESSURE or PEEING YOUR PANTS! I’m Dr. Desiree Cassell — pelvic floor physical therapist, mom of 3, and your guide to embodied, empowered healing after birth. (And don’t worry, you don’t have to have birthed a child or even be a mom to benefit from this show. This is here for ALL Women, mom or not, Fit or Weak) Here, we go way beyond kegels. You’ll learn how to: 💫 Heal pelvic floor symptoms like leaking (incontinence), prolapse (POP), and pain (Dyspareunia, Vulvodynia etc) 💫 Rebuild core strength without making symptoms worse 💫 Move through pregnancy and postpartum with confidence and connection 💫 Use breath, fascia, and nervous system tools for real, full-body restoration 💫 Shift from surviving to thriving in your body — all during your daily routine After healing my own prolapse, leaking, and diastasis (that no one warned me about), I made it my mission to make sure no woman is brushed off or left behind again. Because these symptoms might be common — but they are NOT normal. It is time to get you out of those pads and back to loving movement again.... yes even jumping on the trampoline. Put your earbuds in, grab a glass of water, roll out your mat, and let’s connect💫 Women’s Health & Wellness | Prenatal Fitness | Postpartum Recovery | Pelvic Floor Exercises | Holistic Whole Body Healing | Breathwork | Fascia Release | Emotional Embodiment | Restore Your Core | Somatic Healing | Pregnancy
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- 2 days ago21 min
212- Healing Beyond Kegels Is HERE // Why I Created This Free Masterclass
Healing Beyond Kegels is officially LIVE! 🎉 But why did Dr. Des create another pelvic floor resource when there's already SO much information out there? Because more information isn't necessarily what women need. In this episode, Dr. Des explores why pelvic floor health has become so confusing, what gets missed when symptoms are reduced to exercises, and why understanding your body may be a better place to start than searching for the “perfect” exercise. In This Episode We Explore Why more pelvic floor information doesn't always create more clarity How symptoms get oversimplified into exercise prescriptions Why the pelvic floor can't be understood in isolation How overthinking breathing, bracing, posture, and movement can actually decrease confidence Why the same symptom doesn't automatically mean the same solution The shift from immediately fixing your body to getting curious about it Why Dr. Des created the free Healing Beyond Kegels masterclass Why This Matters Pelvic floor education should help you feel more confident in your body—not more afraid of doing something wrong. When you understand how the pieces of your body interact, exercises and recommendations can start having context instead of feeling like another random thing to try. The Big Takeaway Before asking: “What exercise should I do?” Try asking: “What am I noticing—and what changes when I change something?” Understanding doesn't mean you'll never need strengthening. It means strengthening finally has context. Ready to Understand the Bigger Picture? Healing Beyond Kegels is now available FREE inside the Pelvic Floor, Core & More app! 🎉 Come learn how your pelvic floor, core, breath, pressure, movement, and symptoms fit into a bigger picture—and try the Connection Experiment for yourself. 👉 [WATCH HEALING BEYOND KEGELS FREE] Connection First. Intention Over Perfection. This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment. Want More Support? Inside the Pelvic Floor, Core & More App, we focus on helping women build strength, coordination, stability, and confidence in their bodies through a whole-body approach to pelvic floor and core health. With symptom tracking features, FREE Masterclasses, On-Demand programs like RECONNECT and RESTORE and a resource library (still in beta stages so be patient with me LOTS more will be added), the PCM app is a supportive and encouraging place for you to ask me questions and continue to understand and heal your body! Did I mention it’s FREE?! ✨ Learn more here: https://balancedmomtality.com/the-app ✨ Next Steps: 📲 Download the Pelvic Floor, Core & More App → for guided breathwork, mobility, and strength progressions you can do at home. - Download PCM App iTunes: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pelvic-floor-core-more/id6740750561 - Download PCM App Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pqw8e051gua.pmh8skrtsapp&pcampaignid=web_share Or Access Inside the web Browser: https://pelvic-floor-core-more.passion.io/ Want a Guided Healing and Rehab Program to Help You Reconnect and RESTORE? 💎 Learn More About RESTORE below, my 12-week program that walks you step by step through pelvic floor and core healing — so you can stop leaking, reduce prolapse symptoms, and feel strong again. https://balancedmomtality.com/restore 💖 Or Want Personalized 1:1 Coaching and Support? Book a virtual or in-person women’s health coaching/pelvic floor physical therapy session tailored to YOU. 📧 Email: PTDes@balancedmomtality.com 🎧 Don’t forget to subscribe to Pelvic Floor, Core & More so you never miss an empowering episode about pelvic floor health, core strength, and whole-body healing. 👉 If this episode resonated with you, share it with a mom friend who needs to hear that healing is possible. And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an empowering conversation about pelvic health, core strength, and whole-body healing. 🌿 Join the Momtality Community: 👯♀️ Free Facebook Group: Balanced Momtality Wellness + Support 💌 Get on the VIP list: https://newsletter-landing-page-68820.getresponsesite.com/
- 1 weeks ago19 min
211- Your Leaking, But What If Your Pelvic Floor Isn’t Actually the Whole Problem?
