It is essential to practice sport on a regular basis to take care of our health, but experts warn that High impact sports can damage the pelvic floor muscles, causing various pathologies that affect us, both in our day to day, and when facing a pregnancy and childbirth.
Today we tell you why it is so important to take care of the pelvic floor (not only during pregnancy, but also before and after it), and what exercises are most recommended to strengthen it.
What is the pelvic floor and why is it so important to take care of it?
The pelvic floor is called set of muscles and ligaments that close the abdominal cavity in its lower part, and support the pelvic organs (bladder, uterus, vagina and rectum) correctly for proper functioning.
A strong and toned pelvic floor will help to correctly control the urinary and anal sphincter, in addition to playing a fundamental role during pregnancy, helping to support the extra weight of the baby, and pushing it through the vagina at the time of delivery.However, and despite its importance, there are many women who have never heard of the pelvic floor, or who don't know about their existence until they get pregnant. This is clear from the "I Study on Intimate Health of the Spanish" conducted by the company Intimina, which states that 31 percent of women do not know what this important part of the anatomy is and what it is for.
Taking care of our pelvic floor, before, during and after pregnancy will help prevent urine leakage, prolapse, back pain, sexual discomfort or dysfunction.
How does the pelvic floor weaken?
We all associate the pregnancy and childbirth to further weakening of the pelvic floor, but there are many other factors that can also contribute to that loss of tonicity. Obesity, chronic constipation, vaginal surgeries, hormonal changes that menopause brings, genetic factors or old age, for example, are some of them.
But there is another factor that can also lead to greater distention of the pelvic floor: Continuous practice of impact sports. However, according to the study conducted by Intimina, 40 percent of women are unaware of this point.
Running, aerobics, tennis, paddle tennis, horse riding, basketball, skiing or weightlifting are exercises that can affect the perineal area, causing loss of urine during your practice (what is known as stress incontinence) and weakening the pelvic muscles.
How to strengthen our pelvic floor?
According to Intima experts, although high impact exercises can affect our pelvic floor, it is not necessary to stop doing them unless recommended by our doctor.
However, and in parallel, it is important to perform Kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor. With just five minutes of these exercises, which we can practice at any time and place, we will help tone the muscles, prevent (or overcome) urinary incontinence and improve sensations during sexual intercourse.
If we are pregnant, this daily exercise routine should be mandatory, since not only will it help us in our day to day improving our physical condition, but it will strengthen our muscles for the time of delivery.
Also the practice of hypopressive abdominal gymnastics, and certain exercises of yoga and pilates They can complement Kegel exercises. And for a more in-depth trainingWe can also use traditional cones, Chinese balls and other therapeutic tools that can also become great allies to strengthen our pelvic floor.
