Weak pelvic floor? Introducing an easy no-Kegels way to help
Beginner Yoga • Yoga • Yoga Pose • Yoga Therapy
September 27, 2024
You know the “potty dance”? You sway side to side, squeeze your legs together, and tighten your sphincters for dear life (yes there’s more than one) in hopes nothing comes out until you’re safely over a proper elimination device (a toilet or something of the sort).
I know you’ve done it. We’ve all done it.
But have you ever leaked? 😳
Or have you ever gone potty, thought you were done, only to realize you still had SO MUCH MORE left?
These (and others) can be signs of pelvic floor dysfunction.
Keep reading to learn all about it and one simple thing you can do to improve your pelvic floor health. Don’t like reading? Check out the video for the “how to.”
And if you’ve found yourself doing the potty dance, and have ever wondered, is there a faster and easier way to ‘go,’ then you’ve got to check out Chickfly (the cute outfit in the video pictures below). Chickfly pants have a fly that works for women, so whether you are in the outdoors and want to go with discretion, or need quick and easy access for medical reasons, the built-in fly in Chickfly pants was made for your body.
What is pelvic floor dysfunction, and why is it a nuisance?
The symptoms I don’t want to know about.
Help found: How to do Constructive Rest.
What is pelvic floor dysfunction, and why is it a nuisance?
Pelvic floor dysfunction is when you are unable to properly engage or relax the muscles of your pelvic floor, especially when needed. Both women and men can be affected by pelvic floor dysfunction.
What is a weak pelvic floor?
A weak pelvic floor is a where you are unable to engage the muscles of your pelvic floor properly. This can look like incontinence (an inability to hold in your pee or poop), or even prolapse (when part of your bladder, uterus, or rectum exits the body). It can be as simple as you cough, jump, or sneeze and you “leak” a little. Or it can be as extreme as you go to the bathroom to find part of your insides – outside.
Can your pelvic floor be too strong?
Yes and no. You want your pelvic floor to be strong enough to keep your insides – well – inside. But if your pelvic floor is too tight and unable to relax this can lead to its own set of problems, and sometimes the symptoms can manifest the same as a weak pelvic floor.
Imagine your pelvic floor is an iron gate holding everything in and not letting anything out, but when you want to let it out (pee or poop) you struggle to open the heavy gate.
Another scenario, your pelvic floor is like your arm doing a biceps curl with a 20lb weight. You engage the muscle to hold the weight and you hold it, and hold it, and hold it…. Until your muscle gets tired and you lower, or straight up drop, the weight to the floor.
Now take your never-relaxed over-exerted pelvic floor, see how you might “leak” if you cough, jump, or sneeze?
The Symptoms I Don’t Want To Know About.
Weak pelvic floor symptoms for males and females:
The list is numerous but some symptoms of a weak pelvic floor include:
- Urinary incontinence
- Fecal incontinence
- Bladder prolapse
- Rectal prolapse
- Pelvic pain
- Hip pain
- Leaking
Weak pelvic floor symptoms unique to females:
- Uterine prolapse
Other pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms:
These can stem from an overly tight pelvic floor or one unable to relax, though they can also share the same symptoms of a weak pelvic floor.
- Constipation
- Inability to fully empty the bladder
- Difficulty going pee or poop
How I got here: Causes
Causes of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction for males and females:
The causes of pelvic floor dysfunction are plentiful, and for some there may not be one specific cause. It’s important to work with a physical therapist (or even psycho therapist) to help overcome any of the below issues as well as to uncover an issue that may not be listed below.
- Muscle weakness (hypotonia)
- Injury
- Trauma
Causes of pelvic floor dysfunction in males
- Enlarged prostate
Causes of pelvic floor dysfunction in females
- Pregnancy/Childbirth
1 min Anxiety Relief
Sign up for my newsletter and get my 1 min checklist to reduce stress, anxiety, and pain + guided audio.
Privacy is important. I won’t sell your info. I promise.
Help Found: How to do Constructive Rest
The most underappreciated exercise your PT can give you: Constructive Rest. But why don’t you do it? Chances are if you were given constructive rest as PT homework you dismissed it as “useless,” but in reality there’s a lot to be gained.