You leak? Must be your pelvic floor. Your back hurts? Must be your back. Your hip hurts? Work on your hip. Your core feels weak? Better do some abs. But what if we've been zooming in so far on individual symptoms and body parts that we're missing the bigger picture? Your body doesn't actually live in separate little boxes. Your pelvic floor is responding while you breathe, move, lift, walk, exercise, go to the bathroom, manage stress, and live your actual life. So in this episode of Pelvic Floor, Core & More, we're zooming OUT. We're talking about why the location of a symptom doesn't always tell us the entire story, what happens when we start looking for relationships instead of isolated problems, and why another random exercise from Instagram might not be the missing piece you've been searching for. Because sometimes the problem isn't that you haven't found the right exercise. You may be missing the context that makes the exercise make sense. In This Episode We Explore Why we tend to think about our bodies as separate parts The difference between where you feel a symptom and the bigger picture surrounding it Why your pelvic floor doesn't work independently from the rest of your body How changing one thing can sometimes change something somewhere else What your breath, movement, tension, symptoms, and daily habits may reveal when we look at them together Why noticing relationships can give us useful information without automatically telling us the “cause” Why random exercises can leave you feeling even MORE confused The difference between collecting exercises and understanding what your body needs Why context matters when deciding what movement, exercise, or strategy may be appropriate The question that can help you start looking at your symptoms differently Why This Matters We separate the body into categories because it helps us study, teach, diagnose, and treat different conditions. But your body doesn't experience your day as a collection of specialties. Your body doesn't say: “Oh, sorry. This is a hip problem. Pelvic floor, you can clock out.” 😂 Everything is happening inside one person. And that means sometimes it's helpful to zoom out. Maybe changing how you breathe changes the pressure you feel. Maybe your symptoms are different when you're exhausted. Maybe changing your position changes what you feel. Maybe constipation affects your pelvic floor symptoms. Maybe you stop gripping during a movement and suddenly it feels completely different. None of those observations automatically gives us a diagnosis. But they do give us information. And when one thing changes and something else responds, that relationship may be worth getting curious about. 🌿 Ready to Finally Connect the Dots? Over the past few weeks, I've been asking you to get curious about your body. We've talked about symptoms. We've talked about posture and movement. We've talked about bladder changes. We've talked about strength. We've talked about what it actually means to listen to your body. And maybe you're finally getting a little annoyed with me and thinking: “Okay, Dr. Des. I GET IT. There's more to this…but HOW does it all fit together?!” 😂 Perfect. Because that's exactly where I wanted us to get. Healing Beyond Kegels is almost here. This FREE pelvic floor masterclass is where we're going to start connecting those dots—your pelvic floor, core, breath, pressure, and movement—so you can begin seeing the bigger picture of what's happening in YOUR body. Not so you can become a pelvic floor expert. Not so you have another giant list of things you need to fix. But so you can finally have that moment of: “OH. My body finally makes more sense.” Healing Beyond Kegels launches next week. 💛 It's time to stop guessing and start understanding. Connection First. Intention Over Perfection. Want More Support? Inside the Pelvic Floor, Core & More App and RESTORE, we focus on helping women build strength, coordination, stability, and confidence in their bodies through a whole-body approach to pelvic floor and core health. ✨ Learn more here: https://balancedmomtality.com/the-app ✨ Next Steps: 📲 Download the Pelvic Floor, Core & More App → for guided breathwork, mobility, and strength progressions you can do at home. - Download PCM App iTunes: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pelvic-floor-co
- 2 weeks ago18 min
210- Your Doctor Said You Need to Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor…But Do You?
