By Gloria Kolb, Co-founder & CEO – Elitone
As summer continues to push forward, so do outdoor activities with friends, kids, and family. With the excitement surrounding summer activities, it’s easy to forget the most important support system: our pelvic floor.
Often sidelined in discussions of fitness and health, pelvic floor muscles play a vital role in maintaining urinary continence, supporting core stability, and even enhancing sexual health. Yet pelvic floor health remains a taboo subject for many, contributing to widespread misinformation and women often neglecting their own health.
Understanding the importance of pelvic floor strength is foundational to fostering overall well-being. Neglecting pelvic floor health can lead to a range of issues, from incontinence to chronic pelvic pain and even pelvic organ prolapse.
This summer, as we embrace outdoor adventures, it’s important to consider how we can strengthen and support these essential muscles.
Understanding your pelvic floor health
The pelvic floor is a criss-crossing network of muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues that form a supportive hammock-like structure between your pubic bone to tailbone. These muscles play a crucial role in supporting and lifting the bladder, bowel, and uterus.
Pelvic floor dysfunction can manifest in various forms, including urinary or fecal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse — when these organs start to fall downward and out — and chronic pelvic pain. Factors such as pregnancy and childbirth, aging, obesity, and high-impact physical activities can weaken these muscles over time, leading to these issues and others that pose significant physical and emotional consequences.
Impact of weak pelvic floor on health and fitness
A weakened pelvic floor can have profound effects on both physical well-being and daily life. Primarily, it increases the risk of urinary and fecal incontinence, which can significantly disrupt daily activities and lead to embarrassment. This condition affects not only older adults but also younger individuals — especially women who have experienced pregnancy and childbirth.
The trauma of giving birth is the leading cause of a weakened pelvic floor. Like all muscles, the pelvic floor needs to be routinely exercised to stay strong. However, since we can’t see these muscles like we can others, it can be difficult to know how to exercise them properly to keep them strong and avoid neglecting them.
Chronic pelvic pain can be another consequence of pelvic floor weakness, often causing discomfort during daily movements and sex. Beyond physical discomfort, poor pelvic floor health can also impact emotional health, contributing to stress, anxiety, and a decreased sense of well-being.
Long-term neglect of the pelvic floor may lead to more serious complications such as pelvic organ prolapse, where organs like the bladder or uterus descend. Additionally, frequent urinary tract infections can occur due to inadequate pelvic floor function, posing further health risks.
Recognizing these potential outcomes underscores the importance of proactive measures to strengthen the pelvic floor. By incorporating targeted exercises and lifestyle adjustments, individuals can mitigate these risks and improve their overall quality of life.
Importance of pelvic floor health during the Summer
During the summer months, outdoor activities such as hiking and various sports place increased demands on the body, highlighting the critical role of a strong pelvic floor. These activities involve movements that require stability, balance, and control — functions directly supported by the pelvic floor muscles.
For instance, hiking on uneven terrain involves core engagement and balance, both of which rely on pelvic floor strength. Similarly, participating in sports like volleyball or tennis requires rapid changes in movement direction, which also depends on a stable pelvic floor for effective support.
Strategies for strengthening your pelvic floor
Strengthening your pelvic floor is essential for maintaining overall health and enhancing quality of life. Fortunately, there are several effective strategies that can help improve pelvic floor strength:
- Pelvic floor exercises: Pelvic floor exercises, such as Kegels, are foundational for strengthening these muscles. To perform Kegels, contract the muscles used to stop urination, hold for a few seconds, and then release. Aim for three sets of 10 repetitions daily. Yoga and Pilates also offer exercises that engage the pelvic floor, improving both strength and flexibility.
- Lifestyle adjustments: Maintaining a balanced diet rich in fiber (fruits, vegetables, whole grains) helps prevent constipation, which can strain the pelvic floor. Staying hydrated supports urinary health, and maintaining a healthy weight reduces the heavy load and strain on the pelvic area.
- Physical activity: Incorporate regular physical activity into your routine to support overall fitness and pelvic floor health. Activities like walking, swimming, or core-strengthening exercises like planks and bridges can contribute to pelvic floor strength.
- Using wearable devices: Wearable pelvic floor strengthening devices can assist in activating the correct muscles and performing pelvic muscle exercises longer and stronger than you can do on your own to sufficiently recover strength to reduce issues.
- Professional guidance: Seeking care from a pelvic floor physical therapist or healthcare provider can provide personalized exercises and strategies tailored to your specific needs. Routine pelvic examinations are also crucial for monitoring pelvic health and addressing any concerns promptly because they can teach which muscles to activate.
Prioritizing pelvic floor health is fundamental for enjoying a vibrant and active lifestyle, especially during summer when outdoor activities are more common. Improving pelvic floor health empowers women to take control of their bodies, reduce the risk of pelvic floor disorders, and maintain a higher quality of life.
By making pelvic health a priority, you can fully participate in and savor the pleasures of summer and beyond with comfort and confidence.
– Gloria Kolb is the CEO and co-founder of Elitone, the first non-invasive, FDA-cleared, wearable treatment for women with urinary incontinence. Elitone’s accolades include winning Best New Product by My Face My Body, Sling Shot 2020, finalist in Women Startup Challenge, and many startup pitch competitions. As an inventor with 30+ patents, Gloria has been featured in Forbes as a Top Scientist Driving Innovation in Women’s Health. Her creative designs and problem-solving abilities have earned her recognition, such as Boston’s “40 Under 40” and MIT Review’s “World’s Top Innovators under 35.” She has Engineering degrees from MIT and Stanford and an Entrepreneurship MBA from Babson College.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
