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This March is Endometriosis Awareness Month. We spoke to one of our Kic community members, Emma, about her experience with endometriosis (or endo for short!) and how Kic has helped her manage her condition.
But first, let’s understand what endometriosis is…
Endometriosis is a common inflammatory condition in which cells similar to the lining of the uterus (endometrium) grow in other locations of the body. Endo is commonly found in and around the pelvis and reproductive organs but can be found in other parts of the body. This can include the bowel, bladder and even the lungs and brain. On average, it takes 6.5 years to be diagnosed with endo and 1 in 7 women, girls and people assigned female at birth, will be diagnosed by the age 44-49 (Endometriosis Australia).
Endo can cause symptoms such as pelvic pain which can often be debilitating, around a person’s period. It can also cause fatigue, pain during or after sex, pain with urination or bowel movements, heavy bleeding or irregular bleeding. In some cases, endometriosis can cause infertility.
Currently, there is no cure for endometriosis. However, funding is slowly growing for endo so research can be invested into improving the lives of over 1 million Australians. To learn more about endometriosis, head to Endometriosis Australia.
Here’s how Kic helped Emma find a new lease on life after her endo diagnosis:
I am currently a member of the Kic app and I wanted to say thank you to everyone at Kic for creating such an incredible community and app. I am a 22 year old woman, currently living alone and am really enjoying where I am at in my life. I was always an extremely active kid throughout all of school however from the age of 13 I found myself in tough situations with family and health issues. In between finishing high school and starting university, I did not prioritise my health or fitness. I found it very difficult to stick to something whether it was a training program, the gym, running, literally anything.
On top of this, I had been dealing with extreme period issues and it wasn’t until last year, after almost 8 years of pain, I was diagnosed with endometriosis. I was relieved, scared and excited all at the same time after receiving a diagnosis after so many years of playing a guessing game. The condition was debilitating and extremely frustrating prior to getting the diagnosis. At the time I had the surgery I was also going through a massive family and relationship change which also impacted my motivation to exercise. To cut a long story short, after signing up to Kic and giving it a go, I could quite literally cry writing this as Kic has given me an entire new lease on life.
I have FINALLY found a way of exercising that is enjoyable, pain free (with having so many options on the app), I can see results in my body and a way of exercising that truly has improved my mental health and resilience.
Every day I look forward to being able to choose from a little ab workout, meditation, HIIT workout and more. Since doing the halfway hustle challenge last year, my mind and body have never felt stronger. I have not missed a day even if I had to reschedule. I find each workout challenging but also not crazy hard that I feel defeated.
In terms of workouts, when my endo has flared up or I am just feeling ‘heavy’ from my endo, I always opt for Kika’s 10-15 min Pilates workouts. Brooke’s low impact workouts are great too! I also love any of the masterclasses that don’t use equipment, as extra weight sometimes is uncomfortable or painful .
I cannot thank you all enough for the work, effort and thought that you have put into creating and developing this app.
I could write forever about how healthy, realistic, inviting, enjoyable and accessible Kic is – I could go on! I am just so grateful to have had this opportunity to be apart of the Kic community and for me to fall involve with fitness again. It was horrific and mentally draining not being able to move some days because of my endo, however since surgery and since starting Kic I am able to enjoy exercise again especially because I can pick and choose what I feel like on a particular day.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I will never be able to put into words how much I appreciate the team at Kic, from Steph and Laura, to the trainers, developers, admin team and everyone in between. Sending lots of love from Western Australia.
Emma xx
We are immensely proud of our community for their growth, evolution and the positive changes they have made in their mindset about health and fitness. If you’d like to share your story, fill out the Q&A here.
Helene and Dominique from The Spoonie Society are here to drop some knowledge and share how they look after their bodies while living with endo.
Endo Warriors, listen up; this one’s for you! Our amazing expert Physio, Ashleigh Mason, breaks down the common barriers so many people experience when it comes to exercise and Endometriosis.
This March is Endometriosis Awareness month. We spoke to Victorian State Co-ordinator for Endometriosis Australia and KIC Community member Liz Walker to raise awareness on the condition that affects approximately 830,000 Australians alone!