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Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm

Spring Physio, Brownings Workshops, Lewes Road, Blackboys, Uckfield (2026)

10/06/2026

If you’re constantly “holding your tummy in” to engage your core, you could actually be making it harder to build true core strength.
A lot of people grip through their abdominal muscles during exercise, believing that more tension equals a stronger core. But excessive gripping can interfere with breathing, increase pressure through the abdomen, and prevent your deeper core muscles from working effectively.

Instead, try focusing on these key principles:

Connect to your pelvic floor first. Think of a gentle lift through the pelvic floor rather than pulling your stomach in. This creates a more balanced core connection.

🌬️ Breathe with your diaphragm Allow your ribs and tummy to gently expand as you inhale. As you exhale, softly engage your pelvic floor. Your breath should support your core, not fight against it.

Find your deep core muscles The transverse abdominis (TVA) sits deep within the abdominal wall and acts like your body’s natural support system. Aim for a subtle engagement low down in the abdomen rather than a strong gripping sensation through the front of your stomach.

🏃 Modify exercises when needed If an exercise causes you to hold your breath, bear down, or excessively tense your abs, it’s often a sign that the movement needs adapting. Building control and coordination first will lead to better long-term strength.
Core training isn’t about bracing harder or holding more tension.
It’s about learning how to coordinate your breath, pelvic floor and deep abdominal muscles so they can work together as they were designed to.

Save and swipe through this post for your next workout 👇

01/06/2026

Summer term updated timetable! Due to demand I've added an evening class, this currently has two spaces left for the coming term. Day time classes are full except for a couple of adhoc spaces. If you'd like to be added to the waiting list please get in touch.

You can choose to book adhoc or by the term.

https://spring-physio.uk1.cliniko.com/bookings

Classes take place at my clinic in Blackboys, just outside Uckfield. There are a maximum of 6 in a class to make sure I can tailor the class to each individual's needs.

This is class is a suitable for recovery/improving symptoms for the following conditions:
✔️Post hysterectomy
✔️Postnatal recovery (after 6 weeks)
✔️Diastasis
✔️Prolapse
✔️Incontinence
✔️Core weakness
✔️Back pain

Not sure if this class can help you? Feel free to DM me to discuss or email [email protected]

12/05/2026

In one of my recent posts I discussed how stress can affect the pelvic floor, but there are many more factors that can contribute to pelvic floor tension.

Pelvic floor tension can build up quietly over time through things like:

✨ Trauma or emotional stress
✨ Habitual over-gripping (“holding on” without realising)
✨ High stress & nervous system overload
✨ Muscle imbalances in the hips, glutes, core or jaw
✨ Lifestyle habits like sitting for long periods, breath holding, heavy training, or constantly “bracing”

When the pelvic floor is stuck in a guarded, tightened state, it can become irritated, sensitive and painful — especially because these muscles are closely linked with the nervous system and our stress response.

This may contribute to:
• pelvic pain or pressure
• pain with intimacy or tampon use
• tailbone, hip or lower back pain
• bladder urgency or frequency
• constipation or difficulty emptying
• leaking
• abdominal tension or cramping
• a constant feeling of tightness, aching or “holding”

For many people, pelvic floor tension is influenced by a combination of physical, emotional and lifestyle factors — and it can be hard to know exactly what’s contributing or where to even begin.

This is where pelvic health physio can help 💛

A thorough assessment can help identify patterns, contributing factors and areas of tension or imbalance, whilst giving you practical tools to help your body feel safer, calmer and more supported again.

Pain is not “all in your head” — but the nervous system does play a huge role in how the body protects, tightens and responds to stress.

07/05/2026

Most people don’t realise they’re holding tension in their pelvic floor until it starts affecting daily life — and even then, it’s often misattributed to something else.

Pelvic floor overactivity (sometimes described as a “too tight” or “guarded” pelvic floor) can be incredibly subtle. It doesn’t always feel like pain. In fact, it often feels like nothing obvious at all — just a sense that your body never fully switches off.

You might notice that you can’t quite let go after contracting your abdominal muscles, or that your core always feels gently braced even when you’re resting. Some people describe a constant “held in” feeling, as if they’re subtly gripping through the lower abdomen without realising it. Others find it difficult to fully relax when lying down or breathing deeply into the belly.

The challenge is that this pattern can become your “new normal”, so it goes unnoticed for months or even years.

Common but often missed symptoms of pelvic floor tension:

A persistent feeling of tightness in the lower abdomen, pelvis, or hips

Difficulty relaxing the abdomen or “letting go” after engaging your core

Pelvic discomfort or pressure without a clear cause

Pain or discomfort during in*******se

Difficulty inserting tampons or pelvic examinations feeling uncomfortable

Urinary urgency or frequency, even when there’s not much urine

A sensation of incomplete bladder emptying

Lower back, hip, or glute tightness that keeps returning

Feeling like you are constantly “holding in” your core

Importantly, these symptoms don’t always appear together — and they don’t always look severe. That’s what makes pelvic floor tension so easy to miss.

The body is very good at adapting. If it has learned to stay “switched on” for support or protection, it may continue doing so long after the original trigger has passed.

If any of this feels familiar, it may be worth exploring whether your system is holding more tension than it needs to. Working with a pelvic health physiotherapist can be a helpful step in identifying what’s going on and learning how to restore balance between strength and relaxation.

29/04/2026

Stress doesn’t just live in your mind — it settles into your body too, and the pelvic floor is a common place it hides.

When you’re stressed, your body releases cortisol (your primary stress hormone).

Cortisol ramps up muscle tension in a few key ways.

