My guided walks are kept to fairly small groups so you’ll have chance to enjoy the walk in a relaxed and friendly setting. I try to share gems of local history & folklore along with flora and fauna knowledge, so that we feel a connection to the spaces we are walking through. We take time to stop and stare and enjoy the views, but you’ll also feel like you’ve moved your body!
(Winter sunshine is the best!! It’s such a great time of year to get outside and soak up the light – a perfect way to balance out the shorter days and tendency to spend more time indoors)
Will I be able to keep up?
Walking with a group may seem slightly daunting at first – will you be able to keep up? will you manage the distance? what will you do if you need a wee?! The answer to the first two questions is ‘yes’ and the answer to the third one is ‘you’ll find somewhere out of sight to have a wild wee & it will be much easier than you think!’
In my experience of walking in & leading groups, there will always be people who walk at slightly different paces, and that is fine. If you’re a bit of a ‘marcher’ you can go slightly ahead of the group, and I will stay in the middle, so no-one will ever be left behind or feel pressured to walk too fast for them. I guarantee that you’ll meet some amazing, kind & supportive people who will make you feel welcome.
The best way to not feel out of your depth is to read the walk information before you book (checking details of distance, pace and time), and let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Start with shorter distances & easier (flatter!) landscapes if you are not sure how your feet/legs will cope. Wear comfortable footwear and clothing, with enough layers to keep you warm – but not too warm! Bring food, snacks & water, according to the time of day that you’re walking. Maybe bring a friend too?
Why walk with a group?
Walking with a group is great if you feel nervous about venturing out alone and it is a fantastic way to explore new areas. Possibly the biggest advantage of joining a guided walk is that someone has done the planning and dealt with the logistics for you (as well as carrying emergency kit and holding a suitable qualification & insurance to keep you safe).
I think the most important thing is to simply start somewhere. Book a walk & enjoy your time outdoors. You won’t regret it!
Find a guided walk:
You can now find details for all my upcoming walks on one page – here
Check back regularly to see new walks as they are posted, usually 4-6 weeks in advance.
(The team from the Greater London Marriott Business Council on a recent night-hike in London)
Over the past few weeks I have been involved in leading some great walks, working as a freelancer for two different organisations, and supporting another walk leader as a volunteer back-marker. The walks have all been very different, but the people involved have been fantastic and helped to make the walks really enjoyable. I can’t wait to do more walking work, including some of my own guided walk routes!
Walking with a group may seem slightly daunting at first – will you be able to keep up? will you manage the distance? what will you do if you need a wee?! The answer to the first two questions is ‘yes’ and the answer to the third one is ‘you’ll find somewhere out of sight to have a wild wee & it will be much easier than you think!’
In my experience of walking in & leading groups, there will always be people who walk at slightly different paces, but the group goal is to walk together, so no-one will ever be left behind or feel pressured to walk too fast for them. I guarantee that you’ll meet some amazing, kind & supportive people who will make you feel welcome. And remember that they were new to it once too, so they likely know how you feel.
The best way to not feel out of your depth is to read the walk information before you book (checking details of distance, pace and time), and contact the walk leader if you have any questions or concerns. Start with shorter distances & easier (flatter!) landscapes if you are not sure how your feet/legs will cope. Wear comfortable footwear and clothing, with enough layers to keep you warm – but not too warm! Bring food, snacks & water, according to the time of day that you’re walking. Maybe bring a friend too?
Of course the advantage of joining a guided walk is that someone has done the planning and dealt with the logistics for you. Walking with a group is great if you feel nervous about venturing out alone and it is a fantastic way to explore new areas. And on top of all that, the walk leader is (hopefully) qualified, insured and first aid trained, as well as knowledgeable about the area you will be walking in, so you will be in safe hands.
I think the most important thing, especially at this time of year when daylight hours are shortening day-by-day, is to simply start somewhere. Book a walk & enjoy your time outdoors. You won’t regret it!
Up-coming walks for the rest of 2025:
Click on the links below for further details and booking information for each walk.
