The low-down on our pelvic floor

Posture plays a huge part

The way we hold our bodies can affect our pelvic floor. The pelvic floor is the group of muscles which make up the base of the abdomen and are attached to the pelvis. It’s important that we keep these muscles in a healthy state or we can face some serious problems. Women who already have a weak pelvic floor for example, may have experienced prolapse problems or bladder/bowel incontinence. Women in particular must take great care not to place downward pressure on the pelvic floor, though of course, it’s important for men too.

Regularly slumping forwards, as a lot of us are guilty of, can result in more problems than just back strain. Hunching, especially when seated, can increase lower abdominal pressure dramatically, which overloads the pelvic floor muscles. By pressuring these muscles, the organs contained in the area such as the bladder, uterus, and bowel are negatively impacted. This leads to the worsening or creation of painful issues.

When we hold ourselves in good posture, we promote deep abdominal muscle activity. These muscles support healthy bladder and bowel control by strengthening the muscles which surround them. Having good posture along with practicing some pelvic floor exercises daily, will also decrease any pain and discomfort. It’s important that if you are experiencing pain in the area, and have not yet been medically checked, that you first visit a doctor so that they can rule out any other possible causes. When it comes to that lower area, we really don’t want to be taking any chances.

Improve, prevent, strengthen and relax

Thanks to the wonderful world of YouTube, Physical Therapist Michelle Kenway can show us how to perform some safe pelvic floor core exercises. This is the perfect workout for pelvic floor dysfunction as well as a fantastic preventative measure. Certainly a great set of exercises to incorporate into a Yoga routine or pre/post workout when stretching.

Michelle is well versed in the issues that a lot of women face, and she knows exactly how to treat existing pelvic floor problems. As with all our skeletal muscles, it’s just as important to relax them as it is to exercise them. Unfortunately, a lot of us women keep a lot of tension in our pelvis area. That’s just how it is. Combine that with the added pressure of poor posture or the wrong exercises, and we end up with a tight mesh of pelvic discomfort. This can lead to pelvic muscle spasms and debilitating pain. Symptoms can include pain with sexual intercourse, lower abdominal ache, lower back ache, bowel problems, pelvic pain/discomfort, bladder emptying problems or bladder control problems.

In this next video, Michelle teaches you 3 exercise techniques to relieve and help overcome these issues. The exercises can be done lying down, sitting or standing, although it’s recommended to do them lying down. Now that we’ve seen how to safely exercise our pelvic floor, let’s learn how to relax those muscles and de-stress.

Sources: Pelvic Exercises, Pelvic Floor Ilustration from Bandhayoga, Michelle Kenway’s YouTube Channel