How to Tell If Your Pelvic Floor Is Too Weak or Too Tight and Exercises to Remedy It

The pelvic floor is something many of us have never heard of until we start having problems with it. While you may not know what it is, you have felt it, especially if you have ever had a full bladder and were trying to hold it in until you could get to a bathroom. In addition to issues going to the bathroom, however, an overly weak or overly strong pelvic floor can cause multiple problems for your health. This article will explore what the pelvic floor is, why it is essential to your health, and how to strengthen it.

What Is The Pelvic Floor?

The pelvic floor consists of muscles and connective tissues that attach to your pelvic bones and support the bladder, bowel, and rectum. In women, it also supports the uterus, cervix, and vagina.

The pelvic floor can be felt through activation, which you have likely done before unknowingly. To activate these muscles:

1. Lie down on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. You can also do this in a sitting position.
2. Exhale gently, drawing in your lower stomach muscles, and squeeze the muscles around your anus and your urethra as if you are trying to stop gas and urine from passing. If you have a vagina, you can focus on squeezing the muscles around there as well. Focusing on both your anus and urethra will ensure you activate the entire pelvic floor.
3. Hold for one to ten seconds and release. You will feel these muscles release and drop.

This is your pelvic floor.

What Does The Pelvic Floor Do?

The pelvic floor has many roles, and one of these roles is in the name. It acts as a floor, or hammock, to the bladder, bowel, rectum, uterus, cervix, and vagina by supporting them and holding them in place. It helps to control your bladder and bowels and allows you to control when to go to the bathroom.

In sexual health, the pelvic floor is important to the functioning of the sexual health body parts and plays a role in arousal and orgasm. These muscles also play a role in stabilizing your hips and trunk during standing and walking.

Due to its important role in your body, if it weakens or tightens, it can cause symptoms within the body that include:

• The frequent urge to urinate
• Urinary leakage
• Urinary incontinence
• Constipation
• Bowel leakage
• Straining to empty the bowels
• Lower back pain
• Pain during intercourse

Weak Pelvic Floor

There are many causes for a weak pelvic floor. Women are more prone to problems in this area, but men can also experience weakness in these muscles. The main reason that it is common among women is pregnancy and vaginal birth can strain and tear these muscles.

Pregnancy and childbirth are not the only causes however, other causes are:

• Age
• Menopause
• Surgery
• Heavy lifting
• Prolonged sitting
• Excess weight
• Medical conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and endometriosis

Remedies

Many remedies can help in strengthening the pelvic floor as well as remedies to help relax the muscles if they are too tight. These remedies include:

• Physical therapy
• Bladder training
• Limiting foods that can cause frequent urination such as coffee, tea, and carbonated drinks
• Exercises to strengthen the muscles

Exercises

Kegels

You may initially think that Kegels are only reserved for women, but Kegels are for both genders. This exercise helps to activate your pelvic floor muscles and will help train your body to activate them quickly to help prevent leakage during laughing or sneezing.

1. Lie on the floor, bending your knees and placing your feet flat on the floor.
2. Find your pelvic floor muscles.
3. Exhale, contracting your muscles as though you are trying to stop the flow of urine.
4. Hold for five seconds, and then release. Rest for a count of five.
5. Repeat ten times. Do two to three sets.

During this exercise, breathe evenly. Once you've identified the right muscles, you can progress to doing this exercise standing up or sitting. As you get stronger, work to hold for longer as well.

Heel Slides

Heel slides help to encourage these muscles to contract whilst targeting the deep abdominal muscles.

1. Lie on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat.
2. Activating your pelvic floor and core muscles, slide your right heel away from you as far as you can with your pelvic floor and core activated.
3. Once you have gone as far as your heel can, inhale and bring your heel back to the starting position.
4. Do ten repeats on the same side before switching to the next leg.

A Tight Pelvic Floor

Whilst a weak pelvic floor can affect your health, a tight pelvic floor can also cause a range of symptoms including:

• Pain
• Difficult urinating and passing bowel movements
• Sexual dysfunction
• Painful intercourse

Remedies for an Overly Tight Pelvic Floor

Remedies to help gently relax these muscles include:

• Yoga
• Taking baths
• Conventional medications

Exercises

Happy Baby

Happy baby is a yoga pose that can help gently stretch and relax these muscles.

1. Lie on the floor on your back.
2. Lift your legs with your knees bent towards your shoulders at 90 degrees with the soles of your feet facing the sky.
3. Lift your arms and grab onto your feet.
4. Open your knees until they are just wider than your trunk, then bring up your feet towards your armpits. Your ankles should be over your knees.
5. Flex your feet and push into your hands.
6. Hold this pose for a couple of breaths focusing on relaxing into the pose, and if you are feeling comfortable, gently rock from side to side.

Diaphragmatic Breathing

The diaphragm is a membrane just below your lungs and is involved in deep breathing. This exercise is not only a great exercise to relieve stress but it also helps to strengthen the relationship between the diaphragm and the pelvis.

1. Lie flat on your back or sit up straight.
2. Breathe in through the mouth and out through the nose until you feel the tension of the day releasing from your body.
3. Once you feel relaxed, place one hand on your chest, and the other on your stomach.
4. Inhale for four seconds through your nose and feel your stomach expand and exhale slowly. Your chest should remain relatively still. You can inhale for a longer count if it is more comfortable for you.
5. Repeat several times.

Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS) and Pelvic Floor Problems

Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS) is a group of symptoms that individuals can experience as a result of chronic stress. Your body can handle short-term stress through the adrenal glands and the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response system. The NEM system consists of six circuits composed of related organs. The circuits help to support your body through stress.

In long-term stress, the stress hormones that your adrenal glands release can become depleted, and imbalances in the NEM system can occur. This causes a range of symptoms including changes in mental health, sleep, hormones, and weight.

Weight gain can cause your pelvic floor to weaken. If you are a female, changes in the reproductive hormones - specifically low estrogen - can also weaken it. AFS can also cause these muscles to become tight. A symptom of AFS is irritable bowel syndrome which can cause constipation. Long-term constipation and pushing too hard for bowel movements can also cause the pelvic floor to tighten.

If you are currently experiencing AFS, talk to your healthcare provider for a plan to will help support your body in your healing journey.

If you are considering practicing exercises to either relax or strengthen your pelvic floor, seeking professional guidance can help in determining whether your pelvic floor is tight or weak and which exercises will help to support your body best.

Conclusion

The pelvic floor is important in ensuring reproductive, muscular, and bowel health. If it is weak or tight, it can cause a range of symptoms and can negatively affect your health. Focusing on either relaxing or strengthening these muscles can help to enhance your health and provide relief if you are experiencing symptoms of a weak or tight pelvic floor.

If you are currently concerned about the health of these muscles, you can call the Dr. Lam team at +1 (626) 571-1234 for a free initial consultation or click here.