{"id":2301,"date":"2018-11-06T06:37:31","date_gmt":"2018-11-06T06:37:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsjennaj.com\/?p=2301"},"modified":"2023-01-15T20:09:32","modified_gmt":"2023-01-15T20:09:32","slug":"everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-your-pelvic-floor-but-were-too-afraid-to-ask","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsjennaj.com\/index.php\/2018\/11\/06\/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-your-pelvic-floor-but-were-too-afraid-to-ask\/","title":{"rendered":"Does Working Out Make You Pee? Pelvic Floor PT To The Rescue!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In my experience, the pelvic floor has always been a sort of mythical unicorn, especially when it comes to yoga and fitness.<\/b><\/h2>\n

I’ve had countless yoga teachers tell me to engage my pelvic floor, without really explaining how or why. In yoga teacher training we gloss over the idea of mula bandha (aka pelvic floor lock), but it’s admittedly something that I never got a full grasp on. Maybe you’ve experienced an OB\/GYN or some magazine article telling you to do kegels, but rarely do these articles tell you how. As if we’re all just supposed to magically and intuitively know how to do a kegel. It’s not like this is a super comfortable topic to discuss at a family dinner (or in a blog post for that matter).<\/span><\/p>\n

Don’t even get me started on the amount of students and clients I’ve had who: <\/b><\/h4>\n
A. Have resigned themselves to the fact that now that they’ve had kids, they can no longer jump or lift heavy weights because it makes them pee their pants.<\/b><\/h5>\n
B. Are struggling with issues like diastasis recti (abdominal separation) and can’t seem to find good answers.<\/b><\/h5>\n
C. Have absolutely NO clue what sort of exercise is appropriate for them during and post-pregnancy. They either unknowingly do something that causes harm, or are so afraid that they do nothing at all.<\/b><\/h5>\n

Then there are people like me. Never had a baby, and kind of freaked out about the things I’ve heard floating around the internet in regards to all of these topics.<\/span><\/p>\n

Oh, and TMI alert: sometimes when I do a lot of jumping or cough really hard, I pee a little too. <\/b><\/h5>\n

WTF? This isn’t supposed to happen to me. I don’t have kids. I work in the fitness industry. I should have a super strong core AND pelvic floor right? It’s not necessarily that simple. And thanks to the Instagram story of a colleague, I discovered that there are actually some very well respected pelvic floor physical therapists that specialize in working with people on issues just like this. The best part: there happen to be some really great ones in Chicago where I live!<\/span><\/p>\n

Not only was I able to get some solutions for myself in just one visit, but pelvic floor PT<\/span> Sarah Haag of Entropy Physiotherapy & Wellness<\/span><\/a> agreed to an interview that answers all the most common questions about pelvic floor health. If you take one thing from this article, it’s this. When it comes to all things related to pelvic floor dysfunction, especially urinary incontinence:<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s very common but NOT normal.<\/i><\/b><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n

Sarah and I took some time to go over some of the most common questions I’ve heard\/wondered about the pelvic floor. If you\u2019re looking for some answers too, check out our Q&A! <\/span><\/p>\n

Q: Why is pelvic floor health important even if I don’t have kids or plan on it?<\/b><\/h6>\n

A: <\/span>Most of us use our pelvic floor every day and don’t even know it. It helps us with maintaining posture, continence, sexual function, and bowel function. Your pelvic floor is just another muscle, but most of us don’t even know what’s normal, and some don’t even know that it’s there. \u00a0It should be able to contract and relax and we should be able to coordinate it so it can do its job, which is keep us continent, among other things.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Q: I sometimes pee when I do things like jumping, lifting, coughing, or laughing. Why?<\/b><\/h6>\n

A.<\/span> Incontinence is a huge thing. If you’re experiencing it, that’s a sign that there’s something imbalanced down below, and it might be a pelvic floor issue. Either too weak, too tight, or a coordination issue. It’s not necessarily as simple as just doing kegels. Some people are plenty strong. They’re having trouble with that coordination. There’s even a degree of it that’s normalized for elite athletes. Stress incontinence happens when there is an increase in intra-abdominal pressure. The urethra moving too much can also contribute to stress urinary incontinence.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Q: How do I even go about finding a pelvic floor physical therapist?<\/b><\/h6>\n

A: <\/span>You can start by going to <\/span><\/i>APTA.org<\/span><\/i><\/a>, and search by location and specialty. If you can find someone in your area that’s good, but not everyone is gonna be a perfect fit. Whatever therapist a person ends up with is one that’s helping them meet their goals. If stuff isn’t changing in 3-5 visits, there needs to be an honest conversation. Physical therapy shouldn’t suck. It shouldn’t hurt more, and shouldn’t make you feel bad. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Q: There are no pelvic floor physical therapists in my area? What can I do?<\/b><\/h6>\n

A: <\/span>\u00a0It depends on what state you live in. We’re happy to talk and do online consultations–it\u2019s not physical therapy, more just education. Maybe recommend what kind of doctors you should see. You can earn a lot, try some things, and if it makes the changes you want, awesome. If not we can help with referrals too. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Q: How can I be sure I’m getting solid advice from my doctor? Mine tells me it’s just part of being a woman and to do kegels.<\/b><\/h6>\n

A: <\/span>When it comes to pelvic floor stuff: incontinence, pain with intercourse, even a lot of bowel issues, all of those are things that pelvic floor PT might be able to help with. And so if you bring it up with your doctor (and I do think that you should), unfortunately there are still some doctors who are like \u201cEh, it\u2019s part of being a woman, just do kegels.\u201d When you’re in the fitness world, there are some things you do in a particular way for a reason to get certain body parts to work. And doing kegels sounds great, but a lot of people do them wrong. Really sitting down and trying to figure out: is your pelvic floor strong or weak? Or is it uncoordinated?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Wanna take a break and learn more about pelvic floor exercises with Sarah? Check out this video!<\/h2>\n