know your pelvic floor

What is the Pelvic floor? It is made up of the diaphragm, the abdominal muscles, arm muscles, the spine, the muscles supporting it, and the muscles at the base of the pelvis. It is made of ligaments, muscles, connective tissue and bones. The muscles attach to the pubic bone at the front of the pelvis, along to the coccyx, and out to either side of the pelvic bones.

Its function is to support your internal organs such as your bowels, bladder, uterus, to maintain continence, support your baby when pregnant and assist with birthing. For men, the pelvic floor supports the internal organs and helps maintain continence.

What can happen to it? Due to changes in hormones, pregnancy, or ageing, the pelvic floor muscles can become weakened, leading to leaky bladder or bowels, lower back pain, and organ prolapse. This weakness can stop people from exercising, can make them feel uncomfortable and in pain. Maintaining an active lifestyle then becomes difficult, possibly increasing the risk of other health problems such as heart disease, weight management problems, and diabetes.

What can we do to help? The pelvic floor muscles are linked to all muscles in the body, from the legs up to your core, and the arms and back to your core. Pelvic Floor muscles are linked to movement throughout your whole body and so need to be trained and re-trained with those principles in mind. Kegels alone will not strengthen the pelvic floor.

The breath is vitally important. Learning to breathe well will help connect the pelvic floor muscles to the abdominals and the back muscles. This can ultimately become an unconscious process helping to achieve better function and movement in daily activities & exercise.

Your Pelvic Floor needs to be strong whatever your age.

Working closely with Debbie Dillon, our Pelvic Health Physiotherapist at the Pilates Studio in Wells, we are able to give you the support you need to make sure your Pelvic Floor is working as it should be.