Why You Should Strengthen Pelvic Floor Muscles and How to Do It
Why You Should Strengthen Pelvic Floor Muscles and How to Do It
The pelvic floor muscles, named levator ani and coccygeus, together with the connective tissue give support to the internal organs lying in the pelvic cavity, including the intestines, urinary bladder and uterus. These muscles are also part of the anal and urinary sphincters, which control the removal of faeces and the flow of urine respectively. In childbirth, these muscles aid the movement of the child. Thus, weakening of the pelvic floor muscles can cause many problems in the functioning of the gastrointestinal and genitourinary systems.
The pelvic floor muscles can be damaged by childbirth, usually after a vaginal delivery, surgical procedures such as hysterectomy and coccygectomy, chronic sneezing and coughing, straining, spinal problems, being overweight, or by certain sports such as bicycling, racing, horseback riding, or water skiing. Damage to the pelvic floor muscles can cause weakness to these muscles resulting to urinary and stool incontinence, structural imbalances leading to back and abdominal pain, and pelvic organ prolapse.
The pelvic organ prolapse, which happens more commonly in women than in men, is a condition wherein the pelvic organs project into or outside of the vagina. There are many factors contributing to the development of this including family history, childbirth, hormonal status, age, and pelvic trauma. However, it all boils down to nerve damage and muscle weakness. Although surgery can be performed to repair the muscles, mild cases can be managed nonoperatively by strengthening them.
Kegel exercises are pelvic floor exercises that can improve the function and tone of the pelvic floor muscles. These can prevent or delay pelvic organ prolapse symptoms. These are also particularly beneficial among those suffering from stress urinary incontinence. Along with counseling and therapy, these can also help women achieve their orgasm. To be able to perform Kegel exercises, you must first find the right muscles. To do this, insert a finger in your vagina. You can feel the pelvic muscles move upward as you squeeze and tighten the surrounding muscles of your vagina. You can also try stopping your urine flow. If you can do that, you are basically using your pelvic floor muscles. After you have identified the correct muscles, empty you bladder. While sitting or lying down, contract your muscles and hold it for 5 seconds, then release and relax for 5 seconds. Do this consecutively about 4 to 5 times, and then try increasing it to 10 seconds at a time. Repeat this at least 3 times a day. Make sure you are not flexing the muscles in the abdomen or thighs. Breathe freely instead of holding your breath.
Pilates is also an exercise that can help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. The vital principles of Pilates include centering, control, flow, breath, precision, and concentration. These principles together with core strength, which is the foundation of this exercise, differentiate the Pilates method apart from the rest of the exercises. It focuses more on the quality rather than the quantity. You can do this on a mat on the floor doing the Pilates mat work or you can exercise on the Pilates equipment. This makes use of pulleys and resistance from the body weight on the device and graduated spring levels. The core muscles of the abdomen and back are strengthened in Pilates and together with the more superficial muscles of the torso, one can have adequate support of the back and spine, thus relieving back pain or pressure. Though Pilates does not really focus on the pelvic floor muscles, this however is performed together with Kegel exercises to strengthen the support, movement and alignment of your workup.
One must be patient enough to see the results of these exercises, as they do not happen at an instant. If you are compliant with doing your exercises regularly, you can expect improvement in problems brought on by weak pelvic floor muscles. However, if you are having difficulties performing these exercises, you must not be afraid to consult a doctor. They can give you patient teachings to assist you in the proper execution of these exercises in order to achieve maximum benefits.
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