What is the pelvic floor?
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and ligaments that runs from the pubic bone to the coccyx (tailbone) and provides support for the pelvic organs (bowel, bladder, and uterus or prostate).
Everyone has a pelvic floor.
What does the pelvic floor do?
Maintaining an appropriate level of tension in the pelvic floor allows you to have the strength necessary to hold up the pelvic organs while also allowing the relaxation necessary for urination and bowel movements.
Your pelvic floor also plays a key role in sexual health.
Does pregnancy affect your pelvic floor?
While pregnancy naturally places an increased demand and pressure on the pelvic floor, it’s only one risk factor for pelvic floor disorders. Tendencies such as breath holding, postural alignment, bearing down into the pelvic floor, muscle tension, and constipation may also increase your risk for pelvic floor disorders over time.
Signs of a pelvic floor disorder
- Accidentally pee when you sneeze, exercise, laugh or cough
- Go pee “just in case” even though you don’t have the desire to pee
- Need to get to the toilet in a hurry or not make it there in time
- Feel like you have a “small bladder” or constantly need to go to the toilet
- Have difficulty fully emptying your bladder or bowel
- Accidentally pass gas or empty your bowels
- Feel like you have a bulge or feeling of heaviness, discomfort, pulling, dragging or dropping in the vagina, or feel like you have a tampon inserted when you don’t
- Have pelvic pain or pain during or after sex or orgasm
- Notice a coning or doming in your abdomen with certain movements
This is not an exhaustive list. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, please speak to your doctor or a pelvic health physical therapist as many of these symptoms may be able to be treated or cured.
If you’re experiencing these symptoms during exercise, you’ll need to learn how to manage pressure, pelvic floor coordination, work on your mobility, and progressively build strength and endurance so you can stop straining your pelvic floor.
If you’re ready to transform your core and pelvic floor and get back to the life you love, FIT Core Restore is for you. Get the mobility, core and pelvic floor progressions, and strength programming you need to help you navigate your symptoms.
If you want to take a deep dive on more core and pelvic floor topics, join my weekly Q&A email list. It may or may not also be the only place to snag a discount on programs. So run, don’t walk, to join.
