Season 1, Episode 8 Details:
Pelvic Health: How to Get Fit on the Inside with Carol Clark and Sally Sheppard
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Episode Overview:
This episode tackles the “best‑kept secret” in women’s health: pelvic floor problems, leaking, and why so many women suffer in silence. Professor Carol Clark and pelvic health physiotherapist Sally Shepherd explain what pelvic health really is, how common issues can often be improved with simple exercises and trusted tools, and why better information and open conversations can change lives.
Detailed Episode Show Notes:
“Two thirds of women will fix the problems if they just know where their pelvic floor is and start using it.”
Our pelvic health is not a taboo subject. It’s a vital part of our wellbeing at every stage of life, so why does it remain such a mysterious art to so many of us?
In this episode of “Speaking of Women’s Health,” Marianne and Anjali welcome Carol Clark and Sally Shepherd, who lift the lid on what pelvic health actually is, revealing how the pelvic floor underpins our comfort and confidence.
Tune in to discover practical, “invisible” steps you can take today and learn how collective knowledge-sharing is helping women across Dorset advocate for the care they deserve.
👤Guest Profiles:
Carol Clark –
- Professor in Physiotherapy at Bournemouth University
- Women’s Health Lead – Centre for Midwifery and Women’s Health at Bournemouth University.
Sally Sheppard –
- Service Lead for Pelvic Health Physio
- University Hospitals. Dorset
- Former Pelvic Health Physiotherapist
⏱️ Chapters:
[0:00] – What is Pelvic Health and Where is the Pelvic Floor?
[8:30] – Leaks, Coughs and Exercise
[11:05] – A Tutorial on How to Find and Exercise Your Pelvic Floor Muscles
[18:30] – Research, Training, ‘Nudging’, and the Squeezy App
[29:45] – Systematic Barriers
[35:55] – Reaching Women with Trusted Digital Tools
[43:50] – Websites, Communities and Culture
[45:20] – Education and the Next Generation
🔑Key Themes:
- Vaccines and Screening Working Together as Lifesaving Tools
- Inequities in Uptake of Support
- Battling Myths and Misinformation
- Empowering People to Ask Questions and Take Action
📖 Resources Mentioned:
- Women’s Health Support in Dorset: https://ourdorset.org.uk/women/
- ORCHA Dorset Health App Library: https://www.dorsethealthcare.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/dorset-health-app-library
- Pelvic Floor Advent Calendar: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLO5Dmt37UIsabvR5pwCnZCWIOG255qCK2
- NHS Squeezy App: https://squeezyapp.com/
- How to do your pelvic floor exercises – Finding your pelvic floor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=510D72JYxGs&list=PLTfW2YBupqY_KpakDHYuspRvnWjbrEiAJ&index=39
-
April Showers Animation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYJ8stVxgXY&list=PLTfW2YBupqY_KpakDHYuspRvnWjbrEiAJ&index=35
🔗 Connect with us:
Carol Clark, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carol-clark-02b6a537/
Sally Sheppard, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-sheppard-44b33716a/
Marianne Storey, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianne-storey-46938435/
Anjali Mavi, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anjali-mavi-66a5a86/
Dorset Women CIC Website: https://dorsetwomen.org.uk/
Women’s Health Support in Dorset: https://ourdorset.org.uk/women
🎯 Action Items for Listeners:
- Learn to find and use your pelvic floor muscles
- Incorporate pelvic floor exercises into daily life, long term
- Avoid habits that strain the pelvic floor
- Use trusted digital tools like the NHS‑endorsed Squeezy app
- Seek help if symptoms don’t improve
- Visit the Our Dorset Women’s Health website for evidence-based health information.
- Share the podcast and website with other women in the community.
- Consider how to advocate for women’s health in your local area.
- Encourage male family members and partners to learn about women’s health issues.
💡 Top Quotes:
9:20 – Sally Sheppard:
“One in three women leak urine when they don’t need to… but it doesn’t make it normal. Two thirds of us can completely fix that by finding our pelvic floor and starting to use it regularly.”
10:30 – Sally Sheppard:
“We’ve got the whole of life to get our pelvic floor in condition, and we still need to be using our pelvic floor at 97, so we’re not going to run out of time yet.”
17:05 – Carol Clark:
“There are times when we’re more likely to need to do these exercises; pregnancy, after childbirth, and following the menopause. Even the strongest sports women will have problems with urinary leakage. So we’re talking about all women, throughout life.”
19:20 – Carol Clark:
“The population of Dorset is around 800,000. If half of those are women, and if a third of those women have pelvic floor dysfunction, we estimated that there might be 110,000 women in Dorset who have a urinary incontinence.”
26:15 – Sally Sheppard:
“Women should not need to wait for a one‑to‑one appointment to find out where their pelvic floor muscles are.”
48:04 – Sally Sheppard:
“The ambition is that our future generations will be informed and look back on this and laugh and think, ‘Imagine not knowing about the pelvic floor’. But we’re trying to just solve that right now. There is a real climate of change. And don’t forget, two thirds of women will fix the problems if they just know where their pelvic floor is and start using it.”
Transcript: Find the full transcript here. Please note, these notes are AI generated.