Back2Yourself

Importance of the Pelvic Floor Muscles:

It is important to engage the pelvic floor muscles during each exercise setup and during exercise. Weakness in the pelvic floor can lead to health problems such as incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. Strong and healthy pelvic floor muscles are important for both men and women. Weakness of these muscles can result from lack of exercise and can be exaggerated by doing strong abdominal exercise without engaging the pelvic floor. Strong abdominal exercise pushes on the pelvic floor muscles; if these muscles are not engaged then this pushing may actually stretch them out. Therefore, it is very important to be aware of the pelvic floor muscles and to engage them during exercise.

What are the Pelvic Floor Muscles?

It may be helpful to visualize the pelvic floor muscles as a broad bowl that supports the uterus (in women), bladder, and bowel. More than one muscle comprises the pelvic floor muscle system. While the muscular details of the pelvic floor are complex, it is not important to understand these details to find the muscles, access and strengthen them.

Identifying and Engaging the Pelvic Floor Muscles:

Identifying and isolating the pelvic floor muscles is not always so obvious or easy; it takes practice. Women should "draw in" and "lift up" the perivaginal and rectal/anal sphincter muscles. Men should just draw in or tighten the rectal sphincter. This action is similar to that which we all perform when we are controlling our bowels (trying to avoid elimination) and bladder, including stopping the flow of urine. This action is distinctly different from, and should not be confused with, the action of bearing down, which we do when we eliminate our bowels or bladder. You should be able to maintain a deep, full, and sustained breathing pattern while engaging the pelvic floor.

Engage the Pelvic Floor Muscles During Exercise and Core Breathing:

Engage and lift the pelvic floor muscles when you draw the navel towards the spine. This is done when you establish the setup position for and during the practice of the exercises. Pelvic floor engagement may seem rather elusive; engagement tends to disappear when our attention is directed elsewhere. No sooner than you have engaged the pelvic floor, it is relaxed when you bring your attention back to it. Therefore, it is important to make the pelvic floor muscles a priority for your attention, engaging them whenever you draw the navel to the spine.

Lifting the pelvic floor during core breathing helps you to expand the rib cage during inhalation. As the rib cage expands, muscles in the back stretch. Continued practice of core breathing in this way will help you feel as though back muscle tension softens during inhalation and releases from the body during exhalation, resulting in reduced back pain and greater comfort.