How I get fit done
Jillian Currie, 28, from Buckinghamshire, suffers from a vulval disorder. She tells WH how fitness is a surprising lifeline
From the age of 22 to 26,
I battled with debilitating vulval problems. I experienced pain, throbbing, burning sensations, irritated skin, permanent dryness and such thin vulval skin that I would tear during sex. All are symptoms linked to Sjögren’s Syndrome – an autoimmune condition that causes extreme dryness of the body – for which I’m waiting on a formal diagnosis. In addition, I was diagnosed with general anxiety disorder when I was a teenager, which makes me hold tension in my body and exacerbates my vaginal symptoms.
It meant that exercise was off the table: movement causes friction, which would cause me intense pain; tight activewear would chafe and hurt me. Even just walking could make my vulva feel on fire, like small razor cuts, so there was no way I’d choose to aggravate it by working out. I’m also naturally petite, so even if exercise was an option, I’d have steered clear through fear of dropping weight.
I have the first Covid lockdown to thank for kick-starting my fitness journey. Afraid of catching the virus – even more so because of my autoimmune concerns –I made changes to boost my overall health. I knew that moving my body more would be key to this, so I began to experiment with interventions. I wore only loose-fitting cotton underwear, I moisturised my vulva with coconut oil before a workout and soaked in an Epsom salt bath afterwards. I started by following 10-minute workouts on Instagram (such as Pamela Reif ’s Booty Burn), so that my body wasn’t enduring too much friction too soon; I then worked up to longer durations. Being able to exercise at home meant I could go at my own pace. It was the first time I’d experienced that post-workout buzz, and I could feel the impact it had on calming my anxiety and relaxing my body. After three months, I noticed –
