There may be a entire month dedicated to pelvic painbut in general, the pelvic floor — like the muscles and connective tissue that stabilize the core and come into play during sex, peeing, and pooping — aren’t something people spend a lot of time talking about. “No one thinks, ‘Check out my new pelvic floor workout’” Sara Reardon tells Yahoo Life. But as a pelvic floor health therapist and physical therapy doctor known as “The Vagina Whisperer” on social media, where her more than 600,000 Instagram followers include Kaley Cuoco and Michelle Branch, Reardon makes a living discussing bladder and bowel problems, strengthening exercisespainful intercourse, postpartum recovery, and other topics relevant to the pelvic floor.
According to Reardon, it’s common for people (especially women) to experience pelvic floor pain and other pelvic health issues. The pelvic floor, which supports the bladder, bowels, and uterus, tends to weaken with age or as a result of pregnancy or childbirth (even in the case of a C-section, Reardon points out), but keeping it strong and healthy is important. . it was rarely a priority, she says. Most people’s attitude is “oh, we’ll deal with that later”.
However, there are everyday things we can do that affect our pelvic floor even more – and this is something that needs to be addressed sooner or later.
“Things don’t get better, they just get worse,” says Reardon. “Our hormones start to change, you start to have more weakness as you age. … We have to worry about these things now, because it doesn’t get better, especially after menopause.”
So what mistakes might you be making and how can you get your pelvic health back on track? Here’s what Reardon suggests.
Thrusting when you pee
Reardon calls this “power pee” and it’s something you can do to completely empty your bladder. Doing so, however, weakens the pelvic floor. “[You] I can just sit back and relax because your bladder is a muscle that pushes pee for you,” explains Reardon. “You just need to relax your pelvic floor.”
Parents who have gone through potty training should remember this lesson: Squatting with your knees above your hips is an effective way to get things moving. As Reardon says, this “is the best position to relax the pelvic floor” and avoid straining during bowel movements. A stool – Reardon recommends those sold for Squat potty – or, in an emergency, a trash can turned on its side can help you get into position. Just “lift your heels and lean forward,” says Reardon.
Going to the bathroom ‘just in case’
You may be tempted to make one last trip to the bathroom before leaving the house or going to bed. But if you really don’t need to pee at that moment, it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy, according to Reardon, who says the normal frequency to pee is every two to four hours during the day and up to twice at night. Going “just in case” — perhaps you’re worried about not having access to the bathroom later or don’t want to get up during the night — can make your bladder smaller and therefore make you need to pee more often.
Delaying the urge to use the bathroom
While you don’t want to force yourself to use the bathroom when you don’t really need to, holding it when you really need to can cause problems. “If you constantly contract your pelvic floor to delay your urge,” explains Reardon, “this can cause a lot of muscle tension in your pelvic floor, making it difficult to start urine flow, completely empty your bladder, or poop effortlessly. It can even lead to painful sex.” Bottom line: if you really feel like going, go – don’t try to hold it back.
Sucking your stomach
If you tend to suck in your stomach – also known as “stomach tightening” – to look slimmer, you should stop. Because the pelvic floor is part of our core, pulling on the lower abdomen can tighten it and, explains Reardon, result in chronic tension or pelvic floor spasms. “Your muscles should contract and then relax,” she says. “Then stop sucking.”
Don’t get checked if you accidentally pee
Accidents happen – but leaking urine should be taken seriously, according to Reardon. “It may start with a small leak when coughing or sneezing, or avoiding exercise class on the trampoline,” she says, adding that in an emergency, inserting a tampon to support the pelvic walls will help keep the bladder from moving. during coughing. spell. “But these small leaks can turn into bigger problems as we age due to hormonal changes, such as decreased estrogen and loss of muscle mass as we age.” If you are experiencing leaks, take the problem to your doctor or see a pelvic floor therapist.
Thinking Kegels are the answer to any pelvic floor problem
Kegel Exercises, also known as pelvic floor exercises, are contractions that help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. While they may be beneficial as women age, especially during perimenopause and menopause, Reardon warns that if you are having pelvic floor dysfunction as tension or spasms, “Kegels can actually worsen your condition.” In this situation, “you should actually be working on pelvic floor relaxation and not strengthening,” she says.