Saturday 26th October – Ivinghoe Beacon & the Ridgeway with Adventure Women UK (details here) – currently fully booked but there’s an option to join a waiting list
Saturday 8th November – Beachy Head circular – 8 miles in the South Downs National Park, returning along a section of the stunning Seven Sisters cliffs (details here)
Saturday 15th November – Penshurst Place & Chiddingstone with Adventure Women UK(details here)
Wednesday 26th November – Women’s Wellbeing Walk in and around Wye taking in the Wye Crown and the Devil’s Kneading Trough – 5 miles (details here)
Saturday 6th December – Wye to Chilham – 8(ish) miles on possibly the best stretch of the whole North Downs Way (details here)
Wednesday 17th December – Women’s Wellbeing Walk from Kilndown to Scotney Castle approx 4 miles with a café stop halfway – a perfect way to gift yourself some time away from all the festive planning (details here)
On my recent holiday in North Wales, I was reminded how joyful it is to walk in company. I often walk alone, and really like to do that too, but walking with others adds something to the experience. A shared joy of being in nature? The shared achievement of a hill climbed or a rain-shower dodged? A helping hand (given or received) when needed. Shared cake or fruit pastilles? It all adds a sense of connection to others, sometimes lacking in the lives we lead.
Walk Wild Wellbeing
Last Sunday I joined Michael (Walk Wild Wellbeing), who is a fellow North Down’s Way Ambassador, with a view to making some connections & spending time with others. It was a really lovely experience, not walking anywhere particularly note-worthy, but enjoying Michael’s folklore tales, flora and fauna knowledge, some mindful moments in nature & some great company.
He mentioned that he was leading a walk in & around Canterbury and was looking for a back-marker, so I have happily volunteered myself for that role and can’t wait to walk with him again. The walk is part of the YHA festival of walking and free to join (book here). It is a family friendly and leisurely-paced walk, starting and ending at Canterbury Youth Hostel, where refreshments will be available on our return. The walk will meander its way through woodlands, orchards, and wild and beautiful Kent countryside, walking via a footpath that intersects a zoo, where it’s very common to be able to view African Elephants and other animals before returning via a section of the North Downs Way.
Hope you can join Michael (& me) for this walk.
Adventure Women UK
In the coming months, I am excited to be leading some walks for Erika who runs Adventure Women UK and the first ones are in a few weeks’ time! All the walks are women-only, very friendly, non-competitive, great fun and often accessible by public transport for a car-free day.
You can find details of all the AW walks & adventures here.
I will be leading this one & this one in September, and this one in October. I would love to have your company!
High Weald walking festival
I am not involved in this as a walk leader, but I will be joining one or two of the walks being offered as part of the High Weald walking festival this year – 13th-21st September.
All the walks are free to join, booking advisable, and varying in length from 1-2 miles to full day walks.
You can find the programme and all the walk details here where you will also find some self-guided walk routes in case you fancy exploring at a later date.
How lucky are we to have so many autumn walking opportunities to enjoy?
For lots of reasons, many of us don’t use our diaphragms as well as we could and it has a direct impact on our core & pelvic floor strength & ability to stabilise our bodies as we move. Some medical conditions will affect how a person breathes, but also breathing patterns can be impacted by posture, surgery, stress & anxiety (short, shallow breathing), social media nonsense (eg. ‘belly breathing’ which cannot be a thing because your lungs are not in your belly!) and lack of awareness.
If you want a stronger/more effective core you need to use your diaphragm when you inhale and exhale.
On the inhale the ribs need to get wider (in all directions but especially widthways) and the belly will be soft but not distended. On the exhale, as the ribs become narrower again, the deep-lying transversus abdominus & pelvic floor muscles also contract. Everything will be beautifully synchronised.
BUT if the ribs don’t get wider on the inhale, the deep abdominal muscles are not activated on the exhale AND other muscles will have to be recruited to draw air into the lungs so we will create tightness in the neck, upper chest, shoulders, etc… In this instance, everything will not be beautifully synchronised.
Finding your breath:
I made a short video from the start of our functional pilates class last week, looking at breathing and engaging the deep abdominal muscles – you can find it here if you are interested in knowing more & having a guided practice with me.
Once you understand the mechanics of breathing, the best way to change how we breathe (if we need to) is to tune-in and notice how we’re breathing already.
