Everyone has a pelvic floor. It consists of muscle, fascia and ligaments that form the floor of your core and your pelvis. The pelvic floor supports the bladder and bowels (and for women, the uterus).
Just like any other part of the body, the pelvic floor is vulnerable to injury. Here are some tips to help protect it.
Exercise Your Core and Pelvic Floor
Exercises like planks, ball roll outs, and functional movements like squats and deadlifts all are great ways to exercise both your core and your pelvic floor. It is necessary to have both strong and reactive core and pelvic floor muscles in order to maintain healthy function in daily activities, like bladder, bowel, and sexual health.
Exhale During Lifting
Without even realizing it, it is common to hold ones breath when doing daily activities like carrying groceries or lifting weights. This actually creates an excessive strain on the pelvic floor, that over time, will actually weaken it. Instead, practice exhaling when lifting to reduce the pressure on pelvic floor and move it to the core muscles.
Maintain A Healthy Body Weight
The pelvic floor was designed to be able to support a healthy body weight. Any added weight, especially in the abdomen, actually places a strain on the pelvic floor, which will weaken the muscles.
If you want to learn more about pelvic floor health, visit one of our trained physical therapists who can help you out with a custom plan.