One in four women suffer from pelvic floor related issues, yet they still aren’t being discussed nearly enough. Pelvic floor issues can result in painful periods, painful intercourse, constipation, back pain and hip pain; yet the most common issues are urine leakage, pelvic organ prolapse, and postural issues. These issues are too often “normalized” when women confide in other women who have experienced them as well. While these issues are common, they are nowhere near normal. And the good news is: we can do something about them! By strengthening and improving your pelvic floor function, you can improve a number of things such as your posture, reduce urine leakage, and reduce your risk of pelvic organ prolapse.
1. Improve your posture.
Your pelvic floor and posture are intrinsically linked. The pelvic floor controls the muscles used when standing, sitting and walking. Too much sitting and weak pelvic floor muscles can lead to poor posture and result in back pain and urine leakage. Try to move every 30-45 minutes to avoid sitting for too long. Take a break and work on your breathing. Inhale and relax your pelvic floor, then exhale and squeeze around your urethra (where you pee from).
2. Stop urine leakage.
Strengthen the pelvic floor muscles around your urethra as well as the muscles that support your pelvis. Strengthening your core also plays a large part in this as well as doing scar work if you have a cesarean scar or abdominal issues (self massages in a circular motion on your lower stomach). By doing these things you will reduce urine leakage with coughing, sneezing, laughing and with exercise, as well as reducing the feeling of needing to pee constantly.
3. Reduce pelvic organ prolapse.
A pelvic organ prolapse is when your bladder, uterus or rectum falls down into your vaginal canal due to trauma and weak pelvic floor muscles. Unfortunately the odds of women having a prolapse are high and 1 of 3 women that go through corrective surgery require a follow up surgery. So whether you have one or not, you should be doing things to lessen the load on these organs. Strengthen your pelvic floor muscles by squeezing and lifting vaginally. Strengthen your core muscles by drawing your belly button towards your spine while you exhale, and expand your belly out on your inhale.
Women can empower other women by encouraging them to seek help and guidance for these common and solvable concerns. If you know someone who may be struggling with pelvic floor related issues, you can be the first to say: there is something we can do about it!
If you need help with your pelvic floor health, please do not hesitate to contact me at
info@movetherapeutics.ca.
