Anyone who has had a baby or been to a yoga or Pilates class will have heard about your pelvic floor muscles. We know as women we are supposed to do these mythical exercises or contractions after giving birth. But do we understand why? What is it about the pelvic floor that’s so important?
Firstly, we all have a group of muscles known as the Pelvic Floor. Yes, even men have them! These muscles work constantly and often without you even realising they are there.
The deeper muscles form a sling attached to the bones of your pelvis and they stabilise and support the pelvic organs (the bladder, bowel, uterus and prostate). They also support the openings of the bladder and bowel, working in the background to maintain muscle activity to keep these outlets closed until it’s time to go to the toilet.
The group of muscles nearer the outside are concerned with sexual function and also closing the outlet to the bladder quickly. These can produce a quicker, more powerful contraction but tire more quickly.
If the pelvic floor muscles are not working properly then someone can suffer from a variety of issues including incontinence (bladder or bowel), pelvic organ prolapse, constipation, sexual dysfunction and pain.
So, most likely if you have had a baby, you have been told at some point to “do your pelvic floor exercises”. Hopefully from the above it is obvious how important these muscles are to everybody. Although very common in postpartum women, pelvic floor dysfunction can affect anyone whether you have had a baby or not.
Are you confident you could locate and contract your pelvic floor correctly?
Sit or lie comfortably. Start by relaxing your breathing, concentrating the flow of air to the very bottom of your lungs (holding the breath increases the pressure in your abdomen and make the pelvic floor work harder)
Starting at your anus imagine doing up a zip, zipping forwards and up towards your belly button. Hold for a second and then relax completely.
Relaxing the muscles is as important as contracting them. Some people have pelvic floor muscles that are overactive and can’t relax completely. This can lead to issues too, like constipation, pain and problems having sex.
There are some apps that are great for helping you to remember to do these exercises. One of the best is Squeezy. If you are unsure whether you are able to activate your pelvic floor correctly and you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned here you can contact a Pelvic Health or Women’s Health Physiotherapist who will be able to identify whether you have a weakness and help you correct it.
Other lifestyle aspects are also important to pelvic health. Drinking enough fluid, a healthy diet, walking and proper breathing control are all simple changes that everyone can achieve that will improve pelvic floor function.
Look after your pelvic floor and it will look after you!
