Pelvic Floor-Friendly Strength Training with Alicia Wood

Pelvic floor physical therapist Bree Allred hosts Healing at Your Core with guest Alicia Wood, a certified personal trainer specializing in pregnancy/postpartum fitness and menopause coaching at Aylara Pelvic Health, discussing pelvic floor-friendly strength training and the clinic’s PT–trainer collaboration. Alicia shares her own history of leakage and urgency, common workout mistakes such as normalizing exercise leakage and excessive glute clenching during lifts, and emphasizes that “common is not normal.” They critique diet culture, “bounce back” messaging, and extreme training that can raise stress and lead to burnout, advocating sustainable routines (often 2–3 days/week, even 30 minutes). They cover menstrual-cycle-informed training, beginner programming (breathwork, mobility, activation, power, strength, conditioning, cooldown), postpartum return-to-exercise guidance with gradual progression and symptom monitoring, myths about pregnancy strength training, and when to see pelvic floor PT versus a trainer; Bree notes a symptom quiz and virtual services at https://aylarapelvichealth.com/ 00:00 Fitness Junk Trends 00:28 Podcast Intro 00:53 Meet Alicia Wood 03:24 Why She Specialized 04:50 Workout Mistakes 07:36 Healthy Routine Basics 09:21 Ditch Diet Culture 13:01 Cycle Based Training 15:03 Beginner Strength Plan 19:11 Postpartum Return Tips 21:33 Ease Back In 22:21 Personalized Postpartum Plans 23:55 Strength Training Benefits 25:18 Pregnancy Training Myths 26:45 Trainer vs Pelvic PT 28:35 Pressure Management Basics 30:29 Rehab to Wellness Handoff 32:55 Finding the Right Provider 35:39 Safe Space and Symptom Talk 38:03 Mission and Next Steps Thank you for listening to *Healing at Your Core*. If today's conversation resonated with you, please share this episode with someone who could benefit from it. Every share helps us reach more women who may be silently living with symptoms they think they have to accept, when healing is truly possible. Have a wonderful day. **Bree Allred, PT, DPT, PRPC** *"Common does not mean normal. Healing begins when we start the conversation."* ## CONNECT with Bree & Access Trusted Pelvic Health Resources Discover expert education, practical tools, and evidence-based guidance designed to help you better understand your body and take the next step toward healing. You'll also gain access to valuable resources and become part of a supportive community of women who are restoring comfort, confidence, and quality of life through every season. **Join FREE at:** www.aylarapelvichealth.com **Follow Bree on Social Media:** Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn **Bonus Resource:** Schedule your **FREE Discovery Call** and learn how personalized pelvic floor physical therapy can help you restore movement, comfort, and confidence. About Guest Alicia is a Certified Personal Trainer, Pregnancy & Postpartum Fitness Specialist, and Certified Menopause Coaching Specialist. She is passionate about helping women build strength, confidence, and resilience through every stage of life. Her approach emphasizes safe, effective strength training that supports long-term health, empowers women to trust their bodies, and makes fitness both practical and sustainable. Whether clients are preparing for pregnancy, recovering postpartum, navigating menopause, or simply striving to become stronger, Alicia is dedicated to helping them achieve their goals with confidence. Links Website https://alyarapelvichealth.com