There’s a muscle group most women (and some men) don’t talk about much… and that’s our pelvic floor. But we should think about it because it’s the group of muscles that support our pelvic organs like the bladder, vagina and rectum. It’s extremely important to your overall health and affects functions like bladder and bowel control and even sex. And contrary to what many people think, these functions don’t have to decline as we age.
So please read on because the information you’re about to see may help you preserve and even improve this important group of muscles that directly affect your quality of life.
Pelvic Floor Muscle Tips
- Keep your weight in check. If you don’t maintain a proper diet and exercise regimen for your heart health, at least do it for your bladder and bowel functions and your sex life! Extra weight negatively affects the way these muscles work.
- Work on your core – doing daily exercises to strengthen your core will directly affect your pelvic floor muscles. Kegal exercises and other core-strengthening training will go far.
- If a doctor has determined that you have weak pelvic floor muscles, pelvic floor therapists can help. That’s right…just like a trainer at the gym can help whip your body into shape, a qualified, pelvic floor therapist can assist you in strengthening those important muscles.
Women aren’t the only ones affected by bladder, bowel and sexual problems. Research shows that as men age, they can experience similar problems.
The important message to stress is to act NOW. Prevention is better than cure. If 50 is now the new 40, it’s because we’re constantly being bombarded with health awareness and exercise information. Let’s apply that concept to our pelvic floor as well.
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