Find a comfortable position and breathe. If you can’t really feel what’s going on, you could sit in front of a mirror to see what is happening. It’s hard not to try too hard! Make sure you relax, give yourself a bit of time to see if you can find a natural synchronised rhythm in your breathing. And keep checking-in at moments during your day until a diaphragmatic breathing pattern becomes more intuitive and second-nature to you.
Let me know if you have any questions or need any help with this.
It seems that I have to keep re-learning the importance of building healthy foundations for myself! There are a few things which are key to me feeling well, and sometimes I let them slide and then I remember why they matter, so here’s quick run-down so that I can remember quicker next time…and maybe it will help you too?
Feeding myself:
Since October last year I have made huge efforts around feeding myself well and it has made such a difference in how I feel and function on a day-to-day basis. For me ‘feeding myself’ well means:
home-cooked meals
lots & lots of veggies & legumes (I’m vegetarian)
starting the day with a really supportive breakfast (I go for happy tummy loaf with cheese or nut butter)
snacks which don’t trigger a change in other kinds of eating (nut butter – I like this one – nuts, brie…)
avoiding snacks which become ‘triggers’ for other kinds of eating (I find sweet or salty snacks have me reaching for more of the same, replacing meals with more snacks)
When I get the first four on my list right, the fifth one isn’t even an issue. If I eat well, I feel nourished & I don’t think about snacking. Sometimes though, life has a habit of throwing a curve ball at you, and the foundations start to slip away…
Over Easter, a family issue rocked my headspace A LOT and I didn’t feel like eating. And then when I did eat, I chose ice cream instead of food, and it didn’t take long before I started to feel really caught up in a spiral of poor self-worth, which then made me not want to eat… And then yesterday my head felt more settled, and I cooked all the vegetables in my fridge, and made mushroom burgers , and ate my first real meal for a week, and just like that, I feel ok again!
Putting myself to bed:
This has always been an issue for me! I was the youngest child and remember being sent to bed before my sister, and it always felt like I was missing out on something. And maybe that’s nothing to do with how I behave now (& maybe it does?) but I really struggle to go to bed when I’m tired.
I generally sleep fine once I get there, but the getting there is a hurdle. I like to finish the day sorted, so I tend to empty the dish-washer or hang up laundry on the way to bed, and then when I get there I’m wide awake!!
Yesterday I heard someone talking on the radio about how we would benefit if we treated ourselves like toddlers, and I really connected with that idea. Children tend to have a sleep routine – a bath, quiet time, a book, a cuddle, soft lighting…so why not do the same for ourselves?
I had a small win last night because I was falling asleep on the sofa and instead of staying there, I actually got up and went to bed. Maybe the toddler idea will be a big help going forward…
Movement:
This one is my fairly easy win!
I have a dog so he gets walked every day, no matter what else is going on., but he’s possibly nearing the end of his life so I wonder if I’ll walk every day once he’s gone. I hope I will, but can imagine that there will be days when it doesn’t happen. I love to hike so I am signed up to #walk1000miles and I also try to walk 100 miles and complete a round-Bewl walk every month, so those things are great motivators. I find it’s good to have movement goals, especially if you find yourself struggling to move more.
I’m lucky in that I move for my work so most days incorporate movement of some kind. I also try to include two spin-bike sessions each week but it’s very easy to let them slide when I’m not feeling great. Last week, feeling sad and poorly nourished, I didn’t find the energy to cycle, and I decided to be kind and let myself off, which is totally ok but not a long-term plan. I’ll be back on the back tomorrow for sure!
When we get distracted by life or injured or just don’t feel like it on the day, it is easy to let go of our movement habits, but often we’d feel better if we just did it any way. Sometimes going through the motions is what will get us moving again – we might need to adapt what we’re doing but doing something is always going to be better than doing nothing.
Being creative:
The act of making something – regardless of what it is – is such a good foundation for a healthy life. And it’s not about making something brilliant, it’s just about the doing of the thing and the distraction it provides.
