Habits That May Be Affecting Your Pelvic Floor
Your pelvic floor is a group/bowl of muscles located in the base of your pelvis. They have a big role in holding the bladder, uterus (in women), and rectum! We want to give these muscles a big thank you in all they do to support us!
Our bladder is a muscle; so when we urinate, the pelvic floor muscles relax while the bladder contracts. However, sometimes our own habits negatively affect this natural function. We want to fix our habits before they become a bigger problem such as prolapse, urinary leakage, pain with intercourse, and pain in the pelvis! Take a look at the following tips to optimize your pelvic floor function!
Squatting to urinate or feet not touching the ground on a toilet? This does not promote optimal positioning to allow the pelvic floor to relax. Many times when this happens people feel like they need to push to urinate (instead of relaxing) and don’t completely empty the bladder! Instead, try putting tissue on the toilet seat so you can fully relax your pelvic floor! And invest in a squatty potty, you will feel more comfortable and relaxed when you use the restroom!
Going to the bathroom “just in case”? The bladder will signal when it is time to use the bathroom - this is a process our body does without us consciously thinking about it! When we try to go to the bathroom without actually having to go or without our bladder being full - it will throw off our body’s natural process and can lead to urinary leakage throughout the day or feeling like we have a “small bladder”.
Not drinking enough water? Our body needs half our body weight in water (ounces). If we don’t drink enough water our urine is more concentrated and acidic which will be irritating to the bladder! Get a favorite water bottle, add some cucumber, frozen berries, or safe essential oils to make you look forward to drinking your water!
Holding your breath when you workout? This causes excessive pressure in your abdomen which can lead to pain, prolapse, and abdominal separation. Try focusing on your breath with exercise!