This pandemic has forced many of us into a more sedentary lifestyle as we spend more and more time at home – and with that, I am finding a lot in common with the complaints that are coming into my office. Most complaints are directly related to the amount of time spent in a seated position. Sitting for too long can weaken a muscle group that I believe are a forgotten support system when it comes to overall health & well-being, this group is the pelvic floor muscles! I look forward to demystifying this muscle group today and educating you on how you can improve your pelvic floor health.
For those who have not heard of this muscle group; the pelvic floor is a plane of muscles that are shaped much like a hammock and span from the tailbone to the pubic bone. Have you ever had the sensation of suddenly having to ‘go to the bathroom?’ – if yes, then you have experienced the pelvic floor muscles at work! The pelvic floor muscles have many functions including balancing pressure, continence, maintaining fluid dynamics and supporting important organs such as your bladder, rectum and uterus.
There are only a handful of structures in our body that run in this direction, and one of them include the diaphragm, located right under our lungs. The diaphragm together with the pelvic floor, work together to maintain a pressure based system that help circulate and drain fluids. It is important to remember that fluid is non-compressible, so when these two muscles lose tensional integrity due to the effects of a sedentary lifestyle they may alter the pressure in your abdomen. Over time, this can result in pressure based issues such as hernias, incontinence and constipation – to name a few!
There are many other ways the pelvic floor can be weakened, not just from a sedentary lifestyle: some ways include poor posture, pregnancy, heavy lifting and of course, not breathing properly or connecting to your pelvic floor! Like I said, the biggest trend I am seeing now is how posture and a sedentary lifestyle is weakening the pelvic floor! Many of us are spending hours hunched over our desk or on the couch and this posture can stiffen the upper back and limit its mobility. This can reduce the ability to breathe properly since the spine must be in alignment for muscles to contact properly. This misalignment may also add extra pressure to the pelvic floor and therefore strain it. Most of us tend to sit with our tailbones tucked under, this shortens the abdominal wall and pelvic floor muscles. Conversely, when you sit with your tailbone extended behind you, this action will stretch them. I invite you to give this exercise a try and notice how these different positions feel on your abdomen and pelvic floor!
The way we sit can create tension or slack through the pelvic floor muscles as seen in the pictures above. Over time, these muscles can build up fibrotic tissue that will resist the lengthening of these muscles. This can affect the fluid that is trying to pass through structures such as the urethra, vagina and anus; and down the line can create issues such as incontinence (aka not being able to hold your urine in). To combat these reactions, because our body prefers balance, it is best to focus on sitting with your shoulders directly over hips. This will help keep these muscles in alignment – I like to refer to this as keeping your plumb line straight!
Focus on being long and strong through out the day! Imagine a string is pulling our head up towards the ceiling. This will engage your core muscles and support you in your work day. Not only that, but it will balance what I like to call the guy wires for the pelvic floor. But let’s be real, many of us are struggling to maintain proper posture throughout the day. A great way to start is with a morning routine, engaging in exercises that help you feel more aligned, have more energy and simply feel better. Depending on where you are in your health journey, this can include going outside for a walk, stretching, meditating while breathing mindfully and/or exercising. Starting the morning off with a simple, but effective habits, has a compounding outcome to how you feel during the day!
Once you have settled into your work day, check in several times and realize how you may be seated. You might notice that your chin might not be in alignment with your pubic bone and this is a good way to monitor where you are in space. When you notice that you might be out of alignment, take a moment to close your eyes, put your hands on both sides of your ribs and breathe all the way up to your upper ribs and down all the way through your pelvic floor muscles. Remember, your head should be over your shoulders and your ribs over your pelvis.
It might be worth taking a couple breaks throughout the day to get out of your seat and either walk around the house and perform a household chore or take a quick walk around the block! This will create the space needed for your pelvic floor and diaphragm to contact. Posture and movement is so important and is always the best place to start!
Experiment with this practice for a couple of weeks and reflect on how you feel. When it comes to implementing any meaningful change in your life, having the right systems to facilitate those behavioural changes is key and I hope this helps. I think it’s important to remember it takes repetition of new behaviour, to create lasting change!
Every pelvic restriction looks different, so it might take manual intervention to restore it. This information is purely educational and for those who need the extra help, please book a massage, osteopathic or acupuncture treatment in the link below.
In Health,
Victoria Fik, M.OMSc
To book an appointment with Victoria, CLICK HERE.
Leave a Reply