The Invisible Load: Navigating Pelvic Health and Menopause in the Group Exercise Studio
Join Christien from Menopause Movement, in partnership with EMD UK, for a practical, evidence-based look at pelvic health in group fitness.
Event Details
For group exercise instructors, the pelvic floor is essential to performance, longevity, and overall health. Yet many instructors manage pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) silently while supporting menopausal women, one of the groups most at risk.
Join Christien from Menopause Movement, in partnership with EMD UK, for a practical, evidence-based look at pelvic health in group fitness. Moving beyond “just do your kegels,” this session explores how menopause-related hormonal changes affect connective tissue, muscle mass, and pressure management. We will address the impact of high-impact exercise and common coaching cues on both instructors and participants, while sharing practical strategies to create safer, more inclusive classes.
Whether you are managing symptoms yourself or supporting members through menopause, this webinar will provide valuable insights to help women keep moving with confidence.
By the end of this session, attendees will be able to:
- Deconstruct the Science: Identify the physiological impact of declining oestrogen on pelvic floor integrity, including changes to collagen, muscle sarcopenia, and the “Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause” (GSM).
- Analyse the Data: Understand the prevalence of PFD in the fitness industry, including why being “fit” does not always mean being “functional” when it comes to the pelvic floor.
- Self-Care for the Professional: Recognise the signs of pelvic floor fatigue and dysfunction within themselves and apply “instructor-first” strategies to manage pressure during high-intensity or high-impact coaching.
- Adapt Teaching Practices: Implement immediate modifications for common group exercise movements (e.g. jumping, heavy lifting, abdominal bracing) to support participants experiencing prolapse or incontinence.
- Foster Supportive Environments: Utilise inclusive language and screening “red flags” to better signpost participants towards specialist help without overstepping the scope of practice.
Christien Bird
Christien Bird MSc, MCSP is a Chartered Physiotherapist specialising in Pelvic and Women’s health, published researcher, and co-founder of Menopause Movement — an online training platform and community for over 1,500 health and fitness professionals. Originally trained in the Netherlands, she spent a decade leading an NHS outpatient’s department before founding the White Hart Clinic in 1996 building the clinical foundations that would define her career. She joined the clinical research team at Brunel University London following her master’s degree in research Methodology from King’s College London and is a contributor to the menopause NICE guidelines.
Christien brings clinical rigour, lived experience, and infectious energy to everything she does. When she’s not in clinic or course-building, she’s representing Great Britain in triathlon — and quietly planning her next marathon.