What is the pelvic floor and why is it important?›
2 min read
A lot of people are not that clear on what their pelvic floor is, what it does and why it is important. During this blog post, we will discuss why the pelvic floor is so important, what is made up of and how it supports us.. What happens to our pelvic floors during pregnancy and why considerations need to factored into training. And finally, looking at postpartum & pelvic floor and why recovery and rehab are so important.
The pelvic floor is a hammock or sling of muscles that run from the pubic bone (front) to the tailbone (back). These muscles support a women's womb (uterus), bladder, and bowels (colon). They are also responsible for bladder and bowel function as well as playing an important part in sexual function and sensation. These muscles make up part of your core cylinder (another post will follow) and work with your diaphragm, deep abdominal muscles and deep back muscles to stability and support your spine. They play an important roll in managing the pressure inside your abdomen which deals with down-ward forces. For example, lifting, straining and running, etc. As you can see, the pelvic floor is clearly a very integral part of our general wellbeing and therefore, taking care of it properly is paramount.
During pregnancy, the pelvic floor muscles have to work even harder than normal as they are supporting the growing weight of the baby. But at the same time, they are softening due to the pregnancy hormones (relaxin). Because of the additional pressures on these muscles, and the core cylinder in general, it becomes increasingly important to help manage your intra-abdominal pressure when exercising. Having strategies in place that address the following can be really beneficial:
Breathing Strategies (360/Foundational or Dynamic are the most common in Pregnancy)
Pressure Tendencies (Understanding and adjusting these to the appropriate level for the appropriate move)
Tension (how much tension do you use? For what activities? Is it relative to the action required)
Positioning
All these points are topics in their own right but it very much highlights how your pelvic floor is not a simple as you might think and there are so many things when pregnant you can do to help support it.
It is so important to give your pelvic floor a chance to recover from pregnancy and birth, allow it to go through the rehab process and respect the crucial role the pelvic floor plays not only in exercise but in all aspects of our daily activities.
If you had an injured knee, you would take the necessary steps to prevent any additional damage and strain and accept that a rehab process will allow you to come back stronger and safer. The pelvic floor is no different.
Around the 6 week postpartum time, it is a really great idea to go to a Women's Health Physio. They will do an extensive check with you, pelvic floor as well as core checks (DR too), and help formulate a plan to start moving in the right direction. This is crucial in understanding where you are starting from and giving you the tools to make a strong recovery in an appropriate manner for your individual needs. Always remember, pregnancy and postpartum is not a one size fits all.
If you have any questions at all, please reach out!
