Living with fibroids, preparing for surgery or recovering afterwards? Here’s what to consider when it comes to yoga, exercise and listening to your body.
Fibroids are surprisingly common, yet we rarely talk about them in yoga classes.
For some women, fibroids cause no symptoms at all. For others, they can affect almost every part of daily life, from energy levels and sleep to exercise, work, and simply feeling comfortable in their own body.
And when surgery becomes necessary, another question often arises: When can I start moving again?
At Yoga Chew Valley, we believe movement should support the body you’re living in today, rather than demand that you keep up with the body you had yesterday.
So, let’s talk about fibroids, yoga and finding your way back to movement.
First, what are fibroids?
Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop in or around the uterus (womb). They’re particularly common during the reproductive years and can vary enormously in size, number and location.
Some women never know they have them. Others experience symptoms including:
- Heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding
- Pelvic pain, pressure or a feeling of heaviness
- Lower back discomfort
- Frequent urination or constipation
- Tiredness, particularly if heavy bleeding has led to iron-deficiency anaemia
- Discomfort during certain activities or movements
Fibroids are influenced by hormones, particularly oestrogen and progesterone, and often shrink after menopause.
However, everyone’s experience is different. Persistent or new bleeding after menopause should always be investigated by a healthcare professional.
Can you practise yoga if you have fibroids?
In most cases, yes.
Having fibroids doesn’t automatically mean you need to stop practising yoga, Pilates, strength training or other forms of exercise.
What matters is how you’re feeling, what symptoms you’re experiencing and whether your healthcare team has recommended any restrictions.
For example, a woman experiencing significant pelvic pressure might find certain prone postures (lying on the tummy) uncomfortable. Someone dealing with heavy bleeding and anaemia might find a vigorous class exhausting.
On another day, those same women might feel perfectly comfortable doing their usual practice.
This is where choice becomes important.
You might prefer a slower class, take a supported variation, reduce the intensity of a movement or simply rest.
There is no prize for pushing through discomfort.
No particular yoga posture, twist, inversion, or breathing technique is proven to shrink or eliminate fibroids. Yoga can support comfort, mobility, strength and wellbeing, but it isn’t a treatment for the fibroids themselves.
What if you’re preparing for surgery?
Depending on their size, position, and symptoms, doctors may treat fibroids with medication, procedures that reduce their blood supply, or surgery.
Some women undergo a myomectomy, where the fibroids are removed but the uterus is preserved. Others may have a hysterectomy, where the uterus is removed.
There are also less invasive procedures, including hysteroscopic removal of certain fibroids.
These treatments involve very different recovery experiences.
If you’re preparing for surgery, staying mobile and comfortable beforehand can help. Walking, gentle yoga and appropriate strengthening may support your general fitness and confidence.
But this isn’t the time to suddenly embark on an intense fitness programme.
The aim is to go into surgery as well as you reasonably can, while respecting any pain, fatigue or bleeding you’re experiencing.
Returning to yoga after fibroid surgery
This is where we need to be particularly thoughtful.
One of the things worth understanding about abdominal and pelvic surgery is that feeling better doesn’t necessarily mean everything has finished healing.
You may have small external incisions, particularly following laparoscopic surgery, but there can still be significant healing taking place internally.
Recovery also depends on the procedure. Someone who has undergone a hysteroscopic procedure may return to normal activities much sooner than someone recovering from open abdominal surgery.
Your surgeon’s advice should always take priority.
In the early stages, gentle walking and simple movements are often encouraged. These help circulation and gradually restore mobility.
But returning to a full yoga class is another matter.
Even seemingly gentle activities can involve more abdominal effort than we realise. Think about getting up from the floor, moving between standing and lying, holding a balance or supporting your body weight through your arms.
While yoga is often associated with stretching, many postures require considerable strength and coordination.
Planks, strong twists, deep backbends, vigorous flows, and demanding abdominal exercises may need to wait until you’re cleared to reintroduce them.
