Pelvic floor can be trained

Q: I had the last of my kids seven years ago, but I’m still having problems with my pelvic floor. Can I tighten up those muscles this long after the fact?

A: Yes, you can fix your pelvic floor years after kids – the pelvic floor is a muscle and just like any other muscle you can train it to get stronger and function better.

It’s important to note the pelvic floor doesn’t work in isolation – if you think of your ‘‘core’’ like a balloon, you have the pelvic floor on the bottom, the diaphragm at the top, your transverse abdominis which wraps around your waist like a corset and your multifidus (a deep spinal muscle) at the back. If you put pressure on one part of this balloon you will get increased pressure on the other parts. So, holding on to your abs (the front part) will push either up or down, and the weakest area will give way. What is often considered a pelvic floor ‘‘weakness’’ may actually be an overactive pelvic floor or just poor communication between the muscles.

Breathing techniques

The pelvic floor is not meant to be ‘‘on’’ all the time. When it’s operating optimally, we breathe in, the diaphragm moves down and the pelvic floor relaxes. As we breathe out, the diaphragm moves up and the floor contracts. This should all work together, and we can learn to co-ordinate the two. What we want to do is promote the integration of pelvic floor function with the rest of the body.

Posture

Often during pregnancy the lower back develops greater curve to accommodate the growing baby, the ribs are pushed forward of the hips and the position of the core musculature is affected. In this position, the pelvic floor can’t relax and contract fully when breathing, which can impact strength in the area. Often after pregnancy women will maintain this posture, so correcting this alignment and encouraging the hips to position under the ribs can also help pelvic floor function.

Nutrition

Poor diet or inadequate nutrition affects muscle elasticity. Ensure you have a nutritious diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, good protein and fats which can also help with muscle function. At different times of the menstrual cycle, a woman’s hormones will also influence muscle elasticity.

Continuously trying to squeeze your pelvic floor ‘‘on’’ is great for isolating the muscles, but not for improving pelvic floor function. Like any other muscle, it needs to be trained to switch on and off to function efficiently. If you have concerns about your pelvic floor function, contact a specialist pelvic floor physio.

❚ Raewyn Ng is a movement coach at Mybod Health and Fitness.