I do a daily photo project on Instagram. It’s often a tiny moment in my day, maybe only using my iPhone (because the best camera is always the one you have with you!) and sometimes the prompts that I follow are really annoying!! But I haven’t missed a day since January 2016! And not having missed a day is what keeps me going because I do not want to break my streak now!
One day last week I cried about my photo because I didn’t have anything I wanted to post, but then I had a word with myself, posted what I had, and moved on. That simple act reminded me that we can always move on, there’s always another day/photo prompt just around the corner and what does it matter if the photo isn’t great anyway??!
Life is hard enough! Make sure you take some time to do something creative, for no purpose, just because you can – paint, draw, write, make pretty patterns with leaves, grow things, sew things, knit things…
Putting it all together:
The goal is never to feel like I HAVE to do everything, simply to recognise that when I do certain things, I feel more ‘me’.
These are my healthy foundations. There are others I didn’t mention – eg. not drinking alcohol, social connections, feeling valued at work – but these are the things that I keep coming back to when I feel off-balance.
Yours may not be the same – although I suspect that food/sleep/move is key for all of us – but I think it is important to find out what your things are, and then do those on a regular basis.
I’d love to know what your healthy foundations are – let me know…
A couple of quick movement ideas to help you feel more comfortable in your body.
Upper & lower back:
A client was feeling very restricted in her upper and lower back movements today so we incorporated a few of these into her session. Happy to report she felt much more comfortable afterwards!
You might not need all of these but hopefully there are a couple of useful moves here that you can add into your day.
Sometimes we might think that we have to do a lot of movement to make a difference, but often the small moves & stretches we do throughout the day make a biggest difference to how we feel.
Child’s pose stretch with side bend:
I love this stretch! It feels SO good to stretch the side of the rib cage, from your armpit to your hip and this is a great way to do that.
I hope these short videos give you a few moves to add into your daily routine. Pick the ones that feel useful, ignore the ones that don’t. Adapt anything that feels not quite right for your body. Get help from an appropriate professional if you need specific guidance about moving your body.
Do you struggle to get started or stay motivated with movement and exercise?
I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently because for the past month I have actually been using my spin bike twice a week without exception! And it got me thinking about what had changed…
I bought the bike last October, having wanted to own one ever since I gave up teaching spinning classes in 2009. At the time, it seemed like a really useful post-op recovery tool, meaning that I could work on my legs strength and fitness without having to do much with my right arm. I started off using it a few times a month, and then had months where I didn’t get on it at all.
Not using it caused me to feel disappointed in myself. As I reached past it to turn off the lights each night I noticed that I was feeling bad about myself for not having used it, again! And I started to think about how much it had cost me. And the fact that it was taking up space in my lounge.
And then a few weeks ago, all of those thoughts spurred me into action…
I promised myself I would use it twice a week – one mid-week morning when I wasn’t seeing clients, and one weekend morning before I set about my day – and so far I haven’t missed a session yet! There have been a few ‘I don’t feel like it’ days but they are becoming less frequent. And the more I use it, the better it feels so that in itself becomes a motivator #whoknew?
What is my motivation?
I realised that there are a few different kinds of motivation and I’ve come to think of them in time-frames:
Short-term motivation:
I don’t like to exercise after I’ve eaten so my primary short-term motivation is to get it done before the need for breakfast over-takes me (this is the one that gets me on the bike on the ‘don’t feel like it’ days)
I like how it feels once it’s done
I don’t want to break my twice-a-week streak
Medium-term motivation:
it’s getting easier now that I’m cycling twice a week & I don’t want to go back to it feeling like a struggle again!
I’m going on a 2-week pilgrimage in a few weeks time and I know that the cycling is helping my leg strength and fitness – I am imagining myself walking up mountains, feeling glad that I got on my bike in preparation
I like that I’m finally (at 58) learning to look after myself and now I’ve started I don’t want to let myself down again
Long-term motivation:
I don’t want breast cancer to come back, and I feel like being strong and fit is a pretty good insurance policy, just in case
I don’t want to be an ‘old’ older person – I can’t think of much worse than being unable to do things that you’d like to do, so I’m going to do my best to make sure that doesn’t happen
I really want to go back and finish the Pennine Way
I’d like to walk LEJOG
Do you struggle with exercise motivation?
