1KHO 687: How to Be Kind to Your Pelvic Floor | Jenn Lormand, Tighten Your Tinkler

Summary

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Episode Overview

Title: 1KHO 687: How to Be Kind to Your Pelvic Floor | Jenn Lormand, Tighten Your Tinkler
Host: Jenny Ertz, 1000 Hours Outside
Guest: Jenn Lormand, Clinical Exercise Physiologist & Co-Founder, Tighten Your Tinkler
Date: January 22, 2026

Theme:
In this engaging and refreshingly candid episode, host Jenny Ertz speaks with pelvic floor expert Jenn Lormand about the misconceptions, challenges, and everyday impacts surrounding pelvic floor health. They explore non-invasive alternatives to common pelvic floor concerns, address why symptoms like incontinence and back pain are widespread, and unpack why conventional advice (like doing Kegels) may not be enough—or may even make things worse. This episode is both practical and empowering for women at every life stage—from puberty through perimenopause and beyond—dispelling myths, sharing hope, and offering actionable solutions to reclaim confidence, mobility, and comfort in daily life.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Jenn Lormand’s Personal Story: From Trauma to Advocacy

• Jenn shares her deeply personal journey through birth trauma, incontinence, and stage 2 prolapse of all three pelvic compartments following her third child.
• Facing repeated surgical interventions, she chose to pursue holistic, non-invasive healing.
• “I left that appointment, cried my eyeballs out, and the Lord just convicted my heart… Your body's made to heal, and that's really the starting point of Tighten Your Tinkler...” (06:01-08:52)

What is Prolapse & Why Does It Happen?

• Definition: Prolapse is “the falling down and in to one another of the pelvic organs.” (09:40)
• Frequently caused/exacerbated by intervention in birth (forceps, vacuum), tissue damage, and pressure imbalances—sometimes to the point where organs begin to descend outside the body.
• Early intervention (stage 0-2) has high hope for non-surgical recovery. (09:40-11:17)

The Limits—and Risks—of Kegels

• Kegels are best understood as a very isolated contract-release of the pelvic floor muscle but, “It's only going to strengthen that muscle group in that particular position,” making them impractical for real life.
• Overusing Kegels can cause hypertonicity (“over-tightness”), leading to symptoms like pain, urgency, gas leaks, back pain, and even more incontinence.
• “They can cause something called hypertonicity, which is an over-tightness of the pelvic floor. And then that produces... a spiraling cycle of increasing all of these symptoms that we're talking about.” (13:02)

The Hormonal Connection & Perimenopause

• Perimenopause is described as a “second puberty” with fluctuating estrogen, progesterone, and potential testosterone loss—leading to reduced tissue elasticity and collagen production.
• Declining estrogen specifically impacts the pelvic floor and vaginal tissue, causing dryness, loss of support, and a rapid onset of symptoms like urgency, leaks, pain, and pressure.
• “Now, specific to the pelvic floor tissue, the decrease in estrogen decreases the elasticity and the collagen in all of our tissues... that's why to that particular age group, all of these different products are recommended.” (14:59-16:38)

Surprising Symptoms: Pelvic Floor & Back Pain

• Back, hip, and even neck pain can have origins in pelvic floor dysfunction, due to direct muscular and ligament attachments between these areas (17:30-17:50).

Preventative & Proactive Care Across Life Stages

Puberty & Adolescence:

• Early warning signs can arise without childbirth; repetitive high-impact sports (cheer, running) as well as chronic coughing/sneezing (allergies or asthma) can weaken the pelvic floor.
• Chronic use of compressive garments (Spanx, tight tights) also increases abdominal pressure, further risking pelvic weakness and prolapse. (34:06-38:29)

  “When you squeeze the middle of a tube of toothpaste, where does the pressure go? ...it goes right down... And that's your pelvic floor.” – Jenn (34:32)

Pregnancy:

• The growing uterus places more strain; supportive bands (termed “V2 supporter garments”) can help, but major interventions are limited.
• “If you’re peeing more than 10 times a day... during pregnancy, it's going to be a challenge.” (41:12)
• Prevention (strengthening, decompression, breathwork) is more effective before pregnancy.

Postpartum Recovery:

• Rest is essential: “In order to heal, you have to be in rest and digest, so you have to be in a less stressful place.” (48:42)
• Recommendations include gentle decompression positions, diaphragmatic breathwork, fiber & hydration, and healing sitz baths.
• Rest is advocated as a “fourth trimester”—with cultural and social supports to protect new mothers.

  “You have to fight for it... She would put a sign up on the door... ‘Do not stay for longer than this amount of time... if you are, make sure that you're helping!’” – Jenny (47:23)

Adulthood & Menopause:

• The protocol can be used as prevention, maintenance, or post-symptom intervention up to stage 2 prolapse.
• Jenn's protocol is not appropriate for severe, advanced prolapse—hands-on therapy may be required for “red zone” cases (50:10-50:55).

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Practical Tips & Memorable Moments

“How To Be Kind to Your Pelvic Floor”

• Use a Squatty Potty:
  “A deep squat is actually ergonomically correct to empty your bowel and your bladder. So a very kind thing you can do for yourself is get thyself a toileting stool, aka a squatty potty for your restrooms.” (27:47)
  – Knees should be higher than hips for proper positioning. This is recommended for all ages, even for children to ease constipation.

• Avoid Compressive Garments:
  “Anything that's too tight… what you're doing is increasing your abdominal pressure, which increases the amount of force going down onto the pelvic floor.” (34:06)

• Functional Strengthening Over Kegels:
  Programs should focus on natural, functional movement and diaphragmatic breathwork, not isolated Kegels or internal devices (11:42; 24:11).

• Hydration & Fiber:
  Recommended for bowel regularity—milled chia/flax seeds, electrolyte support, and sufficient water intake (32:14).

• Weighted Vests Warning:
  Contrary to popular advice, wearing weighted vests for women with pelvic floor symptoms/prolapse can create additional downward pressure and worsen problems ("If you score in the gold zone or the red zone, please don't wear a weighted vest." 53:25).

  “The latest research shows that weighted vests do not help increase bone density. Jumping or heavy lifting is going to help increase bone density.” (53:25-53:53)

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Notable Quotes

• “Our bodies are designed to heal. God did design our bodies to heal.”
  —Jenn Lormand (11:17)
• “Kegels are really just a contract release... it's only going to strengthen that muscle group in that particular position.”
  —Jenn Lormand (11:42)
• “You don't just wake up one morning with prolapse. Yes, childbirth is a big impetus for prolapse, but there was weakening that was happening before this.”
  —Jenn Lormand (36:47)
• “When you squeeze the middle of a tube of toothpaste, where does the pressure go? ...it goes right down... And that's your pelvic floor.”
  —Jenn Lormand (34:32)
• “Anything that's too tight… what you’re doing is increasing your abdominal pressure, which increases the amount of force going down onto the pelvic floor.”
  —Jenn Lormand (34:06)
• “In order to heal, you have to be in rest and digest, so you have to be in a less stressful place.”
  —Jenn Lormand (48:42)
• “If you’re peeing more than 10 times a day... during pregnancy, it's going to be a challenge.”
  —Jenn Lormand (41:12)
• “Weighted vests… if you're dealing with pelvic floor issues, it's going to progress and worsen those issues.”
  —Jenn Lormand (53:25)