“You just need to strengthen your pelvic floor.” Maybe you've heard this from a doctor, a friend, a trainer—or good ol' Google. 😂 You're leaking? Do Kegels. Feeling pressure? Strengthen your pelvic floor. Had a baby? Your pelvic floor must be weak. But is “weak pelvic floor” really the whole story? In this episode of Pelvic Floor, Core & More, we're challenging the assumption that having a pelvic floor symptom automatically means you need to strengthen your pelvic floor. Because strength absolutely matters—but it's only one part of how a healthy pelvic floor functions. Your pelvic floor also needs to contract, relax, lengthen, coordinate with the rest of your body, and respond appropriately to what you're asking it to do. So before you add another 50 Kegels to your day, let's ask a better question: What does your pelvic floor actually need? In This Episode We Explore Why “weak pelvic floor” can be an incomplete explanation Why having a pelvic floor symptom doesn't automatically tell us what your muscles need The difference between pelvic floor strength and pelvic floor function Why your pelvic floor needs to be able to contract AND relax How doing more isn't always the answer when your body is already working really hard Why leaking, pressure, heaviness, or other symptoms may deserve a closer look before assuming weakness How your pelvic floor works with your breath, core, movement, and the rest of your body Why two women with the same symptom may need completely different approaches The problem with jumping straight from symptom → weak → strengthen A better question to ask when you've been told you need to strengthen your pelvic floor Why This Matters I am NOT telling you that pelvic floor strengthening is bad. Sometimes strength is exactly what we need to work on. What I want to challenge is the assumption that strength is always the answer. Think about everything your pelvic floor has to do throughout your day. It responds when you breathe. When you cough. When you lift. When you run. When you go to the bathroom. When you have sex. When you pick up your kid. When you exercise. Your pelvic floor isn't an isolated muscle sitting at the bottom of your pelvis waiting for you to remember your Kegels. 😂 It's part of a much bigger system. So if you're experiencing symptoms, I don't just want to know: “Is your pelvic floor strong?” I want to know: “What does your pelvic floor need to be able to do better?” The Big Takeaway If you've been told you have a “weak pelvic floor,” you don't need to panic—or immediately throw away your Kegels. 😂 Get curious. What symptom are you actually trying to change? When does it happen? Can you contract your pelvic floor? Can you relax it? What happens during movement? Does more strengthening actually change the symptom? Have you had an individualized assessment to understand what's happening in YOUR body? Because: Strength is one quality of a well-functioning pelvic floor. It isn't the whole definition. And sometimes a much better question than: “How do I make my pelvic floor stronger?” is: “What does my pelvic floor actually need?” 🌿 Ready to Understand the Bigger Picture? If you're listening to this thinking: “Okay, Dr. Des…if pelvic floor healing isn't JUST about strength, what else am I supposed to be looking at?” GOOD. 👀 That's exactly the question I want you asking. And it's exactly why I created Healing Beyond Kegels, my FREE pelvic floor masterclass coming this October. We've reduced pelvic floor healing to strengthening for far too long. Inside Healing Beyond Kegels, I'm going to help you zoom out and start understanding how your pelvic floor, core, breath, pressure, and movement work together—so you can stop guessing about what your body needs. Because sometimes we need to understand before we strengthen. Make sure you're connected with me so you'll be one of the first to know when Healing Beyond Kegels is ready. 💛 Connection First. Intention Over Perfection. This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical care. Pelvic floor symptoms can have multiple causes, and new, persistent, worsening, or concerning symptoms should be discussed with an appropriate healthcare provider. Want More Support? Inside the Pelvic Floor, Core & More App and RESTORE, we focus on helping women build strength, coordination, stability, and confidence
- 2 weeks ago28 min
209- 5 Things Your Body Is Trying to Tell You (And How to Start Listening)