There’s no one way to find what motivates us because it will be different for everyone.
For some people it might be joining a class, for others it will be buying a dog. You might be inspired by an event, a big challenge or taking care of your health. You might be motivated by helping someone else to exercise (maybe your son wants to do a 10k run and asks you to join him or you want to share a love of walking with a family member).
Once you know what motivates you it’s much easier to stick with something.
If you’re struggling with motivation to exercise here are a couple of articles which might help:
These are some of my favourite habits to keep me on track:
I put my workout clothes on the floor by my bed the night before (the old ideas are sometimes the best!!)
I don’t eat before my workout – it makes me feel sick and feeling hungry always gets me on the bike
I set a goal of doing it twice per week, which gives me some flexibility about when, but not if
it’s kind of in my diary – not actually written in but mentally it’s there
I add it to the list when I’m planning for the next day as I go to bed
I found a cycle class that I really enjoy (Les Mills The Trip in case you want to take a look)
Your ways to get started might look different, but it’s definitely worth giving them some thought and planning ahead because you’re much more likely to stick with it that way.
Ways that I can help you:
If you really struggle to get started, why not join me for one of my regular online fitness classes? You can pay as you go or sign up to a subscription – sometimes making a financial commitment & getting a good return on your investment really helps!
And if you’re old-school and prefer actual in-person classes, I teach one of those each week too. [Isn’t it weird that pre-Covid no-one ever used the term ‘in-person’??]
One-to-one sessions are another great way to get started and stay motivated. Your session is tailored around your needs and we’ll work together to get you where you want to go on your movement journey. Personal Training sessions can include pilates, fitness and walking, or a combination of all three!
One more thing…
I just remembered one more thing which really helped me with my motivation to look after myself better. I had some post-cancer/pre-surgery psychotherapy late last year and for literally the first time in my life I understood that I mattered. It was truly an enormous shift in my thinking.
When I first started exercising, in my late twenties, it was a mental escape from a life that wasn’t making my soul sing. And then I trained to teach fitness, and mostly it has always been about working with clients since then. I’ve been lucky to stay relatively fit off the back of that, but it’s not the same as working on my own fitness.
But now, for the first time, I’m doing it for me, because I’m worth it!
And so are you.
And when you believe that, I think that the motivation is much easier to find and easier to stick with…
Over the Christmas break I completed my Oncology Massage course with Susan Findlay. The course was so much more than I imagined it would be – more wholesome, more holistic, more client-centred and it reminded me (again) of the importance of touch.
One in two of us will have cancer at some point in our lives, and it felt important for me to learn more about how best to help those affected by it.
A few people have asked me what oncology massage is so I thought I’d write down my thoughts as I begin my journey into this field of work.
What is oncology massage?
“Oncology massage is simply the adaptation of massage techniques with the consideration of the effects of cancer treatment.” ( ‘Oncology Massage – and integrative approach to cancer care’ by Janet Penny & Rebecca L Sturgeon)
Obviously the specifics are all about exactly which considerations need to be made and how best to work as part of a client’s primary care and oncology team.
Oncology massage won’t look the same for everyone.
How does it differ from sports massage?
With sports massage, most clients will come with a specific issue in their body. It might be restricting their movement, preventing them from playing a sport they love, causing pain in everyday life or might be related to an injury. Although I always take a whole-body approach, because everything is connected (obvs!!), the primary goal is to identify and ‘fix’ the area(s) of concern. [In truth, the massage therapist doesn’t ‘fix’ their client, but the work we do helps the client to move more comfortably and with greater awareness, and these improvements resolve the problem over time].
Clients may need 4-6 treatments initially to get them back to a level playing field, and from there they might have maintenance treatments as required. Over time, we might keep coming back to the same areas or change our approach as things within the body evolve. Either way, the goal for most sports massage clients is reduced pain & improved movement.
With oncology massage the focus is much more holistic because there is often nothing to ‘fix’. But that doesn’t mean that it can’t be hugely beneficial!
Oncology massage is about the whole person (rather than their illness) and it is a non-medical interaction which can be hugely important given everything else they may be going through/have been through.
