by admin | Oct 12, 2021 | Uncategorized
For anyone who has ever experienced an embarrassing leak, no doubt you’ll have heard about pelvic floor exercises – ‘squeezing’ the pelvic floor muscles to contract them. And when I talk of embarrassing leaks, I mean the ones that happen when we sneeze, cough, jump, and the like.
Performing pelvic floor exercises can improve symptoms and as such can reduce symptoms. However, for some, pelvic floor exercises alone are not effective and may even exacerbate the problem. It doesn’t mean that there is no hope it just means that a different approach is needed and its one that will benefit everyone on a lifelong basis.
Why Pelvic Floor Strengthening isn’t for everyone
Generally, it’s assumed that leaks are due to a lack of strength. But did you know a muscles strength can be reduced by when a muscle becomes either overactive or underactive?
Underactive pelvic floor muscles are unable to contract sufficiently to perform their supporting role, whilst overactive pelvic floor muscles are unable to relax or have the capacity to co-ordinate contraction of the muscles i.e. they contract when needing to relax and vice versa. An optimally working muscles needs the capacity to work and rest.
Pelvic Floor Exercises can be very beneficial in creating more support in underactive pelvic floor muscles. Progressively working the muscles can lead to increase strength, like you might gradually increase the weights in the gym.
However, an overactive muscle is already doing far more than it needs to. It’s like trying to do a bicep curl when the elbow is already a bent as it can go. Doing exercises from this position gets really tiring, really quickly. So, to do more is most likely goingto be of no benefit or make things worse.
Be in it for the long haul
If you’ve benefited from doing pelvic floor exercises, that’s great but you may need to consider that:
1. You’ll need to keep doing them indefinitely. The adage ‘use it or lose it’ most definitely applies here.
2. Our bodies change as we approach different life stages such as the menopause which may have an impact on the increase the amount of kegels you do to experience the same benefits.
Why pelvic floor exercises are only part of the picture
The pelvic floor muscles perform their job in synergy with the other ‘core’ muscles. The pelvic floor should be a mirror image of the respiratory diaphragm. Addressing the how we are breathing can have a big impact on the improvement of pelvic floor function.
Did you know that your big toes are directly connected to your pelvic floor. So, how the feet work will impact how well the pelvic floor works. Bunions anyone? This is just one example of how other areas of the body impact on the pelvic floor. How our body’s ‘stack up’ can have an impact on resolving pelvic floor ‘weakness’.
Strategies that we’ve developed to use our ‘Core’ during life, movement and exercises have an impact on our pelvic floor. Bulging, bracing and bearing down into our abdomens are very common ways we engage our core that increase pressure downwards. Pelvic floor muscles will add some support back in but nowhere near as much as your body will use the habits its learnt.
The Pelvic floor doesn’t work in isolation or just rely on the strength of its own muscles. Pelvic Floor exercises train the muscles in isolation. In a nutshell you are training them to work on demand under consciously control. We need pelvic floor muscles to work when we need them, for instance when we cough or sneeze. Movements, such as Squats, that integrate the pelvic floor are far more effective at working the muscles than doing them in isolation.
In essence pelvic floor exercises do have their place for some but to truly reduce or resolve symptoms of pelvic floor weakness we need to look at the whole body as the whole body and integrate it’s activity on a daily basis through our movements. To do that we need identify the areas that may be contributing to the symptoms i.e. create more facilitative breathing patterns, core engagement strategies and alignment. We need to identify our movement blind spots (i.e. learn our bad habits to keep an eye on them), introduce more movement in some areas and create strength and more supportive movement patterns in others.
Are you ready?
Our ‘Do More 4 Your Core’ Programme has been created to help you achieve optimum core support, reduce aches and pains, help you move better, and stop you worrying every time you feel a sneeze coming on!
The next course starts on Thursday 4th of November. Only 6 spaces available. Book now to secure your spot.
To learn more about the courses I run, or to simply ask a question, feel free to email me at info@ormskirkpilates.co.uk.
by admin | Oct 12, 2016 | Uncategorized
It’s getting to that time of the year again. The mornings aren’t as bright, evenings are drawing in, the days are getting shorter and winter is on its way. Some days you might only see the daylight through the office window, or for an hour at lunchtime. Apart from being a little bit depressing, (more…)
by admin | May 25, 2016 | Uncategorized
I have a confession. I’m obsessed with your buttocks. More specifically the muscles of your buttocks, which are known as your Glutes. It’s all for the best reasons, you understand. It’s just that they are so important to supporting your body and being pain free.
The glutes comprise of 3 muscles the Maximus, Medius and Minimus. The glutes connect with the muscles of the lower back and leg. For example, if you activate your glute you will also be activating the muscle that support the spine on the same side. Movements created by the glutes include rotating the thigh at the hip and taking the leg out to the side and behind the body. They are also responsible for keeping the pelvis level (stable) when standing on one leg and walking.
Despite their importance in our movement the glutes are very susceptible to becoming limited in the jobs they do (inhibited). Factors such and prolonged periods of sitting and postural adaptations cause changes in the length of the muscles which inhibit their ability to work. For example, when sitting for prolonged periods the hip flexors (opposite muscles to the glutes) become shortened and stiff, which inhibits the glutes from working effectively. So, when in a standing position, if the glutes are inhibited the muscles of the back of the leg and lower leg have to compensate to maintain an upright position, which could cause other joint problems and the knee and shoulder. A posture that puts the hips forward of the feet also ‘de-activate’ the glutes and narrows the space in the lower back causing irritation on the joints and potential discomfort.
