Horsham-based female personal trainer, Becky, often has open and honest conversations about all kinds of bodily functions. Bowel habits, menstruation, and pelvic floor issues are no exception, as she is keen to better understand the needs of her clients, and help them with what really matters. At the end of this post, she shares a Nixi Body discount code…
Full disclosure: this post is going to hold nothing back in terms of chatting about periods, incontinence, and all sorts of pelvic health issues. It’s a huge taboo within fitness, particularly for midlife women. I’m not advocating that everyone suddenly shout their most personal of business from the rooftops; what I am saying is that I want to share that there’s a difference between common and normal, and let you know about some things that will hopefully help you.
As I’ve shared previously, I’m happily child-free, so pelvic floor issues aren’t a problem due to having been through pregnancy, or any other gynaecological thing… until we get to the fact that I’m 37, experience bleeds whilst using a contraceptive implant (as 78% of users do), plus I lift heavy and I ride horses.
By virtue of being a living, breathing, steadily ageing person, my body is changing. Add in the fact that I’ve got half of my abdominal muscles missing due to a necessary surgery for sarcoma, and you start to see why certain aspects of my body aren’t as strong as I’d like. Yes, your abdominals have a huge impact on bowel transit and other things – I’m living proof!
I noticed a long time ago that, when lifting above a certain amount of weight, something called intrabdominal pressure can have a serious impact. Brutally, I’ve performed a deadlift and inadvertently expelled a tampon. If you knew about sharting already, or know not to trust a fart a certain distance into a very long run, you probably knew that this is possible. And ever since that moment, I’ve wanted a little extra protection.
Happily, period or incontinence knickers that aren’t just the disposable variety often used by the elderly, have been starting to become a thing. When I initially looked around, there were a very limited number of brands which were catering both periods and exercise – I was looking for fabrics that will withstand sweat, sit flat under leggings, and be cut comfortably for moving in – but one of the leading brands had just added a sport range, so I bought a pair to try… and was promptly disappointed. They’re not the shape I wanted, the gusset pad is bulky and I just don’t find them comfortable. So I got a bit stung.
Then I met the team behind Nixi. Part of the problem with the period underwear market in the UK at the time was that it was very difficult to find the product in shops, so you were buying blind online. I met Kelly, founder of Nixi, at a football match, which the brand was sponsoring that day. They had stock available to see and touch, and my eyes lit up.
Kelly also explained to me that she’d designed the gusset specifically to sit well, and I understood exactly what she meant – at the back of the knickers, it’s cut in a v-shape, rather than straight or slightly curved by normal underwear. I knew straight away that it would be perfect, and when I eventually tried a pair on, I found this absolutely to be true.
Nixi knickers are an absolute dream. My favourites are the Coni high waist sporty ones. I wear them in the gym. I wear them horse riding. And, as a real groundbreaker, I wear them on transit days if I’m on holiday and on or anticipating my period. Because, as so many people know, a day when you’re sat on a plane, hauling luggage, and navigating a foreign destination, is the day when you want no fear or hassle, and also the day you can guarantee you’ll get a surprise you don’t want. And these things are so comfortable in that scenario.
I’m absolutely delighted to have joined Nixi’s affiliate programme. The code at the end of this post is a commission code (keep reading to nab it!), so I will earn a percentage of your spend when you use it. And I only participate in this kind of promotion when I’ve tried and tested a product thoroughly, and use it because I love it. So please be assured that these knickers have my guarantee.
As I write this, I’m anticipating a pair of the just-announced bikini bottoms, which I can’t wait to try and have on pre-order. If you have periods, or suffer with bladder leaks, or just want the comfiest pants I’ve ever had the privilege of sliding into, go to the Nixi website and use BECKYNIXI at the checkout for 15% off.