The pelvic floor is a hammock of muscles at the base of our pelvis supporting pelvic organs, bladder and bowel control, sexual function, and even structural support for our pelvis and spine.

When weakness occurs in this muscle group you can experience discomfort, pain, incontinence, and even prolapse.

Let's explore common causes of weakness and some easy mobility and breathwork tools we can use to bring strength back to these muscles.

Different things can affect the strength of our pelvic floor. This could look like prolonged problems that slowly create weakness or more rapidly on set scenarios.

Pregnancy and childbirth:

In a rather short period of time significant growth occurs in the abdomen creating excess pressure on the pelvic floor potentially leading to weakness even if a vaginal birth does not occur.

Childbirth whether natural or cesarean greatly impacts the health of the pelvic floor. Natural childbirth or vaginal childbirth will create a lot of stretching and expansion and pressure on the pelvic floor which may lead to weakness if the pelvic floor is susceptible. This means if you were able to maintain a healthy pelvic floor and continue with some sort of movement practice throughout your pregnancy you have decreased your susceptibility to pelvic floor damage during vaginal childbirth.

With a cesarean, there is a trauma to your deep core connective tissue as there is a surgical incision to the abdominal wall. Although the abdominal wall is not your pelvic floor it has shared connective tissue therefore trauma to this region of the body directly affects the pelvic floor.

Chronic coughing or sneezing:

Coughing and sneezing can often create excessive inner abdominal pressure. Pressure within the abdominal cavity to a point where it starts to exacerbate the muscles of our pelvic floor. When coughing and sneezing try not to contract and make your body smaller but instead extend and make your body larger allowing for the pressure to disperse and not bear down onto the pelvic floor.

Heavy lifting:

This could be both over time or a sudden injury to your pelvic floor. When lifting incorrectly we often find ourselves bearing down and creating too much of that inner abdominal pressure. Always try to lift and exert your energy on the exhale to minimize the amount of pressure being forced down. Also, remember you can always ask for help.

Menopause:

During the change of life our hormones are also changing. For the female body, estrogen is supportive to muscular health as menopause comes on our estrogen decreases which can lead to overall muscular health decline. Talking to your physician about diet changes, herbal supplements, and even hormone replacement therapy could be really supportive at this point in your journey.

Chronic constipation:

When the need to go does not go as smoothly as we hope we often can try to rush things along and try to force it out. This downward pressure and bearing down again only exacerbates the pelvic floor leading to potential weakness. If diet has not been able to alleviate chronic constipation, other tools that might help are allowing yourself to take a few moments. Practice diaphragmatic breathing allowing your body to surrender to the expansion of the inhale, letting your pelvic floor drop as the diaphragm also descends. Even on clenching the jaw and trying to soften the cheeks with the exhale.

Stagnation:

Whether this looks like a lack of exercise or excessive sitting not moving the body will create weakness throughout the body which does not exclude our pelvic floor.

Strategies to bring strength back to the pelvic floor

Movements

Pelvic tilts;

Gently rocking our pelvis allows us to start connecting intention, movement and breath creating a deeper awareness and relationship with this part of our bodies.

Either:

In a seated with legs crossed
kneeling position or Heroes pose
prone lying on the back with the knees pointed up and feet planted on the ground

Inhale allowing the belly to expand, the pubis bone to spill forward and the lower back begins to arch
Exhale to scoop the tailbone, pull the pubis bone to the navel, and allow the lower back to flatten
Repeat for 10 to 20 breaths

Bridge pose;

Not only do Bridges extend our hips allowing for an opening in the front they also help support building strength and stability in the pelvis.

Lying on your back with your knees pointed to the sky feet planted hip-width apart
Exhale to scoop the tailbone and flatten the lower back to the mat/floor
Press evenly through the soles of your feet as your hips lift to the sky
Knees press forward and keep your thighs in line with your hips not allowing the knees to splay open
Hold the hips in line with the shoulders for a deep breath in
Keep your core engaged as you slowly lower the hips back down to the mat/floor
Repeat for 10 to 20 breaths and reset the spine with pelvic tilts post Bridge

Breathwork

Diaphragmatic breathing:

This breathing technique allows you to connect with the full range of motion of your pelvic floor

In a seated or lying down position place your palms over the lower abdomen
Inhale and allow your lower belly to expand into your hands
Exhale allowing the belly to drop and return to neutral
With the next inhale try to not just tune into the expansion in your lower abdomen but even allow the pelvic floor to drop towards the sitting bones
Again allowing the exhale to bring the tissue to neutral
Repeat for 10 to 20 breaths encouraging yourself to explore how much of the movement within those muscles can occur.

Kapalabhati or Breath of Fire:

A pranayama from yoga practice creates rhythmic short forced exhales.

Seated tall with a lengthened spine
Fully exhale emptying the lungs
Take a full breath in through the nose
Take a count of 20 to 30 quick exhales out the nose forced by a gentle contraction in the abdomen and pelvic floor
After you have finished your desired count completely empty the lungs and hold empty for a moment with a gentle engagement of the pelvic floor and abdomen
When you fully inhale allow yourself to relax the abdomen surrendering to the expansion of the inhale and relax your pelvic floor allowing it to drop to the floor
Repeat 3 to 6 times with the option to increase the number of Quick exhales. Finish with a few rounds of diaphragmatic breathing to reset the dance between the diaphragm and pelvic floor.

