Let’s get to know your Pelvic Floor
What is Pelvic Health
Why is this important anyway?
UMMM Because you have a pelvis!
And as a pelvis owner, you should know that... like your other parts, it has very specific functions in your body and conditions for those functions to work optimally. Your PELVIC FLOOR is made up of a group of skeletal muscles at the base of your core that attaches from front to back and side to side. Think of it like a hammock that holds everything in place - bladder, sexual organs, rectum.
They do some pretty important stuff:
Support: this is a big one cause it's your body weight, how you move with your body and the entire core, including the upper abdomen.
Contribute to Continence: as the constrictor mechanism to the urethra, rectum and vagina, they contract to hold urine, gas, poop and then relax to release them.
Sexual: the relaxation and lengthening of the first layer of muscle allow for vaginal penetration, while the pelvic floor provides the rhythmic contractions needed to orgasm.
Like we said, some pretty important stuff!
When pelvic muscles are weakened or too tight, those systems and organs aren't fully supported. Which means they aren't working at their best either. This can cause a cascade of symptoms, like bladder leaks, painful sex, pelvic organ prolapse, back pain & more.
So pelvic health IS the healthy functioning of your pelvic floor and everything YOU do to achieve that optimal functioning! Pelvic floor exercises, pelvic physiotherapy, yoga, eating well, diaphragmatic breathing, self-care, and managing stress - are ALL things you can do for your pelvic health.
References:
https://www.pelvicfloorfirst.org.au/pages/the-pelvic-floor.html
https://pelvichealthsolutions.ca/knowledge-base/what-is-pelvic-floor-health-physiotherapy
