Rethinking Prolapse, Rehab and Return to Lifting with Marianna from MPowered Fitness

Marianna’s story is one so many women will recognise. After developing pelvic organ prolapse following the birth of her son in 2017, she found herself navigating not just symptoms, but fear, conflicting advice, and a lack of support to return to lifting and running. That experience led her to retrain as a PT and become the coach she needed.

In this episode we challenge some uncomfortable truths. How much of the struggle with prolapse is the condition itself, and how much is the messaging around it? Are clinicians and coaches too risk-averse? Why does the system focus on rehab but fail to get women back to performance? And are women being unnecessarily held back from lifting heavy and running?

We also discuss the perinatal industry, the rise of “specialists,” and what many coaches still get wrong when working with women in pregnancy and postpartum.

Marianna now runs Mpowered Fitness, supporting women through motherhood and beyond, and was awarded the 2025 Active Pregnancy Foundation Pre & Postnatal Instructor of the Year.

If you’ve ever been told to stop because of your pelvic floor, this episode is for you.