Four things everyone should know about their pelvic floor

Here’s four things everyone should know about their pelvic floor.

1. We all have one – even men!

The pelvic floor is made up of three primary muscles and without it, there wouldn’t be anything to support our bladder and other pelvic organs. This floor performs three main functions:

• Controls the bladder and colon.
• Supports and cushions the organs in the pelvis and lower abdomen.
• Assists with sexual arousal and performance.

2. If the muscles are weak, it can cause leakage.

There are lots of different causes for PFD (pelvic floor dysfunction), including childbirth, enlarged prostate glands, estrogen deficiency, impact trauma, pelvic misalignment, obesity, and even chronic coughing or certain sporting activities (e.g. gymnastics or running). This can cause stress, urge or overflow incontinence.

The great news is, as it’s a muscular condition, it can often be treated.

3. Do the right exercise to help

A series of exercises can be prescribed by your Back In Motion physiotherapist to recondition your pelvic floor muscles – but it should be customised to your individual needs and desired outcomes.

As with all exercise, the dosage, frequency, intensity, duration and rest periods all need to be carefully considered to avoid over-training, fatigue and further dysfunction. In most cases, you can get back to health with simple, pain-free changes in your life.

4. Learn how to do the Kegel exercise

This is one of the easiest ways to strengthen your pelvic floor muscle.

When you’re on the toilet, stop your urine flow halfway through and hold for five to ten seconds. This is a great way to test that you are doing the pelvic floor exercise correctly, and once you get used to this movement repeat it three times a day, with five to ten reps. This will help you make early inroads to better continence and pelvic floor control.

And the best part? You can do it anywhere — whilst sitting at your desk, watching television, or driving your car — without anyone seeing you ‘work-out’.

Regardless of your gender or your stage in the cycle of life, you can easily take care of your pelvic floor. Give your body the support it needs to avoid potentially embarrassing situations and painful moments. Move with confidence. And most importantly, don’t suffer in silence.