Why you need constructive rest:
- It gives your pelvic floor a break from holding up your insides all day every day
- It gives you a few moments to relax and allows your parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system to kick in
Tips for a successful constructive rest:
- Try it while in front of your favorite show (but not a stressful one) or listen to music
- Try falling asleep in the No Equipment version
- Use this time to do mindful diaphragmatic breathing
- Improve your overall well being, do a yoga nidra while in constructive rest
- If you think you might fall asleep and have things to do later, set a gentle alarm to wake you up
- Put your phone and other distractions away
Put your feet up…
Because you deserve it! This is the traditional form of constructive rest pose, but if it’s not available to you for any reason, don’t worry there are 2 more options below.
Set up: You need something to put your feet up on. This can look like a chair, your bed, the arm rest on your couch, or even bent knees with your feet on the wall (check out the video). The idea is to have your thighs close to perpendicular to the ground, and your hamstrings relaxed.
The instructions below are for the traditional constructive rest where you lay on the floor with the knees stacked over the hips with the lower legs supported. If you choose to place your feet on a wall or don’t like the feeling of your knees over your hips feel free to modify it to fit your desires. Instead of laying on the floor, you can also do constructive rest on a bed, couch, or other raised surface. Again, modify the pose to meet your surroundings.
How to:
- Lay on your back close to your prop (chair or bed)
- Place your lower legs on your prop hip distance or slightly wider apart
- Wiggle, move, and adjust yourself into the position (watch the video for best practices to get into the position)
- If you would like – tuck your tailbone under to lengthen the lower back
- Allow your shoulders to move away from your ears
- Tuck your chin a little to lengthen the back of your neck
- Close or lower your eyes
- Palms face up alongside your body, or hands on your belly, or one hand on your belly and the other on your chest
- Focus on your breath
- Enjoy
No equipment
Sometimes you don’t want to put your legs up, or don’t have the equipment to. If you find yourself in that situation here’s a simple option.
How to:
- Start on your back
- Bend your knees
- Place your feet on the floor about hip distance (or slightly wider apart) a comfortable distance away from your hips
- Allow your knees to touch and support one another
- If you would like – tuck your tailbone under to lengthen the lower back
- Allow your shoulders to move away from your ears
- Tuck your chin a little to lengthen the back of your neck
- Close or lower your eyes
- Palms face up alongside your body, or hands on your belly, or one hand on your belly and the other on your chest
- Focus on your breath
- Enjoy
Reclined
If you can’t lay flat on your back for any reason, or don’t want to, give this option a try.
How to:
- Create a ramp with pillows, a bolster, or other soft yet supportive items you have
- Laydown on the pillow ramp you created
- Bend your knees
- Place your feet on the floor about hip distance (or slightly wider apart) a comfortable distance away from your hips
- Allow your knees to touch and support one another
- If you would like – tuck your tailbone under to lengthen the lower back
- Allow your shoulders to move away from your ears
- Tuck your chin a little to lengthen the back of your neck
- Close or lower your eyes
- Palms face up alongside your body, or hands on your belly, or one hand on your belly and the other on your chest
- Focus on your breath
- Enjoy
Options for all
Constructive rest doesn’t have to feel like a yoga pose. You can do anything you would like to make it more lush. These are my fave go-tos when I do constructive rest:
- Place a rolled blanket/towel under the neck
- Place a small pillow under your head
- Wrap your legs with a blanket or yoga belt to create support
- Cover yourself with a blanket for warmth
- Use a weighted blanket (or sandbags) to create a sense of grounding
- Wear an eye mask to encourage relaxation
- Use essential oils you enjoy
1 min Anxiety Relief
Sign up for my newsletter and get my 1 min checklist to reduce stress, anxiety, and pain + guided audio.
Privacy is important. I won’t sell your info. I promise.
Daily constructive rest = Potty dance no more! Probably not. Chances are you will find yourself in a situation where there isn’t a proper elimination device at the moment you need it, but hopefully, there won’t be any more leaking 😉. And if you love being out in nature be sure to check out Chickfly, who generously gifted me this buttery soft onesie that makes going on the fly easy and convenient, even if I’m wearing a sweater on top.