Do you have one or more of these symptoms?
- - Needing to get to the toilet quickly or not making it there
in time
- -
Constant need of going to the toilet (For most people ,
normal frequency is about 6-7 times in 24 hours)
- -
Feeling of
bulging heaviness in the vagina (pulling , dragging or dropping)
- -
Difficulty to achieve orgasm
- -
Painful intercourse
- -
Lower back pain
If
you do, it’s most likely you have PFD (Pelvic Floor Dysfunction).
What in the world?
PFD
is any kind of impairment in the pelvic floor area including when pelvic floor
muscles (also called the 'Love Muscles' for women) are stretched , weakened, or too tight (yes this happens when your
muscles are too tensed and not knowing how to relax them)
Now
if all these sounds like alien language to you, you’re missing out on one of
the most interesting and hardworking muscle group we ladies have.
The pelvic floor muscles take up huge
responsibilities in our important life experiences through womanhood including
sexual intimacy, physical activities, pregnancy, childbirth, menopause and
old age.
Taking care of our pelvic floor muscles is essential to make each of
these experiences enjoyable and less daunting.
The
fitness of your pelvic floor muscle can be affected by :
- ·
Physical activities such as sports, working out at the gym ,
heavy lifting
- ·
Chronic cough or sneezing
- ·
Pregnancy and childbirth
- ·
Inactivity (not doing regular pelvic floor squeezes)
- ·
Hormonal changes during menopause
- ·
History of back pain or genetically weak pelvic floor
- ·
Being overweight or obese
- ·
Ongoing constipation
- ·
Injury or surgery at pelvic region
The pelvic floor muscles are the group of muscles attached to the front back and sides of the pelvic bone and sacrum like a hammock to support the pelvic organs such as bladder, uterus and rectum. These muscles also surround your urethra rectum and vagina.
There
are two distinct muscle fiber types within the pelvic floor muscle group ;
slow-twitch and fast-twitch. Slow-twitch fibers are suited for prolonged activity
and fatigued more slowly, helping to support our pelvic organs in place.
When
the slow twitch muscles are worked , they help maintain daily healthy tone as
we age or undergo stresses like pregnancy, childbirth, heavy lifting and
hormonal and weight changes. Fast twitch muscles are required to respond
quickly with force to contract when we laugh, cough, sneeze or jump.
It
is important that we work both these muscle fibers using repetitive contracting
and relaxing of our pelvic floor muscles (Kegel exercises). To work slow-twitch muscles, contract
and relax with 5 second intervals up to 4 minutes. For slow-twitch muscles,
contract and relax with 2 second intervals for 1 minute. Both interval workouts
should amount up to 5 minutes which is the recommended time to squeeze your
pelvic floor muscle per session, 2 -3 sessions daily.
Training
your pelvic floor muscles will increase the strength and endurance in the
muscle fibers. As gains are made, resistance in exercise is vital to help tone your muscle,
tighten your vagina as well as give you more powerful contractions.
Just
imagine yourself with a renewed vagina that’s more toned, stronger and tighter.
It will definitely improve aspects of your life.
For
girls going through puberty, it is often the beginning of their involvement in
competitive sports such as ballet , gymnastics, cheerleading, tennis or athlete
related activities. These sports will add strain and pressure on our pelvic
floor muscles. Athletic women who are prone to having weak pelvic floor muscles
might encounter urine leakage (urinary incontinence) which may post a barrier
and demotivate them from their passion in physical activity.
Not if we can help it!
Urinary
leakage is one of the most hindering and embarrassing condition a woman might
have in her lifetime. The only way to prevent or cure incontinence is through
understanding and practicing pelvic floor exercises. Many women shy behind the
condition or are not aware of their bodily changes throughout womanhood. Having
healthier pelvic floor muscles help your bladder stay closed, actively squeezing
when you cough or sneeze to help avoid leaking. Pelvic floor education is key
to help women of all ages have an opportunity to get to know this essential
muscle.
Stop neglecting your inner health
As
we enter adulthood, sexual health plays an importance in our emotional and
physical satisfaction with ourselves and our partner. Ensuring that your sex
life is fulfilling and exciting will play a significant role in renewing the
intimacy in your relationship. Weak, flabby or tensed pelvic floor muscles
around the vaginal area will affect you and your partner during sexual
intercourse due to either difficulty/inability to achieve orgasms or painful
intercourse. Vaginal tone, lubrication, sensation and response are important
sexual functions and come as a package when we learn how to do regular pelvic
floor exercise correctly.
Turn this...
There has been
a lot of anecdotal evidence that increased blood flow to this region through
exercise creates extra lubrication by causing secretions to seep through the
walls of the vagina. This helps to prevent discomfort and pain during sexual
activity. Good blood circulation will also increase sexual arousal and
sensitivity.
Additionally,
toned pelvic floor muscles respond to stimulation by contracting firmly on your
partner. This, coupled with heightened sexual sensitivity, increases the
frequency of your orgasms.
...Into this !
As
we embrace the stage of pregnancy, this brings into focus the importance of our
pelvic floor muscles. Just imagine the weight of an infant (or two if you’re
lucky!) pushing down onto your pelvic floor muscles, stretching and expanding
to compensate the growing infant in your body. Having healthy and strong pelvic
floor muscles may help lessen the need to go to the bathroom frequently as well
as prevent urine leakage when you cough, sneeze or laugh.
Traumatic stresses on the pelvic floor increases with natural childbirth when the baby pass through the pelvic floor during delivery. Your muscles have to be stretched apart enough to accommodate the infant’s head, body and shoulders. Initial stresses of pregnancy and childbirth on pelvic floor muscles commonly become the starting point to a lifelong of symptoms attributed to weak pelvic floor muscles. Regardless of natural birth or caesarean , you should seriously consider doing your pelvic floor exercise before , during (per doctor's advice of sexual intercourse during pregnancy) and after pregnancy to rehabilitate and restore the vibrance of these delicate muscles.
As
we become older , going through menopause is inevitable. At this stage,
decrease in estrogen levels and hormonal changes may be uncomfortable and
daunting. High risks of urinary incontinence or urgency, pelvic organ prolapse
and sexual discomfort at this stage prompts women to exercise their pelvic
floor muscles to increase blood supply to muscles, keeping them toned and
muscle fibers strong to help in support. At this prime age, modern women are
more likely to be drawn to enjoy life with family members, make travel plans
and be involved with social events. Having a weak pelvic floor will only be
disruptive and cut back on your quality of life.
Health gifts you more time with loved ones
Rising statistics of urinary incontinence , organ prolapse and sexual dysfunction has brought about the need to bring pelvic floor health into the limelight. This knowledge should be taken seriously as it can help prevent additional trauma to females around you. With enough awareness and education, more and more women can reap the benefits by having healthy pelvic floor muscles.
Why wait?Start today!
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