I peed my pants……..regularly!
I had stress incontinence.
I thought it was normal.
I thought it was another thing we had to put up with as a woman.
I had no idea that it was related to my postural habits and breathing mechanics.
I was a classic open scissors posture - anterior tilt, hyper lordotic, over recruiting the abdominal wall to hold my belly in all of the time and shallow breather. I was highly anxious. My breathing and posture reflected this.
I remember at 20 doing a workout at the gym that involved several plyometric jumps. Each time I landed a little wee would come out. By the end of the workout my underwear was soaked and I was so embarrassed. Thank goodness for black leggings!
So I just stopped doing things that would create leakage. Bouncing on trampolines, running, jumping, even too much dancing. I was worried if I sneezed or coughed, and sometimes even a good belly laugh would catch me off guard.
It was not until I suffered a back injury later on in life that I realised these issues were all because my pelvic floor was too tight! Remember, just because something is tight it does not mean it is strong. In fact often it is the opposite.
Aggressively pulling the belly in meant my pelvic floor was always concentrically contracted and tight. If a muscle is unable to relax and contract fully then this can create issues. In the case of the pelvic floor it can cause issues with your breathing mechanics, core stabilisation, digestion, bladder control, pelvic pain and more.
Other signs of a tight pelvic floor include:-
Bladder urgency and leakage
Difficulty peeing or pooping
Constipation of bloating
Vaginal pain or burning
Pain with penetration
Lower back pain
Tailbone pain
I NOW LOVE JUMPING!
If you have been following my journey you will know that I don’t have to worry about this problem anymore. I can box jump like a boss, run 8km, dance without worrying. I no longer cross my legs to sneeze!
How did I do it?
Learning how to breathe better and relax the pelvic floor with the breath.
Strengthening the muscles around my hips
TWERK IT
The ability to move freely between anterior and posterior tilt as well as adjust your posture is key. If we become rigid and stuck in any posture or position this can be problematic. Sucking the belly in is not helpful and is the opposite of what we need for core stability. It can also put more pressure on the pelvic floor. Prolapse often leads to being stuck in a posterior tilt in an effort to hold everything in. Even in prolapse the pelvic floor can be tight.
Here is a little practice where we explore the anterior and posterior tilt in many of our familiar yoga poses. Notice for yourself where you struggle to move your pelvis or keep the belly soft.
HOW WELL CAN YOU GET UP?
The ability to isolate hip movement from pelvic or spinal movement is important too. As we get older many of us lose the ability to get up and down from the floor with ease. In this practice learn how to become more mobile in the hips so you can get up and down without the use of your hands from a crossed legged position.
For a muscle to contract fully it also has to be able to relax. As the pelvic floor is smooth muscle as well as skeletal muscle, the state of your nervous system plays a role. Take time out to practice restorative yoga or yoga nidra. Check out 14 days of better sleep for more ways to bring relaxation into your day or my latest class Rest to Reset.