I listened to a podcast interview recently with Susi Hately, a yoga therapist. She discussed the importance of women, specifically those in childbearing years and beyond, to tone and maintain a strong pelvic floor. She explained that most women wait too long to address these issues.
The pelvic floor is the floor of the torso, providing the foundation for core strength. Ideally, it is like a trampoline - strong enough to support the weight of the torso, but with flexibility and give. If it is either too saggy or too tight, all the surrounding muscles can be affected, causing back pain, hip pain, knee pain, neck pain and digestive and sexual issues. For those planning to give birth, it's obvious the strength of the pelvic floor can impact the way we push and even the baby's position during labor.
In France, pelvic floor physical therapy is automatically a part of postpartum maternity care for every mother. But in North America, mothers have to advocate for themselves and seek out professional help and educate themselves to rebuild pelvic floor strength. Susi Hately recommends three initial steps to regaining a strong pelvic floor:
Develop an Awareness of These Muscles.
Breathe Deeply.
See a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist.
For some women the problem is not weakness, but the opposite. The muscles can be held in a constantly tense state and so they would need to be released and relaxed. Pelvic Floor Therapists can do an internal exam to determine exactly which muscles need work and how. Then they can suggest specific exercises to accomplish these goals.
Many women report full recovery with the proper therapy and exercises. There is no need to live in fear of jumping jacks and sneezes. Good help is out there, we just have to find it.