DON’T FORGET TO BREATHE!
WE know exercise is good for us, but there’s one area of the body that even the fittest of folk may be completely neglecting – the pelvic floor.
Pelvic floor muscles help maintain the position of pelvic organs, and all bladder, bowel and sexual functions need them to be strong. Just like any muscles, they can become damaged and weakened, or – conversely – strengthened by training.
However, possibly because pelvic floor muscles are hidden, unlike our abs or biceps, they tend to be neglected, with few people (particularly women, who need to do them most) regularly exercising them – despite the fact pelvic floor exercises are very easy and can even be done sitting at your desk or lying in bed.
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (csp.org.uk) says up to a third of women have a problem with their pelvic floor muscles at some point in life.
“We can clearly see other muscles in our body, but the notion of having a pelvic muscle is much harder for people to grasp,” says pelvic floor physiotherapist Kate Lough.
“The pelvic floor is in an intimate part of the body, so there’s embarrassment when it comes to people seeking help for issues such as leaking.”
Kate, who is chair of the Pelvic, Obstetric & Gynaecological Physiotherapy network (thepogp.co.uk), says there’s a lack of education about the pelvic floor, and stresses: “Knowing about its role is important, as it helps people understand how to protect it when the various things that influence it come into play.”
The pelvic muscles span the base of the bony pelvis. They’re constantly pulled down by gravity while we’re standing, which means they weaken as we age. Childbirth, as well as other factors including constipation, smoking, illness, certain highintensity exercises, menopause, injury and obesity, can also damage our pelvic floor muscles.
But you can improve pelvic floor strength at any age, promises the CSP. The most common pelvic floor problems, they note, are leaking urine when active, sneezing or coughing (stress urinary incontinence), and pelvic organ prolapse (a feeling of something coming down in the vagina). The CSP says urinary incontinence affects one in nine men and one in three women – yet only around 25% of women seek help for it (CSP research has found 43% of adults think leaking urine is just a normal part of giving birth or getting older).
But leaking urine isn’t just something you have to put up with, and it can be tackled with regular pelvic floor exercises over a period of time.
floor physiotherapist
In a comfortable lying or sitting position, imagine you’re trying to stop yourself from passing wind and urine at the same time – drawing the pelvic floor muscles upwards and forwards from the back passage towards the bladder.
You may feel a lifting up and tightening as your muscles contract. Try not to hold your breath; breathe in through your nose, drawing air to the bottom of your lungs and letting your tummy relax, then breathe out through your mouth.
You could also try counting out
at your desk
weakens pelvic floor muscles – but exercising
them can avoid all manner of problems