Setting yourself up for future success

Stay active; a mobile body is generally a healthy body and movement is often medicine
Be mindful of your posture. Try to keep your rib cage stacked over your hips, sit on the sitting bones, and allow the crown of your head to reach for the heavens
Avoid straining or bearing down pressure onto your pelvis whether it is with exercise, heavy lifting, or just not being able to let that s*** go avoid creating excess pressure on the pelvic floor
Stay hydrated. Hydration is one of the most important things for our body's health and our muscle health and this does not exclude the health of our pelvic floor.

Taking care of our pelvic floor is just another part of taking care of ourselves every part of our body is worth the time and the attention so make sure to give it.

The pelvic floor is a hammock of muscles at the base of our pelvis supporting pelvic organs, bladder and bowel control, sexual function, and even structural support for our pelvis and spine.

When weakness occurs in this muscle group you can experience discomfort, pain, incontinence, and even prolapse.

Let's explore common causes of weakness and some easy mobility and breathwork tools we can use to bring strength back to these muscles.

Different things can affect the strength of our pelvic floor. This could look like prolonged problems that slowly create weakness or more rapidly on set scenarios.

Pregnancy and childbirth:

In a rather short period of time significant growth occurs in the abdomen creating excess pressure on the pelvic floor potentially leading to weakness even if a vaginal birth does not occur.

With a cesarean, there is a trauma to your deep core connective tissue as there is a surgical incision to the abdominal wall. Although the abdominal wall is not your pelvic floor it has shared connective tissue therefore trauma to this region of the body directly affects the pelvic floor.

Chronic coughing or sneezing:

Heavy lifting:

Menopause:

Chronic constipation:

Stagnation:

Whether this looks like a lack of exercise or excessive sitting not moving the body will create weakness throughout the body which does not exclude our pelvic floor.

Strategies to bring strength back to the pelvic floor

Movements

Pelvic tilts;

Gently rocking our pelvis allows us to start connecting intention, movement and breath creating a deeper awareness and relationship with this part of our bodies.

Either:

In a seated with legs crossed

kneeling position or Heroes pose

prone lying on the back with the knees pointed up and feet planted on the ground

Inhale allowing the belly to expand, the pubis bone to spill forward and the lower back begins to arch

Exhale to scoop the tailbone, pull the pubis bone to the navel, and allow the lower back to flatten

Repeat for 10 to 20 breaths

Bridge pose;

Not only do Bridges extend our hips allowing for an opening in the front they also help support building strength and stability in the pelvis.

Lying on your back with your knees pointed to the sky feet planted hip-width apart

Exhale to scoop the tailbone and flatten the lower back to the mat/floor

Press evenly through the soles of your feet as your hips lift to the sky

Knees press forward and keep your thighs in line with your hips not allowing the knees to splay open

Hold the hips in line with the shoulders for a deep breath in

Keep your core engaged as you slowly lower the hips back down to the mat/floor

Repeat for 10 to 20 breaths and reset the spine with pelvic tilts post Bridge

Breathwork

Diaphragmatic breathing:

This breathing technique allows you to connect with the full range of motion of your pelvic floor

In a seated or lying down position place your palms over the lower abdomen

Inhale and allow your lower belly to expand into your hands

Exhale allowing the belly to drop and return to neutral

With the next inhale try to not just tune into the expansion in your lower abdomen but even allow the pelvic floor to drop towards the sitting bones

Again allowing the exhale to bring the tissue to neutral

Repeat for 10 to 20 breaths encouraging yourself to explore how much of the movement within those muscles can occur.

Kapalabhati or Breath of Fire:

A pranayama from yoga practice creates rhythmic short forced exhales.

Seated tall with a lengthened spine

Fully exhale emptying the lungs

Take a full breath in through the nose

Take a count of 20 to 30 quick exhales out the nose forced by a gentle contraction in the abdomen and pelvic floor

After you have finished your desired count completely empty the lungs and hold empty for a moment with a gentle engagement of the pelvic floor and abdomen

When you fully inhale allow yourself to relax the abdomen surrendering to the expansion of the inhale and relax your pelvic floor allowing it to drop to the floor

Repeat 3 to 6 times with the option to increase the number of Quick exhales. Finish with a few rounds of diaphragmatic breathing to reset the dance between the diaphragm and pelvic floor.

Setting yourself up for future success

Stay active; a mobile body is generally a healthy body and movement is often medicine

Be mindful of your posture. Try to keep your rib cage stacked over your hips, sit on the sitting bones, and allow the crown of your head to reach for the heavens

Avoid straining or bearing down pressure onto your pelvis whether it is with exercise, heavy lifting, or just not being able to let that s*** go avoid creating excess pressure on the pelvic floor

Stay hydrated. Hydration is one of the most important things for our body's health and our muscle health and this does not exclude the health of our pelvic floor.

Taking care of our pelvic floor is just another part of taking care of ourselves every part of our body is worth the time and the attention so make sure to give it.