“Listen to your body.” Okay…sounds great. But what the heck are you actually supposed to be listening FOR? 😂 We hear phrases like “listen to your body,” “connect with your core,” and “pay attention to your symptoms” all the time—but if no one has ever taught you how to do that, those words aren't very helpful. In this episode of Pelvic Floor, Core & More, we're making it practical. I'm walking you through five things you can start paying attention to—your breath, symptoms, tension, movement, and recovery—to better understand what your body may be communicating. And no, this isn't about analyzing every little sensation or trying to immediately FIX everything you notice. It's about getting curious. Because when we stop treating every symptom like an isolated problem and start looking at the bigger picture, our bodies can begin to make a whole lot more sense. In This Episode We Explore What “listening to your body” actually means Why noticing should often come before correcting What your breathing patterns can tell you How to get curious about symptoms instead of immediately labeling them as “bad” Why tension isn't automatically a problem The difference between finding the “perfect” movement and giving your body more movement options Why what happens AFTER exercise or activity matters too How your breath, symptoms, tension, movement, and recovery can influence one another Why pelvic floor health is about so much more than Kegels A simple way to start understanding your body without becoming overwhelmed Why This Matters Most of us have gotten really good at trying to fix our bodies. Something hurts? Make it stop. You leak? Strengthen your pelvic floor. Your posture doesn't look right? Correct it. An exercise feels weird? Find a different one. But when we're constantly trying to change the signal before we understand it, we may miss valuable information. Your body isn't a collection of completely separate parts. Your breathing, movement, tension, symptoms, recovery, pelvic floor, and core are all part of a much bigger conversation. Understanding those connections doesn't mean you have to know exactly what every sensation means. It means you can start asking better questions. The Big Takeaway This week, don't try to pay attention to EVERYTHING. Choose one thing. Maybe you notice what happens to your breath when you lift something heavy. Maybe you catch yourself gripping your belly while you're working. Maybe you start noticing exactly when your bladder urgency appears. Maybe you pay attention to how your body feels the day after a workout. Then: Notice → Get Curious → Gather Information. You don't even have to change it yet. Because sometimes the first step toward changing what your body is doing is simply understanding what it's already trying to tell you. Understanding comes before changing. 🌿 Ready to Understand the Bigger Picture? This is exactly why I created Healing Beyond Kegels, my FREE pelvic floor masterclass coming this October. Pelvic floor healing has been reduced to “just do your Kegels” for far too long. Inside Healing Beyond Kegels, we'll zoom out and look at how your pelvic floor, core, breath, pressure, and movement work together—so you can stop guessing about what your body needs and start understanding the bigger picture. My goal? For you to walk away thinking: “OH. My body finally makes more sense.” Keep following along and make sure you're on my email list so you'll be one of the first to know when Healing Beyond Kegels is ready. 💛 However, you can download the Pelvic Floor, Core & More App NOW so you are already inside when it comes out! Link Below Until next time: Connection First. Intention Over Perfection. This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical care. New, persistent, worsening, or concerning symptoms should be discussed with an appropriate healthcare provider. Want More Support? Inside the Pelvic Floor, Core & More App and RESTORE, we focus on helping women build strength, coordination, stability, and confidence in their bodies through a whole-body approach to pelvic floor and core health. ✨ Learn more here: https://balancedmomtality.com/the-app ✨ Next Steps: 📲 Download the Pelvic Floor, Core & More App → for guided breathwork, mobility, and strength progressions you can do at home. - Download PCM App iTunes: <a href='https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pelvic-floor-core-more
- 3 weeks ago24 min
208- Connected Through Menopause Ep 2: Why Am I Suddenly Leaking? // Understanding Bladder Changes During Menopause
