Pelvic Health and Your Quarantine Workouts with Karla Van Beveren
Over the past few months our regular routines have been shifted drastically, including our exercise regimes. Piecing together new workouts to replace what you once did at the gym or in a group class can go well for awhile… until well, perhaps they don’t anymore. Maybe you haven’t hauled out your skipping rope since middle school or running hasn’t been your choice for years but because of our current circumstances, you find yourself engaging in new and different forms of exercise. And, your pelvic floor is noticing.
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that are part of the inner core that helps anticipate and support your body with movements and loading. Some roles of the pelvic floor are to maintain spinal and pelvic stability, continence and internal organ support.
Pelvic health symptoms can creep into your workout routine for a number of reasons. When load and pressure surpasses that of the pelvic floor’s strength or coordination, symptoms can occur. Symptoms can include leaking urine or feces, heaviness in the vaginal area and can also manifest in low back, pelvic or hip pain. All of these symptoms can be common in female athletes of all ages and abilities.
If you are sitting here reading this thinking “she’s talking about me…” here are some modifiable factors that can help manage these symptoms:
Breathing patterns
Utilizing breath can be a great and quick way to manage symptoms and there are a variety of ways you can breath that could be helpful.
Progressive loading
If you are new to an exercise, it is always a good idea to start low and slow with a gradual increase; this is no different for pelvic floor management.
Try new ways to move within an exercise.
Shift a little this way, or that way! Elevate heels or toes. Hinge at the hips or round your back. Lean forward or lean back. A new way may be your way to lessen your symptoms!
Change speed or tempo.
Altering the speed at which you do an exercise can allow for a different experience in symptoms.
Watch for fatigue and alter work/rest ratios.
Pelvic floor muscles, just like any muscle, can experience fatigue which can lead to symptoms. Changing reps and sets with adequate rest in between intervals could help.
Completely stopping your exercise is rarely the answer in solving your specific problem. Getting in touch with a pelvic health physiotherapist can help you find ways to maintain your exercise while engaging strategies to minimize your symptoms.
As you can see from above, there are quite a few variables that can be assessed during a pelvic health session even without a traditional internal exam. Virtual pelvic health physiotherapy appointments are available at Press Play Physiotherapy and Pilates! If you have questions and would like help in managing your symptoms, email Karla at karlavanbevPT@gmail.com to set up a consultation.
Stay safe and stay active everyone and we can’t wait to see you in real life soon!