It offers a sense of connection, can improve relaxation & create a feeling of being seen/heard. It can be offered pre-, during and post-cancer treatments. It might be as simple as a hand massage for someone while they are having a chemotherapy treatment, or focus on specific areas of the body following surgery.
What are the potential benefits of oncology massage?
Each oncology massage will be truly unique to the client, taking into account the specifics of their diagnosis, the treatment being undertaken, the stage of their disease, their prognosis, etc. so it is hard to generalise about the benefits.
However, here is a list of potential benefits, that have been observed in research, into the effects of different massage modalities on cancer patients:
relieves muscle soreness related to inactivity or cancer treatments
stimulates lymphatic flow, reduces swelling and lymphedema
increases range of movement and functional movement patterns
promotes relaxation
stimulates the digestive system (improves bowel and kidney function)
improves sleep quality
promotes alertness and mental clarity
reduces pain
reduces symptoms from chemotherapy and radiotherapy
improves rate of recovery from anaesthesia
stimulates wound healing
improves scar tissue elasticity
reduces time in hospital
promotes a greater patient awareness about their body, which may also promote positive body image for the patient and an improved sense of connection with themself
provides reassuring touch
reduces anxiety and depression
offers hope
reduces feelings of isolation
provides a distraction/time-out
improves sense of control about making decisions for their body
Obviously, not everyone having an oncology massage will experience all of these benefits but can you imagine how good even one or two of these would feel when you’re going through possibly the darkest of days?
It’s worth saying that sports massage clients may also experience many of these benefits!
How can I help?
This course reminded me how important a role touch therapy can play for all of us so I will continue to offer sports and clinical massage as I already do. But as a result of my certification, I’m looking forward to being able to broaden my work to include oncology clients.
I think it is so important for us to feel whole, regardless of what we have been through. Inevitably it is the job of our medical team to remove or manage the disease and that is obviously the primary focus, but we are so much more than a damaged part. With oncology massage, perhaps I can be a small part of someone’s healing journey or offer support when healing is not an option.
Where appropriate, I will treat oncology clients from my home treatment room, but I also hope to get involved offering massage in a clinical oncology setting, where I can use my skills to help people when they are facing something that none of us ever want to face.
Please get in contact if you would like to discuss sports or oncology massage with me.
Here’s a round-up of short videos I have created during 2022 to give you some easy self-care ‘homework’ to use between massage treatments.
I hope you find something useful for your body!
As always, please ask if you are unsure whether a particular move is right for you; go gently and pay close attention to any feedback from your body (ie. nothing needs to feel painful to be doing you some good!)
I wrote about this in my newsletter last week and decided to share it here too, just to help spread the message as far as I can.
I hadn’t originally planned to share this because it feels a bit personal, but I am so astounded at the changes that I couldn’t not share my recent experience seeing a fabulous Women’s Health Physiotherapist. In two sessions I feel like a different person – or more like me – and so much better connected in my body.
I knew I was holding on to tension/trauma in my body (nothing overly dramatic but childbirth x 3, surgery x 2, bereavement, giving CPR to someone in the street, general life-stuff) but I didn’t realise the impact it was having. I honestly thought I could get away with it, so long as I just kept on holding all that shit together! Turns out that I’m human after all and now that I can physically feel how much better it is to let it out, I’m on a mission to do more of that and to spread the word!!
A bit of background:
In the summer of 2020 I had two surgeries for breast cancer. The first one was a lumpectomy and removal of two lymph nodes in my armpit. I was cautiously back at work a week later, waiting to get the ‘all-clear’ and start the next stage of my treatment. I then found out that the first procedure had not been a complete success so I underwent a mastectomy with implant reconstruction four weeks later. This surgery was successful but of course it had a massive impact on my body, not least in terms of how I felt about myself.
Since 2020 I have also experienced a couple of bouts of severe back pain and associated muscle spasm, the most recent one about six or seven weeks ago.
In an attempt to cover all bases with regards my on-going low back & coccyx pain, I decided to see a Women’s Health Physiotherapist in case there was tightness/restriction in my pelvic floor which was contributing to the problem. And also to check that I am using my 56-yr-old pelvic floor muscles effectively (happily I am – gold star for me!)