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Useful Timestamps

• Jenn’s birth trauma and origin story: 04:41 – 08:52
• What is prolapse (definition & risks): 09:40
• Why Kegels may not work (and may harm): 11:42 – 13:40
• Perimenopause & hormonal changes: 14:59 – 16:38
• Connection to back/hip pain: 17:30
• Jenn’s evidence-based, non-Kegel approach: 22:41 – 24:11
• Daily pelvic floor self-care routine: 24:11 – 25:20
• Squatty potty/squatting habit: 27:47 – 32:14
• Avoiding Spanx/tight garments: 34:06 – 37:24
• Prevention for teens/athletes: 38:56 – 40:49
• Pregnancy & postpartum restorative advice: 41:12 – 49:09
• Weighted vest caveat: 51:32 – 53:55
• How often should you pee? 54:00

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Additional Resources

• Jenn & Christina’s Program:
  tightenyourtinkler.com (includes free quiz; signature program with code “1000hours” for discount)
• Free techniques available: Decompression positions, diaphragmatic breathwork (on website)
• Stages of prolapse: “Green, Gold, Red” guide via online quiz for personalized recommendations

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Memorable Ending

Favorite Outdoor Childhood Memory
Laying in the grass, cloud gazing and making up stories about the clouds—an ordinary but deeply restorative outdoor ritual Jenn now shares with her own kids (56:21).

“All my kids laugh at me because I always make them do this… but it’s so much better than a video game, can't you tell?” —Jenn

Closing Encouragement:
This episode offers vital hope—whether you’re a young woman, a mom, or years past menopause, you don’t have to live with pelvic floor symptoms. Empowering, evidence-backed solutions exist to help regain your freedom and confidence in movement, play, and daily life.

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For More:
Visit tightenyourtinkler.com to take the free assessment and access programs, or share this episode with a friend who quietly struggles with symptoms—sometimes the most helpful thing you can do is pass along good information (57:16).

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Transcript

[Jenny Ertz]

Oh, it's a beautiful world Ain't nothing on screen that's ever gonna be this view oh, it's a beautiful world and I just want to share with I just want to share with you this beautiful world Such a beautiful. Hey friends, thank you for being here. Today's conversation is one a lot of women don't realize they need until something feels off. My guest is Jen Lormant, a clinical exercise physiologist, researcher, and founder of Tighten your Tinkler. We're talking about the pelvic floor, what it actually does, why so many women struggle with leaks, pressure, pain or back issues, and why common advice like just do Kegels often misses the mark. Jen shares her own story of birth trauma, prolapse, and being told surgery was inevitable and the non invasive approach that helped her heal and has since helped thousands of women reclaim normal activities like hiking, running, sleeping through the night, and simply not thinking about bathrooms all day long. This episode is practical, hopeful, and surprisingly freeing. If you've ever felt limited by your body or worried that certain changes were just part of being a woman, this conversation will give you clarity and options. All right, let's get into it. The new year brings new health goals and wealth goals.

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Part of your new year's goals. With LifeLock, save up to 40% your first year. Visit LifeLock.com podcast Terms apply welcome Welcome welcome to the 1000 Hours Outside podcast. My name is Jenny Ertz. I'm the founder of 1000 Hours Outside and someone recently left a review and so I'm actually like, left me spiraling. Jen Someone left me a review and it doesn't say that the podcast is boring, but in my mind it made me think that. But it's. It was a review and it was actually really kind of like a nice review. It was like, this podcast has changed my parenting. Also, it's repetitive. And I was like, what? Also, I can't deal with anything negative. So I was like totally thrown for a loop. I was like, I am spiraling. Okay. To say I'm a fan of this podcast is an understatement. I listen regularly. My to be read list has grown exponentially and what I've learned frequently comes up in my everyday conversations. That being said, I find the Episode topics and guests becoming quite repetitive. So today we're going to be talking about your pelvic floor. So there.

[Jen Lormand]

There's your monkey wrench. Yeah.

[Jenny Ertz]

I'm like, I have. Every single time I read a new book, I was like, how can this be repetitive? So the author is so Sarah. And so Sarah, today will not be repetitive. Jen Lorman is here to talk about tightening our tinklers. Welcome, Jen.

[Jen Lormand]

So much for having me, Jenny.

[Jenny Ertz]

Well, thank you. So whoever wrote that review and left me four stars instead of five will now know everything about how she's supposed to pee and prolapse and all these things. And so it is not repetitive. Okay, can you talk to us about your background here? So, sure. I love learning about this stuff because one time somebody told me that I was going to mess up my bladder. I pee. And I learned from you that I pee, like, the exact right amount. The. The situation was is that I went on a camping trip. This matters because it affects you getting outside. You know, can you go camping? Can you go on a hike? You know, and. And you're having leaking or you have to go to the bathroom right away. And people talk about this like, they're like, it really affects their quality of life. And so I'm like, I can make it through the night. And in the morning, I peed in this big. Like, I was on this camping trip on a river, and you a pee in this. They gave you a, like, a plastic container like you would use for food, and you would pee in it. And it had the amount of ounces on the side. So I was like, ooh, I peed. I can't remember what the number was. Anyways, I was like, ooh, I peed a lot. I was like, I'm really good. Then you dump it in the river. And so someone told me, they were like, no, that you've stretched your bladder out. That's too much pee. And then I learned from you that it wasn't. And I was actually a really good peer. But basically, I'm just trying to tell Sarah that we're not repetitive.

[Jen Lormand]

So.

[Jenny Ertz]

Okay, can you talk to us about what's happening with women? Perimenopause is an issue because your estrogen changes. Puberty is an issue. Our pelvic floors are an issue because we have these babies. We carry kids. Where did your interest come from? What are some top things that women should know?

[Jen Lormand]

Holy moly. Okay, well, I'm Jen Lorman. I'm a mom of three, and I'm a clinical exercise physiologist. Published researcher. I got into this really because of my own story. I had a very traumatic birth with my first son and had. I got pregnant six months after having my first son. And so things started to snowball and spiral for me.

[Jenny Ertz]

Can you give us a little bit more detail? And not your personal business, but, yeah, when you say. I mean, this is a very personal.

[Jen Lormand]

Well, it's pretty personal, but that's okay.

[Jenny Ertz]

But when you say traumatic birth, and, you know, that's a. That's a phrase that I would imagine a lot of people would use. I would say our first birth was traumatic.

[Jen Lormand]

Yeah.

[Jenny Ertz]

I had to have the Foley bulb. I don't even know if that's what it's called, honestly. But, like, it was, like, it was induction. And I had preeclampsia. I had to collect. I'm talking about pee. I had to collect my pee in a jug for, like, a whole weekend. And they had to give the numbers, and the numbers were awful. And so I was hooked up to all these machines. And then he, like, wouldn't come, so they had to break my water. But I don't know if it was already broken because he was born and he had all these scabs on his head. So she had been picking his head. She'd been trying to break the water, but, like, wasn't getting the water, was getting his scalp. And then I was hooked up to all these machines. I was, like, drugged. So there's a lot of different ways for things to be fairly traumatic.

[Jen Lormand]

Yes. So for me in particular, I had some of the same things that you're talking about happen. My child got stuck in the birth Canal, was born Apgar0 and they could not get him out. He was stuck. And so they were trying forceps. They switched to a vacuum. He was in the birth canal, so they couldn't do a C section at that point. And so it's. It's really a miracle that my child is now 21 and thriving and doing well. But in that process of trying to get him out, I tore hole to hole, and then that got infected. And just from. I was pushing for a very long period of time. So I was completely incontinent both ways postpartum. So just a lot of trauma to the tissue of the pelvic floor specifically. And then obviously getting pregnant six months later, I wasn't fully healed. And so that led to something called vulva varicosities, which are essentially hemorrhoids of your vagina. They can get the size of coconuts during pregnancy. And Very painful. And so I dealt with that my second pregnancy and was able to deliver via C section. And my OB at that point pretty much told me, jen, you really shouldn't have any more babies. My husband and I practiced natural family planning, waited, and then did get pregnant nine years later. And that pregnancy threw my body into stage two pelvic organ prolapse, essentially, of all three pelvic compartments. So my bladder, my uterus, and my rectum all prolapsed less than a year postpartum with my third child. I was referred for a full pelvic floor suspension surgery at 36 years old. And the urogynecologist that I met with was incredibly kind and basically looked at me and said, I really hate doing this surgery on someone so young as you, because you're going to need to have this surgery multiple times throughout your life, essentially. And so I obviously left that appointment, cried my eyeballs out, and the Lord just convicted my heart at that point. Your body's made to heal, and that's really the starting point of tighten your tinkler at that point. Because I felt like I had nothing to lose and everything to gain, to begin exploring holistic options to try to reverse my own prolapse and improve my own quality of life. Because at that point, I wasn't able to hold my child, my infant. I mean, I couldn't do most of the momming things because I. I was in so much pain, I had so much pressure, and I was still dealing with lots of incontinence both ways, urinary and bowel incontinence. So that's kind of the story of tighten your tinkler.

[Jenny Ertz]

Yeah, sure. And the traumatic birth it is. My mom has always said having a baby is like pulling a cabbage patch out of your nostril. And I was like, that's not great. But the point is, he's like, there's really no easy way for them to come out. And occas, you know, you see these birth videos of, like, people who are free birthing on YouTube and they're like, in their field, you know, and out comes the baby. Or, you know, they talk about people who are, like, out in the rice paddies collecting rice, and then they squat down and deliver their baby, and then they go right back. You're like, well, that's not what happened for me. And there can just be, like, such this spectrum of how it goes. Can you explain what prolapse is for someone who hasn't experienced it or is sort of like, maybe thinks they have it but doesn't totally know.

[Jen Lormand]

Yeah. Prolapse is the falling down and in to one another of the pelvic organs. So in a perfect world, your organs are stacked and organized very neatly and nicely in these little compartments. And oftentimes, particularly for women who there were forceps or vacuum used throughout their delivery, the soft tissue compartments become damaged. And so if you've had that type of delivery, you're at, at much greater risk of developing prolapse because of that. So the organs are falling into one another and they're also falling down and you know, progressed stages of prolapse, the organs can actually begin to exit the body.

[Jenny Ertz]

Okay, so you have this. Did you do the full suspension surgery?

[Jen Lormand]

I did not.

[Jenny Ertz]

You didn't have to do it?

[Jen Lormand]

No. That's part of our story. I am, I am 12 years out and have still I get to walk around most days and not even realize I have prolapse. That's what the message is here. That's why, you know, we want to scream from the rooftops that non invasive interventions. When you catch this zero stage zero to two, there is a lot of hope for you to not have to be poked and prodded by someone else in an office. Right. To not have to poke and prod yourself with internal devices, to not have to do Kegels and to not have to have surgery. Our bodies are designed to heal. God did design our bodies to heal.

[Jenny Ertz]

She had this signature program. I, we talked about this quite a long time ago, but then someone messaged me that I didn't know very well. And she texted me that, you know, I think I knew, but I didn't know super well. And she was like, I did the program and it changed my life. This is something that people are talking about a lot, but then don't really know what direction to go. Obviously key goals is is one of the words that gets thrown around a lot. Can you talk about the misnomer there?

[Jen Lormand]

Look, you know better, you do better. And Kegels were the very first exercise designed to strengthen these muscles. Right. Just, you know, for people who are not very anatomically inclined. Your pelvic floor is a sling of musculature that holds our guts in from the, from the bottom. There's no bony structure that does that. It is all soft tissue. And so Kegels are really just a contract release. Right? That's, that's all it is. And it's skeletal muscle mass. And people are like, okay, what does that mean? It means that it works like your biceps. It works like Your hamstrings and your quads. Right. They're functional muscles. They work through movement. And doing a Kegel is simply contract release. So it's only going to strengthen that muscle group in that particular position. So if you're doing them sitting, great. If you sneeze when you sit and you Kegel, you. You might be able to stop the pee leak. But what happens when you're driving? You know, a lot of women kegel and cross their legs. You can't do that driving. Or you know what if you bend down to grab a hamper of laundry and you sneeze, you want your pelvic floor to support you there so that you're not, you know, leaking everywhere.

[Jenny Ertz]

Yeah. So they're limited.

[Jen Lormand]

They're limited. And they can cause something called hypertonicity, which is an over tightness of the pelvic floor. And then that produces. It's a spiraling cycle of increasing all of these symptoms that we're talking about. Peelings, pressure, pain with intimacy, gas leaks, hip pain, back pain, pressure, inability to initiate the stream of urine when you feel like you need to use the restroom, and then possibly leaking urine after you've used the restroom when you stand up or leaking urine during. During sex.

[Jenny Ertz]

This is a lot of things. It's a lot.

[Jen Lormand]

It is a lot.

[Jenny Ertz]

You know, it's so funny is over the past two weeks, I've had these two podcast episodes that have gone out that are about, like, how children are a blessing, which I totally believe they are.

[Jen Lormand]

And.

[Jenny Ertz]

And yes, they sure are. And then you're there. You know, the conversation is about how as a culture, though, a lot of people are choosing to not have children. And, you know, so they have a conversation like this and you're like, oh, but it. But to your point, there are. You have come up with these ways that can help people heal. You are 12 years in, you know, thinking that you're going to have to have this pelvic, full pelvic floor suspension surgery not only once, but several times throughout your adulthood. And it's been 12 years and you haven't had to do it. So there are answers out there for you, and that's the way that the Lord works. So you go through these hard things and there are things that you can do. So can you talk about how. Okay, so maybe you're having, like, a little bit of problems, but not a lot. And then you hit perimenopause, which people are talking about that word a lot. I never heard that word when I was younger, but possibly Because I was younger, and so I'm not talking to people that are in that stage. You heard menopause, menopause, menopause, menopause. But perimenopause is like the pre. So can you talk about what's happening with hormones at that time and why things might feel worse?

[Jen Lormand]

Yeah, I love this question, Jenny. So perimenopause, a lot of folks are referring to this as like our second puberty, but even a crazier roller coaster. Because we know during puberty, right, there is a sudden, like fire hose cascade of hormones that happens, right? And so our teenagers, well, they're rough, right? And you get the acne and all the things. Well, in perimenopause, there is no. There's. It's super random, and it's based off of each woman kind of what is happening in her body. But you've got estrogen depleting, you've got progesterone going cuckoo, up, down, up, down. Some women lose testosterone, other ones don't. And then you've got cortisol because of the stress in the body that is just going cuckoo crazy and increasing inflammation in the body. Now, specific to the pelvic floor tissue, the decrease in estrogen decreases the elasticity and the collagen in all of our tissues. So, you know, if you're like one of these, Christina and I call it one of these people that really cares about, like, you know, how your face is aging and these kinds of things, that's why to that particular age group, all of these different products are recommended.

[Jenny Ertz]

Because collagen, that is all that the only recommendations I get. Because you know how they say there's like targeted ads online on social media? Every single one of my targeted ads is for some sort of a face cream type product. And so what's happening on the face is happening internally.

[Jen Lormand]

So. And it's happening particularly to the. The vulva tissue. Okay? So the tissue of the vagina, which is already thin, begins to thin more. And so this is where the vaginal dryness comes in. It's also the tissue that's holding up the pelvic floor becomes weaker, right? So all of a sudden, these women seem to have a rapid onset of these bladder symptoms or lots of pressure. And like everything else that's happening in that point of time, you're dealing with brain fog. You're dealing with lack of sleep, you know, hot flashes. And so it's kind of like this whack a mole of. Okay, what symptom is screaming the loudest, right? Now that I'm going to whack with this solution, but it's hot mess central.

[Jenny Ertz]

Yeah, that's a lot. It's a lot, a lot to deal with. Okay, so additionally, you also talk about back pain. Yes, that's a surprising thing that's also connected. You know, you're talking about pee and you're talking about incontinence and talking about prolapse and pressure, but back pain is lumped in here as well.

[Jen Lormand]

Yeah, back pain is lumped in as well because again, if you look at the anatomy of the body and we talked about pelvic floor being this sling of muscle, there's attachments to the hips, the back, and the front of the pelvis. So literally, your pelvic floor muscles attach to the sacrum, the lowest part of your spine of your back. And so, I mean, it's not hard to imagine that if your organs are falling down and out of your body, it's pulling on the ligament attachments of the low back. So, yes, you're going to have. You could have back pain. Sometimes women have hip pain, pain at the front of the hip or the side of the hip. This can all be associated with pelvic floor dysfunction.

[Jenny Ertz]

The new year always feels like a reset for me. Not just for schedules and routines, but for our home, too. I want our space to feel calm, functional, and ready for the season ahead. Essentially the opposite of what it feels like over the holidays, with a stream of parties and gatherings, family visits that are fun and meaningful but also add to the craziness. And honestly, Wayfair makes that so easy. If you're refreshing bedding, upgrading towels, organizing kids rooms, or finally tackling storage, Wayfair really does have everything in one place. I love being able to shop for practical things like mattresses, bathroom storage and kitchen essentials, and add in those finishing touches that make a home feel cared for. This season, I'm focusing on simple, cozy updates. We are refreshing bedding and adding a few accent pillows and mirrors to our living space. Nothing over the top, just pieces that feel warm, lived in and inviting. I was honestly surprised by how many styles and price points there were. It made it easy to stay on budget without sacrificing quality or style. And I love how convenient it is to find everything from kids room updates to work, from home setup to storage solutions for all the outdoor gear that somehow always piles up, get organized, refreshed and back on track this new year. For way less, head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home that's W-A-Y-F-A-I-R.com Wayfair every style, every Home January always feels like a fresh start in our homeschool. It's that reset moment after the holidays where you're refining what worked, letting go of what didn't and finding your rhythm again. Oh, and also you actually know what day it is again, as opposed to being in that holiday induced fog where time and space seem to just meld into nothing and everything all at once. One thing we've learned over the years is how important it is to meet each child exactly where they are. That's why IXL fits so naturally into our homeschool life. It adapts to each learner so one child can review last year's skills while another jumps ahead without pressure, comparison or busy work. I love how effortless it is as a parent. Everything is organized by grade and by topic, so I'm not digging through resources or reinventing the wheel. And the real time feedback is huge. Kids learn from mistakes immediately and the progress reports give clarity and confidence. As a guide, IXL covers math, language arts, science and social studies studies from Pre K all the way through 12th grade and it grows right along with your child. It is flexible, proven and trusted by millions of families. Make an impact in your child's learning. Get IXL now and 1000 Hours Outside listeners can get an exclusive 20 off their IXL membership when they sign up today at www.ixl.com 1000hours. Visit ixl.com 1000hours to get the most effective learning program out there at the best price. Some weeks I just don't have the time or the brain space for real meal planning. I want to eat healthier. I care about what we're putting in our bodies. But by dinner time I am tired and overwhelmed. And that's where Hungry Root has been such a gift. Hungry Root is basically like having a personal nutrition coach and grocery shopper rolled into one. I told them what we like, what we don't like, and what my health goals are, and they planned everything for me. The recipes, of which there are over 50,000, the groceries, all of it. And the more we use it, the smarter it gets, tailoring things even better to our tastes. I love that it makes healthy eating simple without overthinking it. Whether you're trying to eat cleaner, get more protein or reduce inflammation, Hungry Root does the work for you without junk ingredients and with high quality meats and seafood. And if you're trying to stick with healthier habits past January, which Aren't we all? This really helps make it doable right now. Take advantage of this exclusive offer for a limited time, get 40 off your first box, plus get a free item in every box for life. Go to hungryroot.com 1000hours and use code 1000hours. That's hungryroot.com 1000hours. Code 1000hours to get 40 off your first box and a free item of your choice for life. Okay, so you have a program. I want you to tell us about your program, but you have a signature program and there are phenomenal, phenomenal reviews on it. And obviously your own own story is like a life review on the program. So tell people where they can find it and what it is. And then I would love to walk through like from puberty through womanhood. What are some things that we should be looking out for and know that we may not know? But before we get there, can you talk, tell us about your signature program?

[Jen Lormand]

Sure. So this is an online program that Christina and I developed based on the research study that we did. So we're published in two different research, medical research journals. And essentially we kept having folks approach us who went through it, asking, asking if we could put something online. So we never planned to have this business, but that's how it started. And so it is that actual protocol that has been proven to help with things like Prolapse, Peelix, all the things that we've talked about. We recommend that you implement the exercises and the recovery tool. So there's two components to the program. One is about actually stopping, figuring out what your triggers are and then using certain positions. We give a couple way for free on our website, decompression position, diaphragmatic breath work, these kinds of things to help stop the triggers and stop the symptoms. And then we want to functionally strengthen that pelvic floor like we talked about. So there are no Kegels, there are no internal devices. There's three components of the exercise routine we're talking about. Once you learn this, it's 10 minutes a day. You do it with your clothes on. You can do it with your kids. It's easy to implement. You don't have to sweat or take a shower afterwards. It becomes part of your daily routine to functionally strengthen your pelvic floor and, and help stop these symptoms.

[Jenny Ertz]

And this is then possibly a daily routine for forever, especially because the hormones are changing. And it just similar. It similarly reminds me of like a face care, like someone who has been 10 minutes a day doing that geisha thing or Gua sha or whatever it's called. Yes, whatever that is, you know, like that thing. And then they're doing. And it's like a 10 minute. I, you know, you, sometimes you see videos of people that like wake up and they, you know, they're spending 10 minutes, they had a whole mask on overnight, then they're taking that off, then they're doing all these things for their face. It's just, it's a similar process that you do in perpetuity at that point.

[Jen Lormand]

I always like to compare it to brushing your teeth. Right. We know if we don't brush our teeth, our teeth are going to rot. You're going to get cavities. And the same is true. This is taking care of your pelvic floor. And what I will say, Jenny, is if you're not dealing with prolapse and by the way, women can go take our quiz online. It's free to find out where they fall in the severity of symptoms. But if you're not dealing with prolapse, it's not necessarily true that you'll have to do it every single day. You may be able to do it as needed. That's the way Christina does it. So she does it as needed. When symptoms flare up, she does it for a few days, they calm down and then she's okay.

[Jenny Ertz]

Okay, okay. So this is all great info for anyone who's listening, if you're interested and you go to tighten your tinkler.com to find more. Last time you had a code for us.

[Jen Lormand]

So if there is a thousand hours, it's still there.

[Jenny Ertz]

It's still there and it gets you money off. And I'll make sure I'll put that in the show notes. And I did get, I got a lot of response from people who said they heard it and they're like, immediately like, I need this. You know, I'm having a hard time going on hikes with my kids. I'm having a hard time. I'm a runner of these different circumstances. And so they, they really found a lot of success there. And in fact I have a couple, I printed out a couple of people's responses. After caring and giving birth to four kids, I thought there were certain things I was just going to have to live with. I'm so grateful to have been introduced to these ladies because they show me this is just not true. They truly changed my life. I used to have a lot of lower back pain and neck pain that interfere with my daily life. My core had become basically non existent. I used improper Body mechanics, which didn't help help. The pelvic core routine changed everything for me. No more lower back pain. I can now jump on a trampoline. This other person said, helping with my back pain in ways no doctor ever could. Jen and Christine have been amazing. And there is just review after review that are similar to that. So people can check that out@tightener tinkler.com can you walk us through then? Especially because, you know, I. This wasn't talked about growing up. You don't know to expect it necessarily. And so the woman's body changes a lot. Like, sometimes I look at my husband and I'm like, huh. Mostly look the same. In fact, I talked to this woman. I, I really adore her. She wrote a book called Come On Home. She's written great books. Her name's Jessica Smart and she had this little quote in her, in her most recent book where they were looking at old pictures like, she's with her kids. She's got teenagers. So like, you know, we've been married for probably 20 years. They're looking at old pictures. You know, they're pulling up the wedding photos or dating photos or something like that. And she said the kids were like, w, dad, you haven't changed at all. And she goes. And then they didn't see anything else. Oh my gosh. It is, it is a thing. Like occasionally you see a woman who kind of looks the same probably as she did as a teenager. But I'm like, for a lot of us, I'm like, things have really changed. So can you walk us through some of the stages of womanhood and what we could be doing to pay attention to our pelvic floor? Are there, are there preventative things?

[Jen Lormand]

And go, okay, so here are ways that you can be kind to your pelvic floor. And you know, when you're outdoors, you tend to squat, to pee, right? A deep squat is actually ergonomically correct to empty your bowel and your bladder. So a very kind thing that you can do for yourself is get thyself a toileting stool, AKA a squatty potty for your restrooms. This naturally, this ergonomic position naturally relaxes the pelvic floor and it helps with straining. If you deal with chronic constipation and that constant strain that is not kind to your pelvic floor. It also helps you start that stream of urine. If you have a over tight pelvic floor like we were talking about earlier, it can help start that stream of urine. So that's something kind that you can do number two is.

[Jenny Ertz]

Can we. Can we stay with the squatty? Oh, yeah, please. Okay. This does make a lot of sense to me because we were at this national park in Utah, and you would actually, that's the trip I went on where you had to, like, you would wake up in the morning.

[Jen Lormand]

Oh.

[Jenny Ertz]

So we were at one of the national parks there, and they had regular bathrooms and then they had holes in the floor. So they had, like squat bathrooms, you know, probably for people who come in that are international and that's what they're used to doing. And so anyways, everyone was, like, super intrigued and looked at it. You know, I was like, whoa. You know, it's just a hole in the floor. And it. And it was. In a lot of ways, it makes sense that you. If you do that your whole life, obviously those squat muscles, the, you know, they say you should be able to squat, and that is the position often or it's. I would imagine it's helping you prepare for childbirth. How many times do you pee a day in your lifetime? All the way up till childbirth? A lot. So what. The thing that's tricky for me is that a full squat is like a full body thing. And if you're peeing in a hole and you don't want it to splash. So, like, if you're peeing on the ground, let's say, I mean, you have to have like a wide squat, otherwise it's going to splash to your feet. This is interesting. Right? Okay, So I could see how squatting like that, that would actually really get your body ready to have a child. The squatty potty just seems so lame in comparison. That's probably the wrong word, but so minuscule. It's like, oh, it lifted your feet 4 inches or 6 inches or 8 inches.

[Jen Lormand]

Well, so the key is to get the knees higher than the hips.

[Jenny Ertz]

Okay.

[Jen Lormand]

So, you know, there are different heights of that squatty potty. So depending on if you have a comfort height toilet, you're going to have to get your feet a whole lot more elevated to get your knees higher than your hips. That's what's going to help those muscles relax. But I agree, it is much different than a deep squat, but it begins that ability to get those muscles to turn off.

[Jenny Ertz]

But knees higher than the hips is what's happening when you squat. And that's what the squatty potty is doing. I mean, this is a relatively inexpensive, thing that you could be doing. Now, I. Then I would wonder this, Jen, since if you're squatting to Pee. And this is sort of the natural thing throughout most of human history that you squat to pee and that you don't, you don't have a toilet. So this is throughout most of human history. You're squatting. Should this be part of the routine starting in childhood?

[Jen Lormand]

Yes, yes, most definitely. Well, and look, if you have young children, this is going to help them evacuate their bowels. Like, it's going to help, you know, oftentimes, especially with the diet of kids today and all that, a lot of kids are dealing with chronic constipation, which is another tip of make sure you stay well hydrated. We always recommend electrolytes, especially, you know, with any outdoor activity. You definitely want electrolytes, but it also helps with the consistency of your stool and your, you know, your kid's stool. And that goes along with soluble fiber. So things like chia seeds and flax seeds. These are milled chia seeds and flaxseeds. Adding that fiber to, to help both soften but also bulk the stool for folks who deal with chronic diarrhea.

[Jenny Ertz]

Okay, so peeing and pooping with knees above hips, this is something that you. That people used to do their whole life. And this is something that you could implement and I don't know, like, maybe if, if you're outdoors with your kids and you're on a hike.

[Jen Lormand]

Yeah, let them try it. All right.

[Jenny Ertz]

We are not repetitive on this podcast. Okay. All right. Deep squat to pee the Squatty Potty, which is not expensive. You can get in your home. How do you clean it?

[Jen Lormand]

With Clorox wipes.

[Jenny Ertz]

Okay.

[Jen Lormand]

Yeah, that's how I clean mine. I have one in every toilet in my house. Yeah. And they used to just make the ugly white plastic hospital looking ones, but now they have like really cute bamboo ones and.

[Jenny Ertz]

No way.

[Jen Lormand]

Yes. Like, they're way more attractive. So I do, I do still have some of the white ones, but way.

[Jenny Ertz]

To go to the Squatty Potty people. They came up with an incredible name.

[Jen Lormand]

Yes, they did.

[Jenny Ertz]

I talked to this lady the other day who was talking about how, like, we might end up with dry eye disease. And I was like, oh, I do not want that. And so she was saying that you can, you can wear this heated mask and it will heat up your eye oils in so that you don't get dry eye disease. And the company that made them was called Hydration.

[Jen Lormand]

Oh.

[Jenny Ertz]

And I was like, oh, that's really good. So the Squatty Potty. Well done to whoever came up with that. Okay. Yeah, so that's something that we're talking.

[Jen Lormand]

About from preventative and.

[Jenny Ertz]

And all the way through, you could be using something like that. Okay.

[Jen Lormand]

For sure. The other thing, particularly for girls that I recommend is. Is not wearing compressive garments around your middle. Okay. Even if you're not having bladder issues, what you're doing is increasing your abdominal pressure, which increases the amount of force going down onto the pelvic floor.

[Jenny Ertz]

Wait, explain more. What do you mean by compressive garments around your middle?

[Jen Lormand]

So anything that's too tight for older women, we think of Spanx and, you know, all of those kinds of garments that were trying to flatten the tummy and all of these things, like, guess what? It has to go somewhere, you know, and it goes down. Christina did a great reel about this. We call it the tube of toothpaste.

[Jenny Ertz]

Okay.

[Jen Lormand]

You know, analogy of when you squeeze the middle of a tube of toothpaste, where does the pressure go? It goes right down, right out, out of the tube. And that's your pelvic floor. So all that pressure is going down, and. And you're literally cutting yourself in half. So it's disrupting that abdominal pressure, which sets you up for things like umbilical hernias as well, because that's also a pressure management issue.

[Jenny Ertz]

Sorry. Sarah Blakely.

[Jen Lormand]

I know, because I love her. I hate when I have to say that, because I love her.

[Jenny Ertz]

Goodness. There's a lot of things to think about as we step into a new year, and, yes, take those first steps outside to kick it off. I always feel this pull to simplify, to reach for pieces that feel good, layer well, and actually last. And that's why I've been loving Quince. Quince makes those wardrobe staples you reach for again and again. I'm talking about their Mongolian cashmere sweaters that feel like designer pieces without the designer price. 100 silk tops and skirts that instantly dress things up. And denim that's cut just right for everyday life. Their Italian wool coats are a standout, too. Beautifully tailored, soft, and made to last for years, not just one season. Season. You can feel the quality in the details, the stitching, the fit, the fabric. Everything is thoughtfully designed to become a true wardrobe essential. I can't tell you how much I'm loving my new cashmere sweater. It's getting so much wear already, and it's holding up beautifully. I've even picked up a few Quince pieces for home and travel, and the quality has been just as impressive. And the best part, Quince uses premium materials from ethical, trusted factories and prices everything far below traditional luxury brands. Quince is a big hit around here and I know you'll love what they have to offer as well. So refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Don't wait. Go to quince.com outside for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com outside to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com outside that actually is like such a complicated situation, isn't it, Jen? It's like here we are as women and there's so much pressure to look a certain way and then that pressure to look. Look a certain way is causing pressure on your pelvic floor. And there are long term implications of that. That's interesting. I didn't, I wouldn't have thought of that. So that's an interesting thing to know about.

[Jen Lormand]

It's like you think about girls who are in dancing or who are exercising. Right. Or who are in gymnastics and wearing some kind of tights, you know, because your body has a story of your whole life. You don't just wake up one morning with prolapse. Yes, childbirth is a big impetus for prolapse, but there was weakening that was happening before this. So I love that we're talking about proactively thinking about the whole picture of your whole life of your body. Because if you do these things, you're setting yourself up for success with not having to deal with these issues later on.

[Jenny Ertz]

And I remember in my childhood having to wear tights because we went to church. We went to a church where you had to dress up on Sunday. And I hated tights. My tight tights always had a run in them. Like always. It's like how, like what. Who came up with this idea? You know, you've got kids and you're gonna put something on them that can get snagged. So, you know, as a kid we wore these tights and then I, I do remember hitting puberty. Age or pre puberty. 12, 13. Whereas like all of a sudden the tights change and they were like these tight tights right around the stomach. You know, it was that, whatever they would call that. What, what did you say? Compressive. It was like compressive around the stomach. So even different than like a regular pair of tights that you WORE when you're 8 years old. Now it's changed and it's all about body image and is it sucking in the right places? Okay, so watching out for that. And that can start young. Yes, that can start in the, in the puberty years. Okay. All right. All right, so let's get then up to when we're heading into the childbearing years. I would love to talk about when you're pregnant, pre pregnancy and also that postpartum period, like right after, you know, like the, you know, that couple weeks after the baby's born.

[Jen Lormand]

Okay, what can we do pre pregnancy or during pregnancy?

[Jenny Ertz]

Well, are there any things that we could. Like, so basically these two things are pre pregnancy things. Right. So it's like a squatty, potty squat. That's a pre pregnancy thing. Considering your compression, what you're wearing, that's also a pre pregnancy thing. Is there anything else pre pregnancy? You know, we're in our late teens, early 20s. We think we want to have kids down the road. Anything that we should be doing or aware of, be aware of.

[Jen Lormand]

Well, again, going back to the whole body, what I will say is high impact activities repetitively. Okay. So if you were a cheerleader, if you were a long distance runner throughout your adolescence without functional training of the pelvic floor, this sets you up for more pelvic floor issues. There's research studies done on cheerleaders, high school cheerleaders, and 100% of the girls had some symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction. Clearly none of them had children. But it's, it's that repetitive high impact activity that can cause issues. Something else that people don't think about is chronic allergies or chronic respiratory disease like asthma, that you have that, again, that forceful downward pressure on the pelvic floor repetitively over time that weakens the tissue and also creates that pressure imbalance. So these are things that can set us up for issues both during pregnancy and post pregnancy. And so being proactive with doing things like diaphragmatic breath work and a functional strengthening of the pelvic floor before pregnancy is a really smart thing to do.

[Jenny Ertz]

I would not have thought about that. That. So if you're listening in and you're a mother and you've got daughters in particular, and they're of these ages, and especially because sports have become very intense, you could be. I, I didn't consider that at all. Jen. This is something that you could be doing preventatively. It's just part of their, you know, their health. Their exercise routine is functional training of the pelvic floor. Yeah, no one's really talking about that at all. 100 of the cheerleaders had some symptoms and allergies. So you're sneezing all the time. Blowing your nose. Okay.

[Jen Lormand]

Sneezing and the coughing. Yeah.

[Jenny Ertz]

Okay, then what happens? We get pregnant, obviously. There's just, I mean, everybody knows pregnancy.

[Jen Lormand]

It becomes trickier, right? Because if you've got these issues, your uterus sits on top of your bladder, right. And then once you hit the 20 week mark, you're kind of limited in terms of decompression positions and those kinds of things about what you can do laying on your back.

[Jenny Ertz]

Right.

