Pelvic Floor ~ why + how can we support it?

Whilst originally this blog was written for Mindful Menopause Community, there is just as much relevance and need for all ages of Women and Men to take care of Pelvic Floor tone as you will see below. Coming from my own personal experience of having poor posture and associated dysfunctional Pelvic Floor muscle (aka The Perineum) tone and a weak core (plus I was a reverse breather which further weakened it). At the age of 30 I studied my Yogalates Teacher Training and learnt what it is and how to activate it properly (NO not just ‘lift it’!) Now at the age of 50 I am thrilled that I conditioned my Pelvic Floor (PF) by correcting my posture and core (day-to-day) breathing, because it supports me in more ways than we realise, AND IT HAS CHANGED EVERYTHING! That doesn’t mean it takes years, PF muscles are postural supporting muscles and basically just want to do their job - which they can only do when the pelvis, spine, ribcage and head are aligned in posture, PLUS having correct breathing habits. This simply reminds them how to be in tone ~ it may take 4-6 weeks to notice a difference and reap benefits below, perhaps up to 3 months to know you’ve done the job well.

Symptoms that it’s possible your PF is weak;

• frequent bathroom visits

• start’n stopping while you pee

• straining to pass bowel movement/constipation/IBS

• pee or fecal leakage, accidentally passing wind

• having overactive/tight glutes or hips that just won’t let up no matter how much you stretch them (coz they are compensating and grabbing for dear life to do what the pelvic floor is not doing in every effort to stabilise the pelvis)

• erectile dysfunction

• pain during sex

• unexplained lower back or pelvic pain, conditions such as disc bulge, Spondilolysthesis, Sacro-Iliac Joint Dysfunction (SIJ)

• prolapse uterus, bladder or rectum

• organ displacement/disposition/travelling

• prostate conditions

• low sex drive and/or reduced response to stimulation

What does having an aligned + toned PF do?

• stabilises the pelvis and lumbar vertebrae, prevents injury + conditions, with a stable foundation of the pelvis the lower limbs have optimal range of movement ie hip mobility

• allows global (or external) muscle groups (eg glutes, hips, hamstrings, lumbar, abdominals, quads, hip flexors) to be supple and left to do their ‘real job’ which is MOVEMENT, therefore less likely to be ‘grabbing’ or overactive trying to support postural alignment + pelvic stability (stability is NOT their primary job ~ if they are compensating and trying to stabilise we get muscle tension and reduced range of movement/inflexibility of joints not just hips but the whole spine, SIJ, rib cage, neck, shoulders, also effects the knees and feet). Yup our pelvic floor plays a huge role throughout the entire body, more than we think!

• increases libido and sexual stimulation

• organs rest supported in their ideal position for optimal function

• reproductive + digestive + excretion organs get ample blood flow for function healthy + disease prevention (eg prostate health)

• regulates bladder + bowel function and control

• alignment of the pelvis, spine, ribcage + head with an efficient breathing system gives an overall sense of harmony to the nervous system impacting Mind + Body

• it’s your base, it’s where your structural stability comes from which feeds into mental stability. Spiritually is believed to be where your life force (Kundalini) is housed and then moves upwards through the Chakras to the Crown. So we seriously don’t want a blow out down there!

• …….did I mention better sex and orgasms? No matter if you’re without a partner, when experiencing sexual stimulation our brain releases neurotransmitters which are highly beneficial for mental health + muscle relaxation provding feel good vibes ;-) Thereby reducing heavy depressive moods, anxiousness and body tension.

If you are not quite sure what PF looks like, here’s a link, slightly different in Men + Women due to pelvic bone shape. It’s not just one muscle, it’s made up of numerous muscles with direction of fibres ~ so if YOUR postural habit is that the pelvis tilts too far forwards (deepened lumbar curve and sticking your curvy butt out) you would be cramping the front of your PF around urethra and spreading the back (to the anus) of your PF. If YOUR postural habit is the pelvis tilts backwards (flattening the lumbar and tucking your not-so-curvy butt under, even pressing hips forward against the kitchen sink) you would be cramping the back of your PF around anus, and splaying the front of your PF around urethra. When the pelvis is tipping too far in either direction, the base of the rib cage/Diaphragm muscle is no longer in direct cylindrical alignment with the base of the pelvic bowl/PF your core is less effective, and day-to-day breathing is no longer recruiting the ideal breathing muscles, so is inefficient. Conditions associated with dysfunctional breathing are high blood pressure, anxiety, IBS, constant tension in big external muscle groups, lower back issues (and basically all the symptoms listed above).

So what it comes down to is improving postural alignment + developing an efficient day-to-day breath. There’s no point in correcting your breathing nor doing your PF exercises with poor postural alignment ~ never gonna get there! I have used the word PF ‘tone’ and I have not used ‘strong’, that is because it’s possible to have an overactive or locked pelvic floor, and yes you can over-do or poorly practice Pelvic Floor (eg Kegel) exercises. In this case, which can be caused by trauma, an injury, surgery/scar tissue, you may need to see a physiotherapist to have the PF released. However doing the practices below and breathwork WILL provide gradual relief and alignment your posture to reset and create balance tone in the various Pelvic Floor fibres.

How Menopause effects the Pelvic Floor muscles and what you can do..

Special mention to our Mindful Menopause Community, (you can view my LIVE CHAT recording on this here) if you haven’t considered your PF prior to now, even if you don’t have any of the above symptoms, today is the perfect day to start. Regardless of if you’re not feeling the mood for sex, it’s not about that, focus on the other physiological, structural + mental health benefits listed above. Unfortunately as oestrogen levels decline with menopause, the tissues of the vulva, vagina and urethra can become thinner and lose their elasticity, there is a reduction in lubrication of the vagina and the pelvic floor muscles also become thinner and less flexible. The onset of menopause can cause your pelvic floor muscles – just like the rest of the muscles in your body – to weaken. Reach out if any of these are causing you concern as these are not necessary to endure, there are ways to provide relief. Weight gain also weakens the pelvic floor.

Join me online and improve your breath + posture, as well as increasing blood flow to organs with these FREE practices in your Mindful Menopause ‘Mindful Movements’ playlist. If you are interested in taking your Pelvic Floor tone next level, this option is fool proof in practice, and from what I can tell expedites results, highly beneficial if with or to prevent prolapsed uterus - try Yoni Eggs - click here scroll to bottom for what and how they are used to help tone PF. NB: It is recommended you seek medical consent before using if you have any pelvic conditions prior.

Here’s how you can tone your pelvic floor effectively with correct pelvic alignment/posture + breath, with me ~ practice my ‘Love your Pelvic Floor with Me 20min practice’ (also find ‘Pelvic Floor Tune-Up 20mins’ see which one you prefer) ~ they’re in my Breathe + Move with Me membership FREE 24hr Trial, also included in Mindful Menopause Community FREE to join and access practices until 30th April.

Well I hope this has encouraged you to embark on the journey of toning of your Pelvic Floor and receive all the wonderful benefits in doing so! In my experience it’s nothing short of IT CHANGES EVERYTHING!

All the best + Namaste, Nic