The same applies to more energetic classes, including KettleflowYOGA™ and strength-based movement.
Recovery isn’t a race back to what you used to do. It’s a gradual process of rebuilding capacity and confidence.
Don’t forget the pelvic floor
The pelvic floor is often overlooked when we talk about returning to exercise after gynaecological surgery.
These muscles help support the pelvic organs and contribute to bladder and bowel control.
Following surgery, some women may experience weakness, discomfort or difficulty coordinating these muscles.
And contrary to popular belief, pelvic-floor health isn’t simply about squeezing harder.
The muscles need to contract, relax, and respond appropriately to movement and changes in abdominal pressure.
A specialist pelvic-health physiotherapist can be particularly helpful if you’re experiencing pelvic heaviness, urinary symptoms, pain or difficulties returning to exercise.
Yoga can complement rehabilitation, but it shouldn’t replace individual assessment and treatment when needed.
What about tiredness?
Fatigue deserves its own mention.
Women living with fibroids may already have experienced months or years of heavy bleeding, disturbed sleep or discomfort before surgery.
Then there’s the physical and emotional impact of the procedure itself.
It can take time to recover.
You may manage a gentle walk but feel exhausted afterwards. Or you might attend a class, feel wonderful during it, then need more rest than usual the following day.
This doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve done something wrong. But persistent or worsening fatigue, particularly alongside breathlessness or dizziness, deserves medical attention.
Learning to pace yourself, rather than repeatedly pushing through, can make returning to regular activity more manageable.
How we can support you at Yoga Chew Valley
We know that coming back to a class after illness, injury, or surgery can feel daunting.
Perhaps you’re worried about keeping up. Perhaps you don’t know what movements are safe. Or perhaps your body simply doesn’t feel quite like yours right now.
We want you to know that you don’t have to arrive at our studio already fit, flexible or fully confident.
Depending on your stage of recovery and the guidance you’ve received from your healthcare team, you might find a slower yoga class, a supported practice, or our Chair Yoga sessions a more manageable starting point.
Chair Yoga, in particular, can help you explore mobility, balance, strength, and breathing without getting up and down from the floor.
But even gentle classes aren’t automatically suitable immediately after surgery. You’ll need appropriate medical clearance first.
If you’re returning after an operation, please talk with us before booking your first class.
You don’t need to share every detail of your medical history. It simply helps us to understand what you’ve been advised to avoid, what you’re comfortable doing and how we might support you.
Sometimes that means adapting a posture.
Sometimes it means choosing a different class.
And sometimes the best decision is to give yourself a little more time.
A final thought: Your body isn’t something to overcome
Living with fibroids can be frustrating, particularly when symptoms interrupt the things you enjoy.
Recovering from surgery can bring its own challenges, especially if you’re accustomed to being active and independent.
It’s tempting to measure progress by how quickly you can get back to normal.
But perhaps there’s another way to look at it.
What if movement wasn’t about proving your body can still do everything it used to?
What if it became an opportunity to pay closer attention, recognise what you need and gradually rebuild trust in yourself?
Some days that might mean moving more.
Other days it might mean doing less.
Both can be part of looking after yourself.
At Yoga Chew Valley, our invitation remains the same.
Come as you are.
Not as you were six months ago. Not as you think you ought to be. But as you are today.
And we’ll meet you there.
Thinking about returning to yoga?
If you’re living with fibroids, recovering from gynaecological surgery or finding your way back to movement after a period of illness, we’d be happy to talk through our classes and help you consider an appropriate starting point.
If you’re unsure which class might suit you, get in touch with Yoga Chew Valley before booking.
This article provides general information and isn’t a substitute for medical advice. Always follow your surgeon’s or healthcare professional’s guidance after surgery, particularly regarding lifting, exercise and returning to normal activities. Seek medical assessment for new or worsening symptoms.