Australian Olympian Jana Pittman has revealed the one exercise every woman should be doing to improve their general health.
The 42-year-old, who is now a doctor and a mother of six, told Confidential that women should regularly exercise their pelvic floor and said hers ‘is stronger than most teenage girls’.
The Australian sporting legend, who has four Commonwealth games gold medals to her name, confessed she has suffered from incontinence since she was 18.
‘I remember being about 18 and losing control over my bladder after I won the world junior championships and that’s nuts,’ Jana said.
‘I’m like the fastest 18-year-old on the planet and I have to run off and change my pants. I didn’t talk to anybody about it.’
Jana said it wasn’t until 2006, after the birth of her first child Cornelis, that she was forced to address the issue.
Australian Olympian Jana Pittman has revealed the one exercise every woman should be doing to improve their general health
The former Australian Olympian returned to training after the birth, and said that she would pour an entire bottle of water over herself before the starter’s gun went off.
It was something the new mum would do to try and cover up what she said was an ’embarrassing’ postpartum condition.
‘I was really embarrassed as you can imagine, because it wasn’t something that everybody kind of talks about,’ the athlete told 9Honey Parenting in 2022.
‘I’d pour a whole bottle of water over my myself before the race and therefore try and hide it.’
She began working with a pelvic physiotherapist and learnt how to strengthen her pelvic floor correctly.
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and ligaments that form a ‘sling’ to support the bladder, uterus and bowel, according to Health Direct.
A strong pelvic floor supports the pelvic organs and prevents issues such as incontinence and prolapse from occurring and helps you control bladder and bowel function.
The pelvic floor has an extra job during pregnancy – to support your growing baby.
The 42-year-old, who is now a doctor and a mother of six, told Confidential that women should regularly exercise their pelvic floor
Jana is a doctor specialising in women’s health at Blacktown Hospital in Sydney, working towards her goal of becoming an obstetrician-gynecologist. Pictured Jana and her children
But the exercises are ‘not just for women after having babies,’ Jana said.
Jana is now a doctor specialising in women’s health at Blacktown Hospital in Sydney, working towards her goal of becoming an obstetrician-gynecologist.
Two of Jana’s children, daughters Emily, nine, and Jemima, seven, were born via IVF and through an anonymous sperm donor.
She also has a 19-year-old son, Cornelis, from her marriage to her first husband and former coach Chris Rawlinson.
She shares son Charlie with husband Paul, and in March 2022 the couple welcomed twins.
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