Outcomes vs. Ownership

There are far too many factors that influence our bodies to guarantee specific outcomes.

As frustrating as that might feel at times, I don’t see it as a reason to throw in the towel. With appropriate tools, we can absolutely influence and bring more ownership to our experience.

I remember during my first pregnancy feeling tossed in the sea of conflicting recommendations. From “running and anything high impact is too much load for the pelvic floor” to “if you were doing it before pregnancy it’s safe to continue during,” and just about everything in between.

Over the years, through lots of study and hands on work, I’ve come to learn that no one recommendation will yield universal results. There’s too much variety in the scope of human biology. 

One single formula will be too much for some and too little for others.

But when we combine intelligent principles with nuanced pragmatism, weighing risk vs. reward as part of the process, we can consider the individual elements at play and make well informed choices.

During this second pregnancy, I’ve continued running weekly, mostly because at 6 months in I’m still feeling great each time. It’s a ritual that keeps my body feeling supported, and my mind more centered and clear.

While I’m certainly taking into account my mileage and pace, regular strength training, and diligent support of my core and pelvic floor as additional (and important!) pieces of the puzzle, I’m allowing the barometer of my body’s signals to help inform my practice.

The reality is: I can do all the “right” things and there’s still no guaranteed outcome.

But along the way I can feel more connected to my experience, confident in my choices, and trust that whatever the outcome, I’m on my body’s side.