How do you fix a weak pelvis?
A weak pelvis, often caused by a weak pelvic floor and surrounding musculature can lead to a variety of challenges including pain, structural imbalances, and dysfunctions within the pelvis.
Let's explore what it is to have a weak pelvis, what exactly is the pelvic floor, and simple corrective actions we can take today to start improving our pelvic health.
A weak pelvic floor is instability or weakness within the pelvic girdle. This is often brought on by weakness either in inadaptability or insustainability in the pelvic floor and surrounding pelvic musculature.
Things that may cause weakening in the pelvis and supporting muscles:
Trauma- physical or even emotional trauma can affect the muscles of our pelvis either creating excess tension reducing the dynamic adaptability in the muscles or misaligning the structures restricting the muscle’s ability to fully function
Poor posture - having prolonged poor posture can train your muscles to function dysfunctionally
Pregnancy and childbirth - the excess weight of a growing person inside of the uterus can cause a lot of strain on the pelvic floor muscles and the hormones also can affect the structure of the pelvic girdle. Childbirth can be quite strenuous on this portion of the body if you are not optimally prepared. Great ways to prepare are prenatal workouts, prenatal yoga, exercises and movements that are going to help strengthen and support dynamic movement within the pelvic floor.
Menopause and aging- hormone changes as well as just general wear and tear can cause excess laxity and reduced muscle tone
Chronic constipation or other chronic straining- constipation or even excessive lifting can cause excessive downward pressure onto the pelvic floor, therefore leading to excess stress and straining of these muscles reducing their functionality.
How can we support a weak pelvis?
The good news is you can always work these muscles and bring strength back to the pelvis. Just the way we would strengthen and exercise other weak muscles throughout the body the pelvic floor and other supportive pelvic muscles are no different and we can target them through specific movements and even breath work to optimize their functionality.
Set yourself up for success. Other tips you can carry with you on a daily basis to set yourself up for a successful journey to a healthy pelvis:
Stay active - a body in motion stays in motion and motion means muscular contraction, contractions in the muscles mean strengthening the muscles
Maintain a healthy weight - weight can be strenuous on the pelvic floor keeping yourself at a healthy body weight can take off any unnecessary stress
Be mindful when lifting heavy - if you can avoid lifting beyond your natural capacity great, if you must be lifting make sure to lift mindfully from the knees and exhale as you contract and lift up
Try to stay hydrated - hydrated muscles are healthy muscles also hydration helps prevent constipation and constipation as mentioned before can be strenuous to the pelvic floor
A weak pelvis could be the cause of many different dysfunctions including incontinence, lower back pain, and structural imbalances. However this is not the end, there's a lot that can be done to help bring that strength back into that musculature to help support this foundational part of our body.
Stay active and informed to keep yourself healthy and happy.