You used to be able to jump, sneeze, run, or make it home from Target without thinking twice about your bladder… And now? You’re leaking. You’re peeing “just in case.” You know exactly where every bathroom is. Or the second you pull into your driveway your bladder suddenly decides THIS IS AN EMERGENCY. 😂 What the heck changed?! In Part 2 of the Connected Through Menopause series, we’re talking specifically about the bladder changes that can show up—or become more noticeable—during perimenopause and menopause. And while hormonal changes can absolutely be part of the conversation, they aren’t necessarily the whole story. We’re talking about different types of bladder symptoms, some of the habits we develop in response to those symptoms, and why blindly adding more Kegels isn't always the answer. Most importantly, I want you to walk away knowing that while bladder changes may be common during this season of life, common does not mean you simply have to accept them. In This Episode We Explore Why bladder symptoms may appear or change during perimenopause and menopause Why leaking isn't the only bladder symptom worth paying attention to The difference between leaking with coughing, sneezing, jumping or exercise and that sudden “I HAVE TO GO” urgency How hormonal and tissue changes can play a role in urinary symptoms Why menopause isn't necessarily the entire explanation How habits like peeing “just in case,” restricting fluids, constantly bracing, or avoiding movement can become part of the bigger picture Why the same symptom doesn't always mean the same solution Why “just do Kegels” may be missing important information What your bladder patterns may be telling you How to start getting curious about your symptoms instead of assuming they're just part of getting older Why This Matters One of the biggest things I want women to stop believing is: “Well, I guess this is just what happens when you get older.” Yes, your body changes during perimenopause and menopause. And yes, those changes can affect your bladder, pelvic floor, vaginal and urinary tissues, strength, and the way your body responds to movement. But experiencing a common symptom doesn't mean you have to ignore it. It also doesn't mean every woman experiencing leaking or urgency needs the exact same solution. If two women are both leaking, but their bodies, symptoms, habits, movement patterns, and circumstances are different… Why would we automatically give them the same exercise? Understanding what's actually happening gives us much better information about what your body may need. The Big Takeaway Instead of immediately trying to fix your bladder this week, become a bladder detective. 🕵️♀️ Start noticing: When does urgency show up? When do you leak? Does it happen with coughing, sneezing, lifting, jumping or running? Are you going to the bathroom because you actually need to—or because you happen to see one? 😂 Are you constantly peeing “just in case”? Are you holding your breath or gripping during the movements that trigger symptoms? Have your symptoms recently changed? You don't need to obsess over every trip to the bathroom. We're simply looking for patterns. Because your symptoms are information. And once we understand the information, we can make more intentional decisions about what to do with it. Understand before you strengthen. 🌿 Ready to Understand the Bigger Picture? If you're listening to this thinking: “Okay…but how do I know what's actually happening in MY body?” That's exactly why I created Healing Beyond Kegels. Healing Beyond Kegels is my FREE pelvic floor masterclass designed to help you stop guessing, Googling random exercises, and wondering whether you're doing everything right—and start understanding the bigger picture of how your pelvic floor, core, breath, movement, and body work together. Because your pelvic floor isn't working alone. And healing is about so much more than finding the “perfect” Kegel. 🌿 Healing Beyond Kegels is coming soon. Make sure you're connected with me so you'll be one of the first to know when it's ready. Until next time, remember: Connection First. Intention Over Perfection. 💛 This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical care. New, persistent, worsening, or concerning urinary symptoms should be discussed with an appropriate healthcare provider. Want More Support? Inside the Pelvic Floor, Core & More App and RESTORE, we focus on helping women build strength
- Sep 1, 202621 min
207- Stop Trying to Fix Your Posture // Start Listening to Your Body
Sit up straight. Pull your shoulders back. Tuck your pelvis. Engage your core. Stop slouching. Sound familiar? 😂 We've been taught to think about posture as either “good” or “bad”—and that if we could just hold our bodies in the right position, we'd somehow prevent pain, improve our core, and protect our pelvic floor. But what if there isn't one perfect posture your body is supposed to maintain? In this episode, we're shifting the conversation away from correcting your posture and toward getting curious about how different positions actually feel in your body. Because your position can change the way you breathe, move, create tension, manage pressure, and even experience your pelvic floor. And those changes? They're information. In This Episode We Explore Why I'm not a huge fan of labeling posture as “good” or “bad” How different body positions can change