1 rich Libsyn https://www.libsyn.com 90 600 What if the leaking, the urgency, the butt pain, and the pressure weren't just things you had to live with? Heather sits down with Mbong Henry, a pelvic floor and orthopedic physical therapist based in Durham, North Carolina, to talk about the pelvic health symptoms that athletes — runners, weightlifters, CrossFitters, gymnasts, and everyone in between — are normalizing when they really don't have to. Mbong specializes in female athletes during the perinatal and perimenopausal stages of life, but as she makes very clear in this episode: you don't have to have had a baby, or ever plan to, for your pelvic floor to need attention. They talk about what symptoms are actually worth addressing, why leakage isn't always a weakness problem, how low energy availability connects to urinary incontinence, and why establishing care with a pelvic floor PT before something goes wrong is one of the smartest things an athlete can do. Mbong also shares her own postpartum return-to-run story, her journey into Olympic weightlifting, and what she's learned about training, recovery, and capacity at 41. Chapters [00:03:00] Mbong's background: from running to CrossFit to Olympic weightlifting [00:13:00] How she got into pelvic health — and her own postpartum return-to-run story [00:20:00] What pelvic floor symptoms actually look like: beyond leakage [00:25:00] Intimacy, perimenopause, and the symptoms athletes are quietly living with [00:27:00] Pelvic floor issues in the weightlifting and CrossFit world [00:29:00] If you've never had a baby, this still applies to you [00:34:00] Why it's never too late — and why you shouldn't wait until something breaks [00:37:00] Establishing care with a PT before you need one: the dentist analogy [00:41:00] What Mbong's practice at Radiance looks like and how she works with athletes Resources mentioned: Radiance Physical Therapy — Mbong's private practice in Durham, NC; in-person and telehealth options available NICE Guidelines (UK, 2021) — recommends pelvic floor PT beginning at 20 weeks of pregnancy Find Mbong Henry, PT in the Lane 9 Directory: lane9project.org/directory Follow Mbong on Instagram Are you an athlete? Find a sports dietitian, DPT, therapist, or coach who understands athletes at lane9project.org/directory. Are you a clinician or coach? If this conversation resonated with you professionally, Lane 9 Membership was built for you. Join a community of dietitians, DPTs, psychologists, sports medicine providers, and coaches who are doing this work, and get listed in the Lane 9 Directory so athletes can find you. Future clinicians and coaches are welcome too. Follow us on Instagram and get in touch anytime! Lane 9 Podcast http://lane9project.org <iframe title="Libsyn Player" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/42499175/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/88AA3C/" height="90" width="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe> https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/item/42499175