[Jen Lormand]

But there are some in person PT programs now, which is fantastic for issues that do occur during pregnancy. But again, like, you know, if you're peeing more than 10 times a day, if you're having urgency issues when you're peeing or increased pressure down there during pregnancy, it's going to be a challenge. You know, you can wear some of the garments, right, that help like a nice belly band to help lift the belly to give the bladder some breathing room, which we recommend. There are things like a supportive garment. The name is escaping me right now. I'm in perimenopause, so brain frog. It's called a V2 supporter garment. This is what I used during my second pregnancy that I was telling you about when I had those varicosities. So if you're feeling a lot of pressure during pregnancy, this is a garment that really helps support from underneath that you can wear. But it's really more of those types of things. If you're experiencing these symptoms during pregnancy, there's not much, you know, that you're going to be able to do because the belly's, the baby's going to continue to grow, you know, the pressure is going to continue to build on the bladder and the pelvic floor.

[Jenny Ertz]

So all the more reason to have this be a preventative part of your life if you at all can do that as opposed to only once there's problems afterwards.

[Jen Lormand]

Yes. And look, we have some women that do come into our program pregnant and do the modified versions and get some relief. But Christina and I are just big about not over promising what is realistic. Right. I mean, you know, during pregnancy is a tricky time to guarantee, oh, this is going to get completely resolved. The likelihood of that is very low. But postpartum, you know, once women get clearance from their healthcare provider, whether that's their midwife, their obvious, you know, starting with some gentle diaphragmatic breath work, they can honestly start that as soon as they deliver. Because we have four different diaphragms in the body, one in our head, thoracic inlet. Okay. Respiratory diaphragm and your pelvic floor is a diaphragm. And so with that diaphragm, I need more.

[Jenny Ertz]

I don't even know really what I. When I. If I would have thought of diaphragm, I would have thought of when you breathe in deep.

[Jen Lormand]

Yeah. Your respiratory diaphragm.

[Jenny Ertz]

That's the only one I would have ever thought. And in fact, I would have thought that's what the definition is. It's like whatever happens when you breathe in deep, that expand your diaphragm. So I don't even understand that there are more than that.

[Jen Lormand]

Yeah, so they. There are. So there's one in your head that regulates the cerebrospinal fluid and how it is being pushed throughout the brain. You have the thoracic inlet. Right. You hear a lot about this now because. Because everything is about lymphatic flow, which I love, because people who have prolapse have lymphatic flow issues. Right. Because your main lymphatic return is in the pelvis. But anyway, that's lymphatic drainage right at the collarbone. Then you've got your respiratory diaphragm, which we all know regulates our breath. Right. Really important. And then you've got your pelvic floor sitting at the bottom. That again, these are all managing fluid and pressure. And so when there is dysregulation of one of these diaphragms, there is a trickle down, trickle up effect that happens. And so that's why diaphragmatic breath work is usually one of the first things that's recommended when you're having pelvic floor issues, because we're trying to resync those two diaphragms to work together the way that God designed them to work.

[Jenny Ertz]

Okay. So. Right. You know, postpartum, those are things that you could be doing. Yes, postpartum is an interesting time because there are different paths that people take. And I changed my path because I ended up with a midwife. I had two cesarean sections and then had three vaginal births with a midwife. And I love her. She's become a really good friend of mine, but she was the first person I heard say, you're gonna have this baby and then you're gonna rest. And then I was able to read books about it. Like, there's one I really like called the first 40 days where you rest. And one of the things that you talked about was for the sake of your pelvic floor and giving that time. And I think there's a lot of pressure, though, to be like my Baby is two days and I'm out at Target. Look at me. And, you know, I'm so resilient. Can you talk about then the, the postpartum period and how to be the kindest to your pelvic floor during those. I mean, however long. I mean, some people say it's like the, the fourth trimester.

[Jen Lormand]

It is the fourth trimester. I love, I love that saying. I think so many of us struggle with being still and allowing ourselves to receive from others. So I, I just, I say that right off the bat that I think that is the real struggle. But it is, is so important because this is the time where your body and mind and heart is giving so much. Right. So being still is really important. We teach a nice gentle decompression position for the pressure management piece that we were talking about earlier. Also to help the uterus begin to decrease the swelling and all of those things so that in the breath, work, work are very easy, kind things that you can do, along with using the squatty potty, the fiber, the hydration, all of these little things really matter. And then obviously the fiber and hydration with that first postpartum poop that everybody freaks out about, all of those things can really help ease the passage of that. And you know, in terms of healing, if there was tearing or, you know, if they, if they were cut down there, you know, salt water in a. Irrigating the area, or taking a little sitz bath in a, in a couple of inches of water with some magnesium salt or Epsom salt, all help heal that tissue, which is really important.

[Jenny Ertz]

We would do herbal bath and my midwife would sell those little, these little kits and they were, I know they.

[Jen Lormand]

Have a lot of really great kits now.

[Jenny Ertz]

Yeah, there's just a lot of good options. I think that there, you know, for me, I just. There was no information about it or there was, but I wasn't exposed to it. And then when I was exposed to it, I found that there was a lot of information about that time. And so my midwife would say, one week in the bed, one week sitting on the bed, one week near the bed. So it was a three week time. And she would say things like, look, you know, you don't want a lot of people coming in and getting in your baby's face. So she's like, if you're sitting in your bed naked, you know, that baby's on your chest and people come in and visit, they're not going to stay very long. And that's really what you want, you know, I love that if you could go fold some of my laundry or on your way out, that, that, that would be really helpful. And I just found that I hadn't really been exposed to that. But you had to fight for it. You have to fight for it. She would put a sign up on the door that was like, do. It was like bright pink. And it would be like, do not stay for longer than in this amount of time. Or if you are, make sure that you're, you know, you're helping. And it was nice, but it was also direct about supporting the mom during that time. And I would say that I feel like I healed really well when I followed that and just kind of had that time of rest. And it is hard to be still.

[Jen Lormand]

It is hard to be still. And look, you have to. In order to heal, you have to be in rest and digest, so you have to be in a less stressful place. Right. So that, that means being able to receive that help and just be present for yourself and your baby. So I love, like, man, I wish I, I really wish I had someone doing that for me during my postpartum period, because that sounds fantastic.

[Jenny Ertz]

Yeah, A little cocooned, and I think that helps that sort of restful time. There's a lot of pressure to, like, get out and go and, and, and go do things, but for the sake of your pelvic floor, it was like, just rest in the sake, I think, of the baby. Then the, you know, the baby thrives because they're just there, they're warm, they're next to you, they're nursing when they, when, you know, when they want. And I love that. But it's something I didn't know about until my midwife brought it up and then really pushed for it, like with the little. Because she knew, she knew that people are going to come over and that they want you to. They're like, wanting you to entertain them, host them, get them that, you know, like, no, you.

[Jen Lormand]

You're.

[Jenny Ertz]

You're staying near the bed. Okay. All right. So then you get through these childbearing years and then hit this time period where you're in your second puberty. Hormones are going crazy. And so things. You already talked about this, but things can pop up or, or become escalated. And so once again, yours was escalated and you were able to find natural ways out. So this is really for the whole spectrum of ages.