what you feel Why posture can influence your breath, core, pressure, movement, and pelvic floor experience What gripping and trying to hold “perfect posture” can actually feel like Why having more movement options may matter more than maintaining one ideal position How to start noticing your body without immediately trying to correct it A simple experiment you can use to explore different positions Why your pelvic floor doesn't function in isolation from the rest of your body How curiosity and connection can help you make more intentional choices about movement Why This Matters If you've ever caught yourself slouching and immediately thought: “Ugh. My posture is terrible.” I want you to try something different. Instead of judging the position, notice what happens there. How does your breath feel? Where is your weight? Are you gripping anywhere? What happens if you shift your position? Does anything feel different? You don't need to grade your posture. You need to start understanding how your body responds to different positions. Because your body wasn't designed to find one “perfect” position and stay there all day. Your body was designed to have options. The Big Takeaway Your posture isn't something you need to perfect. It's something you can explore. The next time you notice yourself sitting or standing a certain way, don't immediately correct it. Try: NOTICE → CHANGE → NOTICE AGAIN Change one thing. Shift your weight. Move your pelvis. Change the position of your ribs. Take a breath. Then ask: “What changed?” Not: “Which position was right?” That small shift takes you out of judgment and into curiosity. And curiosity is one of the first steps toward building a better connection with your body. Your next posture may be more important than your perfect posture. 🌿 Ready to See the Bigger Picture? If you've been listening to the podcast lately, you've probably noticed a theme. The exercise isn't the whole story. Pain isn't the whole story. Posture isn't the whole story. And your pelvic floor isn't the whole story either. Your body is connected in ways that can completely change how you understand your symptoms, movement, and healing. And that's exactly what I'm bringing together for you inside Healing Beyond Kegels. It's a FREE masterclass I created to help you stop chasing random exercises and conflicting advice and start understanding the bigger picture of pelvic floor healing. Healing Beyond Kegels is coming very soon! Make sure you're on my email list so you'll be one of the first to know when it's ready. Until then, remember: Connection First. Intention Over Perfection. 💛 Want More Support? Inside the Pelvic Floor, Core & More App and RESTORE, we focus on helping women build strength, coordination, stability, and confidence in their bodies through a whole-body approach to pelvic floor and core health. ✨ Learn more here: https://balancedmomtality.com/the-app Want a Guided Healing and Rehab Program to Help You Reconnect and RESTORE? If you’re ready to rebuild your core and pelvic floor with a structured, step-by-step plan, check out RESTORE, my 12-week pelvic floor and core rehabilitation program inside the Pelvic Floor, Core & More App. Inside RESTORE you’ll learn how to: ✔ release tension and improve mobility ✔ reconnect breath and pelvic floor coordination ✔ strengthen your core safely ✔ progress back to lifting, running, and higher-impact activities All with guided lessons, workouts, and support from a pelvic floor physical therapist. Inside RESTORE you’ll get:
- Aug 26, 202627 min
206- Your Pain Is Talking // Should I Push Through This? And How to Respond When Movement Hurts
What do you do when your body says, “Ouch”? Do you immediately stop because you're afraid something is wrong? Or do you ignore it, push through, and hope it goes away? Pain can feel scary and confusing—especially when you're trying to heal, get stronger, or return to activities you love. But pain isn't always a simple stop sign. Pain is communication. And communication needs interpretation. In this episode, we're talking about shifting the way we respond to pain. Instead of immediately fearing it or ignoring it, what if we learned to get curious about what our bodies are trying to tell us? Because listening to your body doesn't always mean stopping. Sometimes it means adjusting. Sometimes it means resting. Sometimes it means getting help. And sometimes it means realizing you're okay to keep going. In This Episode We Explore Why we tend to either fear pain or ignore it Why pain doesn't always equal damage How factors beyond an injury can influence the pain experience Why the behavior of your pain can give you useful information Questions to ask yourself when something hurts The difference between normal exercise challenge and ignoring your