In Modern Pilates we focus on engagement of the glutes in different postures to ensure that they are active when required and able to support our movement, without causing compensations and irritation to surrounding muscles and boney structures.
by admin | Apr 27, 2016 | Uncategorized
I picked up this little gem on a workshop at the weekend and I’ve been using it in class all week. It’s a fabulous little tool to check you are in the best alignment for spine health.
In optimal alignment the ribs should sit directly above the pelvis. But in our modern lifestyles the muscles of our chest, shoulders and arms have become tight and restrict our range of movement. As our bodies need to maintain an upright position it adjusts by lifting our ribs forwards in front of our hips.
In the photo on the left, with the use of the mirror, compared to the picture on the right you can see the mid-back (where the bra strap/heart rate monitor would be) is not against the wall. Try it yourself. Stand a couple of inches from a wall, place your thigh bones toward the wall, letting your tailbone relax. Then bring your shoulders, arms, and back of the head against the wall. There should be a small space underneath your waist where your low back naturally curves in, but your middle back (the ribs/bra strap/heart rate monitor area) should also be touching the wall. When the alignment is correct, as in the picture on the right, if all the dots were joined on both sides it would give a square shape.
The increased distance between the hips and ribs stretches some of the front ‘core’ muscles, causing them to become lengthened and weaker, whilst the muscles at the back of the body become shortened and weakened. The shorter muscles of the spine reduce the space between the discs and can increase the rate of their degeneration.
So, to keep you ‘core’ strong and balanced keep square aware.
by admin | Mar 9, 2016 | Uncategorized
I shouldn’t just blame your phone, there are so many reasons why we start to develop a forward head posture or ‘chin poke’. Driving, long term computer use, need to wear glasses or using bi-focals or vari-focals. Our modern lifestyle is very forward facing and tends to draw us with it.
Our heads weight 10-12lbs, for every inch the head comes forward of the spine it can increase the weight of the head on the spine by a further 10lbs.
A forward head posture is when the head is help forwards of the posture line. It would look like a person’s ears are in front of their shoulders. This can have the effect of disrupting the balance of the muscles that support the head on top of the neck.
Specifically the muscles at the font of the neck become lengthened and less supportive, whilst the muscles at the back become shortened and overworked. Imagine your head and neck like a mast being supported by wires (the muscles). If some of the wires become slack then the other wires will have to work harder to keep the mast upright.
This disruption can cause changes in the space between the bones on the neck (vertebra) reducing the range of movement – noticed you can’t see you’re your blind spot as easily recently? – and increasing risk to wear and tear. It also increases our risk to injury. For example, when subjected to a force a muscle that is ‘tight’ doesn’t have the elasticity it needs to respond to that force. Therefore, it is more likely to become damaged.
So, how can we help correct a head forward posture?
- Stop lifting your chin. Imagine that your chin is resting on the shelf. To stand tall feel like you’re lengthening up the back of your neck, like a piece of string pulling the crown of your head to the ceiling.
- When using mobile devices e.g. texting on your phone, bring the device to eyeline rather than your eyeline down to the device.
- Adjust your computer monitor so that the centre of the screen is directly in your eyeline.
- Use the exercise below to start to rebalance the muscles of the neck.
by admin | Feb 23, 2016 | Uncategorized
Did you know that your skeleton is 1/10th of your body mass and 10% of your bone is renewed each year. Our bone mass peaks between the ages of 20 and 40 years and from the ages of 30-35 years there is an average decrease of 1% in done density per year. This can be accelerated up to 6% decrease in bone mass for females post menopause due to the more significant changes in hormone levels.
I’m sure we’re all aware that I’m hinting at Osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is defined as being below -2.5, when measure on a DEXA machine. The term Osteopenia is also give to someone whose bone density is slightly below average but not at osteopenic levels (-1 to -2.5 DEXA). The loss of bone density in itself is not painful. However, the fractures that occur because of it are and the resulting change in body shape due to the healing process of the fractures can impact on breathing, digestion and movement. Unfortunately, we only find out there may be an issue once and incident has occurred. One the positive side, it’s never too late to start addressing you’re bone health. Loss of bone density can be significantly slowed through modification of lifestyle, nutrition and increase in or change in activity types and levels.
National Guidelines from UK and World authorities vary slightly but agree on taking a minimum of 150 minutes per week of regular moderate to vigorous intensity aerobic exercise. Most importantly the Department of Health indicate that there should be 2 days per week of strength conditioning and balance. The benefits of these activities help prevent falls and the associated fractures that could result from falling. Weight bearing exercises also encourage the bones to strengthen and the muscles to support the skeleton better. It also encourages better and confidence in movement patterns i.e. reduced risk to tripping ad better support if there is a loss of balance.
The best news if that if you’re attending a Modern Pilates session at Ormkirk Pilates you are meeting the recommendations for preventing or reducing the impact of reduce bone density. The standing, balancing and arm loading work we do are weight bearing exercises and they develop your movement patterns. We strengthen the supporting muscles of the spine, reduce the weight of the head on the spine and learn to move to give maximum support to it in our movement.
If you have been told that you have osteopenia or osteoporosis and would like to support your body more or you don’t know but would like to prevent it from occurring and want more information drop me a line at info@ormskirkpilates.co.uk
Recent Comments