What is a Women’s Health Physiotherapist?
I saw Jenny Gillespie (based near Tunbridge Wells) for a women’s health assessment. She is a chartered physiotherapist, specialising originally in musculoskeletal work and now in women’s health physiotherapy, offering holistic assessment and management to women of all ages with symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction and musculoskeletal pain.
I was pretty nervous before my first appointment, not really knowing what to expect. I actually almost didn’t go, but I’m so glad I did.
Jenny started by taking some details of why I was there – my back pain issues, breast cancer treatment and childbirth history, most of which was quite emotional for me to share, but she put me at ease very quickly and suggested a treatment plan.
What does a treatment involve?
I can only tell you about my experience and what my sessions have involved. We are all different and treatments will be bespoke, but hopefully this will help to give you an insight & dispel any concerns you might have.
Jenny started off by working over my breast cancer scars and surrounding areas which felt very restricted and were causing me considerable discomfort. She is literally the first person to see my scars so that was pretty emotional, but having some release work done was fantastic. Even after one session, the difference was astonishing; and after the second session today I have much more symmetry and much more comfortable movement in the shoulder and across my ribs.
She then worked over my abdomen for some visceral release. She found & released loads of areas where I didn’t even know I was holding tension. After the first session my abdomen was a totally different shape (much flatter – nice!) and much more responsive to exercise, whereas it had been ‘gripping’ ever since my surgeries. In the second session Jenny did even more work over this area of the body and it feels so much more comfortable.
The final part of the treatment was the part I had been not looking forward to – the internal assessment and scar/trigger point release work. Trust me when I say it was WAY less invasive than having a cervical smear test. My upper body was clothed and my lower body was covered with couch roll (paper tissue). There was no speculum, no bright lights & no peering inside my body!!
Every woman’s experience will be different but for me there was some internal scar release work required, which was weirdly incredible! As Jenny worked over internal trigger points I could feel areas of my hips, legs and back letting go of familiar uncomfortable holding patterns. It’s very hard to describe the sensation but nothing in either session has felt painful, intrusive, embarrassing or even unpleasant.
While Jenny was working on my body I felt very safe, respected and nurtured. I felt ‘seen’ as a whole person, like she had understood fully why I was there and what my body needed.
How does it feel afterwards?
Obviously this is going to vary from one woman to the next.
Jenny warned me that I would probably feel exhausted after the first session, and she was not wrong!! I cried a lot on the way home and afterwards (and the next day) but I know that I hold lots of emotion about my childbirth experiences (never mind all the other stuff I’ve been lugging around for years!!) so it actually felt good that some of that had been disturbed. The next morning my body felt different – almost disconnected while things settle into new movement patterns – but also much more ‘easeful’, a bit calmer, less tense.
In the week since, I have noticed
less hip/buttock pain when sitting & walking,
less gripping in my abdomen when exercising,
an easier/deeper/fuller/more effortless breathing pattern
a much better connection to and awareness of my pelvic floor – like it was asleep and it’s not any more
a change in how my reconstructed boob sits over my ribs, now much better aligned to the natural side
Also I’ve been making much better food choices over the past week because I feel so much better about myself.
And I feel really proud of myself for doing something that I had previously not felt brave enough to do.
Is it for you?
I’m going to stick my neck out and say that every woman needs this!
If you have a vagina, regardless of whether or not you have had children (or how you birthed your children), and you have any low back/hip pain, any pelvic floor issues or any prolapse concerns, do yourself a favour and book an appointment. If you’re not sure if you need to book an appointment, I would say, do it anyway! You won’t regret it.
Also if you’re a man reading this and you know someone that fits into the criteria above, get them to book an appointment – they will be very grateful. I should also mention that men’s health physiotherapy is also available if you need it for yourself.
I have known for a long time through my professional networks that seeing a WHP is a good idea for all women, but I didn’t know it through my own experience until now. My oldest child is 33 this year which means that I have been carrying some of my internal scars for that long.
Oh how I wish I had done this sooner, which is why I’m telling you in the hope that you will do it soon too…
Where to get help
If you would like further information or would like to find a women’s health physio in your area you can find out more here:
