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Arete Warriors – spirit, mind, body strong
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The pelvic floor is important
Dear Reader,
*A word of warning about today. We are all in different seasons of our lives. This article is going to cover issues that can affect you at all sorts of ages so hang tight.*
Some of us haven’t thought about this part of our body since giving birth.
Some of us are constantly reminded we’ve lost all control over this region every time we get surprised, cough, jump, laugh or sneeze.
And for some of us, this area is to blame for why we don’t enjoy sex anymore. 😵
But most of us, don’t realize the importance of this part of our body for many other reasons! It goes well beyond sex, birth & urination mama.
Let’s take a closer look. Scoot on down to the edge here. 😝
Sorry. Couldn’t help myself.
Let’s Prepare – the warm up
When people come to me complaining of joint pain, I consider 3 things.
- Mobility – Do we have the necessary range of motion?
- Strength – Are the muscles contracting as they should? Are they strong enough?
- Stability – Are the ligaments & other tissues that help support the joint doing their job to hold everything together in a sturdy, secure way?
Well the pelvis is a pretty spectacular unit actually consisting of FOUR joints which all work together to provide posture, protect internal organs & facilitate movement.
Our pelvis helps us stand, sit, walk, run, jump, twist, dance, climb, pee, poo, & make, grow & deliver a baby.
Pretty amazing huh?
If you have low back pain (on either side), hip flexor issues, hip pain (bursitis maybe?), a belly “pooch” or diastasis recti (ab separation)… any of these could actually be a direct result of the hip/pelvis unit not working properly.
I’m telling you. This place is worth more of your attention & time.
Have you heard of “no butt syndrome”? Where someone walks around with their butt tucked underneath them?
I have trained many a woman (& man) looking to get a more “perky butt”. It doesn’t matter how many squats, lunges or sprints we do if the hip sockets & pelvic floor are not in proper alignment & working as they should.
Aside from the “reminders” listed above, here are some other common complaints.
- An increase in urinary urgency & sometimes urine leakage
- Pelvic Organ Prolapse, or a heaviness in our pelvic floor
- Frequent UTI’s
Lea Klein is the owner of Klein Physical Therapy & a SUPER smart physical therapist who actually specializes in the pelvic floor. Lea says it is important to see a specialist if you are experiencing these issues.
A pelvic floor specialist can help you to determine if you need coordination exercises, strengthening for the pelvic floor, or even relaxation exercises. We can also assess your tissues to see if you need an estradiol cream to help with the thinning of the tissues. Yes, this is different than estrogen used in HRT.
The important point is, there is help ladies!
I doubt most of us realize how important our breathing is to our health. Did you know there’s a “right way” to breathe? And that it can have severe consequences to your health?
The team of specialists at Klein Physical Therapy could share a plethora of success stories but this one in particular is WHY I am writing this newsletter.
A woman came in complaining of leakage (it had been going on for years). She was unable to exert herself, much less run (& she wanted to)! Lea changed her breathing pattern & worked on aligning her ribcage over her pelvis & in that first visit, there was significant improvement.
It’s not always going to be so “easy”, but what if it is!? How long did that woman NOT run (or do so many other things) because she assumed it was just the way it was.
Lea sees patients all the time who think they just have a small bladder for example. She assured me “It can be trained to lessen urgency with triggers like a key in the door & running water.”
Another patient came in because she felt prolapse (felt like a tampon was falling out) every time she went for a walk. Lea’s team changed the way her foot hit the ground & had her focus on arm swing. They elongated her posture (lifting tall) & again, big changes happened in 1-2 visits.
Let’s Work – the exercise
I don’t know what (if any) issues you are experiencing now, or will in the future, but it’s never a bad choice to focus on your breathing.
A true diaphragmatic breath is breathing into our ribcage not our belly, and sets us up for success in our pelvic floor. “Blow as you go”, meaning: exhale as you exert yourself (like picking up a laundry basket or lifting dumbbells).
Watch this quick 30 second video from Lea & give it a try.
Our posture is also incredibly important! An overly tucked pelvis (butt tucked underneath us) turns off our glutes & increases pressure on our pelvic floor.
An overly forward tipped pelvis (butt sticking out) weakens our abs & our hamstrings.
Your ribcage needs to be stacked over your pelvis for optimal firing of our pelvic floor.
Watch Lea explain proper posture quick in this 90 second video.
Did you learn something you could improve about your posture?
This isn’t an ad for Lea. Maybe it’s not your pelvic floor at all! Maybe you’re letting a nagging shoulder injury slow you down. There are often simple fixes for those if you see the right people.
My main message to you today is “you don’t have to live like this”! You don’t HAVE to settle for aches & pains that slow you down. That’s how you get old Reader.
Your assignment is to become aware of what discomfort creep you have allowed into your daily life & do something about it! Hire someone smarter than you about this issue. You’re worth it.
I have a network of Physical Therapists I work with here in Denver. If you want any recommendations, you know how to find me.