[Jen Lormand]

It really is. I mean, it can be used preventative or, and proactively or reactively to a certain point, like we talked about. I mean, what we Proved is that our protocol works great for women, stages zero to two prolapse. And so, you know, things more progressed than that, which are if women go and take our quiz, they're going to be put into a category of green, gold or red. We are able to help women that fall into the green and gold zone. And we make recommendations for women that fall into the red zone. Okay. Because they are a little bit too far progressed for a DIY online program. They're going to need some in person intervention for that.

[Jenny Ertz]

Okay, one last thing, because this is coming up everywhere. There's a lot of talk about weighted vests and you know that they're helpful. I've had on, I think two guests, maybe three, maybe I've had three guests on to talk about it and different things. And you know, I talked to a man recently. You know, he's. And I guess men can have prolapse too, but it's just not as common. So, you know, he was wearing like so much weight on him, I think 40 pounds, he said. And he's like anti, you know, pushing back against gravity and it's helping with his weight loss and things like that. But if you, you have said that if there's already issues here, you have to be really careful with this.

[Jen Lormand]

This. I'm going to say something that's incredibly unpopular, particularly to the perimenopausal women, because this has been sold to us as the ultimate solution for women to avoid losing bone mass. Right. Because the other thing that's happening behind the scenes here is osteopenia progressing into osteoporosis during this period of time, which is a huge issue. And the latest research shows that wearing a weighted vest while walking, while doing, you know, your laundry, cleaning your house, I mean, I see all of this online all the time. What that can do for you is it can help with your balance, it can help increase muscle mass, it can help with weight loss. However, if you're dealing with pelvic floor issues, it's going to progress and worsen those issues. And that's for a couple of reasons. It's due to anatomically where we're wearing it. Okay. We're wearing it where it clips way up here. This is the fascia lines that hold up your bladder. Sling around your neck. Okay. We talked a lot about abdominal pressure. It's creating a constant downward pressure that's different than lifting weights because you're getting breaks in between, right. In between reps. It's a constant downward pressure on the pelvic floor. And so the thing about pelvic floor issues are if you leave them unaddressed, they're going to progress. And so this is why oftentimes in our inbox we have women, perimenopausal, postmenopausal women doing some of these things. And all of a sudden they're like, help me, help me. All these issues are so much worse. And so what I want to say is go take our quiz and if you score in the gold zone or the red zone, please don't wear a weighted vest.

[Jenny Ertz]

Okay.

[Jen Lormand]

Because it's going to make things worse. And the ladies latest research shows that it does not help increase bone density. Okay. So jumping or heavy lifting. Okay. Is going to help increase bone density. And so I just feel the urgent need to say that to all the women listening because for this particular subset of people, wearing a weighted vest is, is not going to be good for you.

[Jenny Ertz]

Yeah. It's going to really exacerbate what's already happening.

[Jen Lormand]

Yeah.

[Jenny Ertz]

Okay, that's super good to know. Jen, how often should I pee? Every. Every day.

[Jen Lormand]

10 times. No matter how much water you drink?

[Jenny Ertz]

10 times.

[Jen Lormand]

10 times.

[Jenny Ertz]

That is a lot. Yeah, that's a lot.

[Jen Lormand]

No more than 10 times.

[Jenny Ertz]

No more than 10 times.

[Jen Lormand]

No more Than 10 times. And when I was referred for surgery, I was peeing 22 times a day. That was the first thing that, that he had me do. And I was like, whoa, okay, the bathroom really is ruling my Life.

[Jenny Ertz]

Is it 10, 10, or is it 10 is the most?

[Jen Lormand]

10 is the most. No more than 10 times a day.

[Jenny Ertz]

What's the minimum?

[Jen Lormand]

I don't know.

[Jenny Ertz]

Okay, all right, so there's an upper limit. 10. 10 is your upper limit. But that just goes to show you how much you would be squatting your whole life if you peed, let's say, I guess eight to ten times a day, your whole life as a woman, you will be squatting so much in that those like squat muscles, they see you lose those over time.

[Jen Lormand]

Time.

[Jenny Ertz]

So just kind of an interesting.

[Jen Lormand]

Yeah. The flexibility.

[Jenny Ertz]

Yeah, yeah. Interesting thing to think about that every single time that women would do that, it was preventative and protective for their bodies. And so now we have these toilets which are a wonderful modern day invention but potentially causing considerable problems over the course of a lifetime. Just that one thing. Not doing the deep squat to pee. All right, Jen, well, first of all, this has been super informative. Second of all, all thank you for providing an episode that is not repetitive. So everyone thanks you, especially Sarah. And if anyone else wants to Leave a comment. Or what's it called? A review that says I'm not repetitive. I would feel that would make my soul feel good. So thank you in advance for anyone who wants to combat that one. I can't even stand. I'm like, I do not like living in a world where there's public reviews.

[Jen Lormand]

Oh, gosh.

[Jenny Ertz]

Like, can we not get. But then you're like, I like the good ones, but I don't want to hear any of the, like, you should improve. But I'm like, well, maybe I should improve. Okay. All that to say, I so appreciate this. I'll make sure that I'll put the link in the show notes, but it's just tighten your tinkler. That's really easy to remember. You say it's a. A silly name with serious results. We always end our show with a favorite memory from your childhood that was outside. And this really does relate because this can really limit your life if you're having different issues here. And it limits your life if you can't carry your baby and all those types of things. So can you talk about your own childhood with a favorite memory from.

[Jen Lormand]

Yes, my favorite memory outside, which all my kids laugh at me because I always make them do this, is laying in the grass looking up in the sky and making up stories about all the cloud shapes. That's what I just. Oh, I have so many great memories doing that by myself with friends and cousins.

[Jenny Ertz]

Oh, I love it. Your kids are like, mom, I don't want to do this again. Like, it's so much better than a video game. Can't you tell? Yeah, I love that. Jen, thank you for your time. Thanks for teaching us all this. These are obviously critically important issues and incredible to know that there are things that we can do both preventatively and post when it seems like there is no hope. Similar to your story where it probably seemed like there was no hope and you were able, through God's wisdom and help, to find a path forward. And then you're helping so many other women do the same. Thank you for being here.

[Jen Lormand]

Thanks so much for this opportunity, Jenny. I really, really appreciate it.

[Jenny Ertz]

Thanks so much for hanging out with me today. If this episode sparked an oh wow, that explains a lot moment, here's a simple next step. Jen and her team offer a research based, non invasive pelvic floor program and listeners to this podcast can get $50 off off their signature program with code 1000hours. You can find [e-mail] including their free quiz. If you're not sure where you fall. One thing I'll add, this is a kind of episode that's worth sharing with a friend, a sister, a mom, a running buddy, someone who's quietly dealing with symptoms they've never talked about. Sometimes the most helpful thing we can do is pass along good information. Being able to hike, camp, move, and play comfortably matters, and this conversation supports that in a very real way. Way. Thanks again for being here. Until next time. May you find extraordinary moments on ordinary paths. Get outside open your eyes Feel that sunshine kissing your skin Throw your worries out to the wind Climb some trees skin your knees Feel that grass on your feet again get out there and take it in oh, it's a beautiful.

[Jen Lormand]

World.

[Jenny Ertz]

Ain't nothing on the screen that's ever going to be this view oh.

[Jen Lormand]

It'S a beautiful world.

[Jenny Ertz]

And I just want to share with I just want to share with you this beautiful world Such a beautiful world.