When stress triggers cortisol release, your nervous system shifts into a more alert, “ready for action” state (often called fight-or-flight). In that state, muscles subtly contract to prepare for movement or protection. This includes deeper, less obvious muscle groups like the pelvic floor. If stress is ongoing, that low-level contraction can become your new baseline.

Cortisol also makes your body more sensitive to other stress signals, keeping the nervous system switched on for longer than necessary. So instead of muscles relaxing after a stressful moment passes, they stay slightly braced — almost like a background hum of tension.

On top of that, cortisol can affect breathing patterns. Many people under stress breathe more shallowly or hold their breath without realising. This disrupts the natural coordination between the diaphragm and pelvic floor, which ideally move together with each breath. When that rhythm is off, the pelvic floor can remain in a more tightened position.

Over time, this combination — constant nervous system activation, altered breathing, and unconscious bracing — can lead to persistent muscle tension. And because it develops gradually, people often assume tight, uncomfortable muscles are actually weak ones.

The tricky part? You might not even notice you’re doing it. That constant tension can lead to symptoms like discomfort, urinary urgency, pelvic pain, or difficulty relaxing — which are often mistaken for weakness. This is why seeing a physiotherapist for a proper assessment and treatment is so important. It’s not just about “strength” — it’s about understanding how your pelvic floor is functioning overall, including its ability to relax.

01/04/2026

Start your rehab journey today in a small group setting. Now open for booking next term. We focus on rebuilding pelvic floor and core strength through functional movement. Booking via the website, www.springphysio.co.uk Got questions? Please DM me!

24/03/2026

Healing after a C-section is about so much more than what you can see on the surface. 🤍

The scar might look small, but underneath it there are layers of tissue healing — skin, fat, muscle, fascia and the uterus. It’s a huge amount for your body to go through, all while you’re caring for a newborn.

There’s often pressure to “bounce back”, but the reality is this: it is major abdominal surgery. Proper healing takes time, rest, and patience. It’s not just the outside that needs heal — it’s everything beneath it too.

This is where physiotherapy can make such a difference. Gentle rehab, scar work, and rebuilding strength in your core and pelvic floor can help your body recover properly, reduce discomfort, and support you in returning to movement safely.

18/03/2026

Rib position matters more than you think.... 🫁✨

Your rib cage isn’t just about posture — it directly affects how you breathe how well your pelvic floor/core functions.

A simple way clinicians assess rib mechanics is the infrasternal angle (ISA).

Neither is “good” or “bad”… but each creates different pressure and movement strategies.

🔹 NARROW ISA
• Ribs sit more “closed down”
• Good for bracing and compression but can create increased pressure through pelvic floor
• May struggle with full rib expansion and 360° breathing

🔹 WIDE ISA
• Ribs sit more “flared out”
• Often good at expansion and big breaths (but also a tendency to belly breathe)
• May struggle to fully exhale and and engage core
• Can find it harder to generate strong intra-abdominal pressure

💡 Why this matters for core & pelvic floor recovery

Your diaphragm, deep abdominals and pelvic floor work together as a pressure system.
If rib position limits your ability to expand OR compress when needed, it can influence:

✔ Breathing efficiency
✔ Core strength and load tolerance
✔ Pelvic floor coordination

👩‍⚕️ Why see a physio?

A physiotherapy assessment can help you:
✅ Understand your individual rib cage and breathing pattern
✅ Identify movement or pressure strategies affecting symptoms
✅ Learn targeted exercises to improve expansion, control and strength
✅ Progress safely back to lifting, running or sport

The goal isn’t to change your structure — it’s to build better movement options.

👉 Can you expand when you need mobility?
👉 Can you compress when you need support?

That adaptability is what supports optimal performance and recovery.

09/03/2026

⚠️ Abdominal gripping: the habit most people don’t realise they have.

Ever caught yourself constantly sucking your stomach in? That’s called abdominal gripping — and while it might feel like you’re “engaging your core”, doing it all day can actually cause more harm than good.

Why do we do it?
A lot of the time it starts with:
• Wanting a flatter stomach
• Posture cues like “pull your belly in”
• Stress and anxiety (we tense without realising)
• Habits from certain workouts or dance training

Over time, the body forgets how to properly relax the abdominal muscles.

The impact?
Constant gripping can lead to:
• Shallow chest breathing
• Pelvic floor dysfunction
• Back, hip, or rib pain
• Digestive issues and bloating
• A core that’s actually less functional

Your core is meant to respond to load and pressure, not stay clenched all day.

Things to work on if you grip your upper abdominals:
✨ 360° breathing
✨ Learning to relax the belly between movements
✨ Proper core coordination (not constant tension) and engaging your muscles properly without compensation
✨ Awareness of posture without rigidity

If you notice yourself gripping right now… take a breath and let your belly soften.

03/03/2026

C-section recovery isn’t just about the first six weeks.

If your scar feels tight, numb, raised or uncomfortable, that’s common — but it’s also something you can work on once the wound is fully healed and you’ve had the go-ahead from your GP or physio.

Here’s what can help:

• Scar massage
Regular, gentle massage can soften the tissue, improve mobility through the lower abdomen and reduce that pulling sensation when you stand up straight or twist.

• Silicone therapy
Silicone gels or sheets are evidence-based and can help flatten and improve the appearance of scars over time by keeping the area hydrated.

• Texture work
If clothing feels irritating or the area is overly sensitive (or very numb), gradual exposure to different textures can help normalise sensation.

• Lymphatic support
Treatment with Lymphatouch uses gentle negative pressure to support lymphatic drainage, reduce swelling and improve tissue movement — particularly helpful if the area feels firm or puffy.

It’s not just about how the scar looks. It’s about comfort, movement and confidence in your body…. And it’s never too late to start!

Spring Physio

10/06/2026

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12/05/2026

07/05/2026

29/04/2026

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24/03/2026

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