“I didn’t think I’d run again”: Edel’s return to exercise after prolapse

After being diagnosed with pelvic organ prolapse following the birth of her first baby, Edel stopped exercising and feared she might never run again. Twelve weeks after starting with Bodyfit Mums, she went for her first jog.

The diagnosis changed how she felt about exercise

At 32, just weeks after welcoming her first baby, Edel was diagnosed with pelvic organ prolapse.

She had always been active. After her diagnosis, she became worried that exercise could make things worse and stopped moving. Running began to feel out of reach.

She almost didn’t invest in support

While on unpaid maternity leave, Edel saw Bodyfit Mums on Instagram and thought about booking a call. She asked her husband whether coaching was a silly use of money.

He encouraged her to think of it as an investment in her health and wellbeing. Edel decided to go ahead.

Finding a way to start again

Bodyfit Mums became her starting point. With specialist pelvic health support and a pessary she began to bring movement back into her routine. 

She began with home workouts and progressed gradually. Fitting in a workout while her baby slept became one of the small wins she could build on.

Her first jog came 12 weeks later

Twelve weeks after starting with Bodyfit Mums, Edel went for a jog: eight rounds of one minute jogging and one minute walking.

She shared the moment with her friends:

“I didn’t think I’d get back there with my prolapse. So I was buzzing. Small steps, but still.”

For Edel, that first jog meant more than completing a set of intervals. It was something she had feared she might never do again.

Then she added jumps

After four months of gradual training, Edel added jumps to a workout. She messaged her mum:

“Guess who added the jumps into her workout this morning?”

Her mum replied that Edel had come on a lot in the previous few weeks.

The messages capture the progress as it happened: home workouts, her first jog, then another exercise she had once stopped doing.

Small steps, with room to grow

Edel’s return to exercise wasn’t about being pushed to do more before she felt ready. With specialist pelvic-health support and a gradual start through Bodyfit Mums, she began rebuilding confidence in movement - one step at a time.

If you’re looking for coaching that takes your starting point and real life into account, apply for coaching to find out how Bodyfit Mums could support you. DM us 'SUPPORT' to have a chat. 

Edel’s story describes her personal experience. Pelvic-health needs and exercise recommendations vary from person to person. Bodyfit Mums coaching supports exercise and is not a substitute for medical assessment or treatment.