body's signals A simple green-light, yellow-light, red-light way to think about symptoms How modifying a movement can help you learn more about what your body needs Why connection and body awareness can build confidence instead of fear Why This Matters When something hurts, it's easy to immediately think: “Something is wrong.” But it's also easy to swing too far in the opposite direction and decide: “I'll just push through it.” Neither response leaves much room for listening. Learning to pay attention to what you're feeling, when you're feeling it, how long it lasts, and what changes it can help you make more intentional decisions about movement. The goal isn't to become afraid of every sensation. And it isn't to ignore your body's signals in the name of getting stronger. It's learning the difference between challenging your body and ignoring your body. The Big Takeaway The next time something hurts during movement, instead of immediately asking: “Is this bad?” Try asking: “What is my body asking me to notice right now?” Then: Pause. Notice. Adjust. Reassess. Maybe your body needs you to change the range, load, speed, position, or breath. Maybe it needs recovery. Maybe it needs professional evaluation. Or maybe after checking in, you realize you're okay to continue. Listening doesn't always mean stopping. It means responding. And the better you become at listening, the more confidently you can make decisions about your body. Ready to Understand the Bigger Picture? If you've been listening to the last few episodes, you're probably noticing a theme: I don't want you endlessly searching for someone to give you the perfect exercise. I want you to understand the body you're actually living in. That's a huge reason I created Healing Beyond Kegels. Pelvic floor symptoms aren't simply problems we throw exercises at. Your breath, pressure, core, movement, strength, stress, nervous system, and the rest of your body are all part of the conversation. Healing Beyond Kegels is designed to help you zoom out, connect those dots, and start understanding your body differently. It's coming soon, and I can't wait to share it with you. Until then, remember: Connection first. Intention over perfection. 💛 This episode is for general education and isn't a substitute for individualized medical care. New, severe, rapidly worsening, or otherwise concerning pain should be evaluated by an appropriate healthcare professional. Want More Support? Inside the Pelvic Floor, Core & More App and RESTORE, we focus on helping women build strength, coordination, stability, and confidence in their bodies through a whole-body approach to pelvic floor and core health. ✨ Learn more here: https://balancedmomtality.com/the-app Want a Guided Healing and Rehab Program to Help You Reconnect and RESTORE? If you’re ready to rebuild your core and pelvic floor with a structured, step-by-step plan, check out RESTORE, my 12-week pelvic floor and core rehabilitation program inside the Pelvic Floor, Core & More App. Inside RESTORE you’ll learn how to: ✔ release tension and improve mobility ✔ reconnect breath and pelvic floor coordination ✔ strengthen your core safely ✔ progress back to lifting, running, and higher-impact activities All with guided lessons, workouts, and support from a pelvic floor physical therapist. Inside RESTORE
- Aug 19, 202620 min
205- Why I Told My Patient I Didn't Care What Exercise She Did And What I Cared About More to Stop Her Leaking
What if finding the “perfect” exercise isn't actually the thing that moves you forward? I recently told a patient that I didn't really care what exercise she did—which probably sounds like a strange thing to hear from a physical therapist! But what I meant was that I cared far less about choosing the perfect exercise and far more about what was happening in her body while she was doing it. In this episode, we're talking about why two people can do the exact same exercise and have completely different experiences—and why learning to notice your breath, pressure, tension, symptoms, and overall connection can be more valuable than constantly searching for the “right” movement. Because the goal isn't perfect exercise. It's learning how to move with intention, awareness, and confidence. In This Episode We Explore Why I told a patient I didn't care what exercise she chose Why we get so caught up searching for the “best” pelvic floor or core exercise How the same movement can look completely different inside two different bodies What I'm actually paying attention to when I watch a patient move The relationship between breath, pressure, tension, symptoms, and movement Why intention over perfection matters How awareness helps you make better decisions about your body Why learning to listen to your body can ultimately build confidence and trust A simple way to approach an exercise you're already doing differently this week Why This Matters When you're dealing with leaking, pelvic pressure, pain, core weakness, or simply trying to get stronger, it's easy to believe there's a specific exercise you're missing. But healing isn't about collecting more exercises. It's about understanding you. When you learn to notice how your body responds during movement, you can begin making adjustments instead of immediately assuming an exercise is “good” or “bad.” And over time, that awareness can help you move away from fear and toward something much more powerful: trusting yourself to move. Ready to Understand the Bigger Picture? This connection-first approach is one of the reasons I created Healing Beyond Kegels. Pelvic floor healing isn't just about finding the right Kegel, core exercise, or stretch. Your breath, core, pelvic floor, pressure, movement patterns, nervous system, and the rest of your body are all part of the conversation. Healing Beyond Kegels will help you zoom out and understand how those pieces work together—so you can stop chasing random exercises and start making sense of what your body is actually telling you. Healing Beyond Kegels is coming soon. Stay connected by Downloading the Pelvic Floor, Core and More APP for all the details! Link below! Want More Support? Inside the Pelvic Floor, Core & More App and RESTORE, we focus on helping women build strength, coordination, stability, and confidence in their bodies through a whole-body approach to pelvic floor and core health. ✨ Learn more here: https://balancedmomtality.com/the-app Want a Guided Healing and Rehab Program to Help You Reconnect and RESTORE? If you’re ready to rebuild your core and pelvic floor with a structured, step-by-step plan, check out RESTORE, my 12-week pelvic floor and core rehabilitation program inside the Pelvic Floor, Core & More App. Inside RESTORE you’ll learn how to: ✔ release tension and improve mobility ✔ reconnect breath and pelvic floor coordination ✔ strengthen your core safely ✔ progress back to lifting, running, and higher-impact activities All with guided lessons, workouts, and support from a pelvic floor physical therapist. Inside RESTORE you’ll get: ✔️ 12 weeks of progressive breathwork, mobility & strength ✔️ 5- and 20-minute workouts to fit your life ✔️ Deep pelvic floor education (with zero fluff) ✔️ Real-life tools to reduce pain, improve leaks, and feel like YOU again ✔️ Access to our private community and support Inside RESTORE, we cover: Breathwork + pelvic floor connection Mobility + posture Nervous system regulation Core control + strength building Real-life application to everyday movement And how to stop leaking, rushing to the bathroom, or feeling disconnected from your core You’ll walk away from RESTORE with clarity, confidence, and a body you trust again. JOIN RESTORE NOW FOR INSTANT ACCESS TO LESSONS AND EXERCISES!! JOIN NOW AND SAVE %50!! https://
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About Pelvic Floor, Core & More | Healing Beyond Kegels: Core Rehab, Prenatal Fitness, Birth Prep, Postpartum Recovery, Nervous System Regulation, and Holistic Self-Care for Moms
The podcast where nervous system healing meets pelvic floor rehab. Helping you LOVE movement again and LIVE WITHOUT PAIN, PRESSURE or PEEING YOUR PANTS! I’m Dr. Desiree Cassell — pelvic floor physical therapist, mom of 3, and your guide to embodied, empowered healing after birth. (And don’t worry, you don’t have to have birthed a child or even be a mom to benefit from this show. This is here for ALL Women, mom or not, Fit or Weak) Here, we go way beyond kegels. You’ll learn how to: 💫 Heal pelvic floor symptoms like leaking (incontinence), prolapse (POP), and pain (Dyspareunia, Vulvodynia etc) 💫 Rebuild core strength without making symptoms worse 💫 Move through pregnancy and postpartum with confidence and connection 💫 Use breath, fascia, and nervous system tools for real, full-body restoration 💫 Shift from surviving to thriving in your body — all during your daily routine After healing my own prolapse, leaking, and diastasis (that no one warned me about), I made it my mission to make sure no woman is brushed off or left behind again. Because these symptoms might be common — but they are NOT normal. It is time to get you out of those pads and back to loving movement again.... yes even jumping on the trampoline. Put your earbuds in, grab a glass of water, roll out your mat, and let’s connect💫 Women’s Health & Wellness | Prenatal Fitness | Postpartum Recovery | Pelvic Floor Exercises | Holistic Whole Body Healing | Breathwork | Fascia Release | Emotional Embodiment | Restore Your Core | Somatic Healing | Pregnancy
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