High impact sports take their toll on women’s pelvic floor

by Amanda Savage, Pelvic Health Physiotherapist, and trusted advisor to Kegel8

“Looking fit and healthy on the outside, may not mean that you will be problem-free on this inside – something that female Olympians demonstrated when they highlighted their struggles with urinary incontinence, despite being in peak physical health.

“Incontinence is an issue that affects approximately seven million people, with urinary incontinence affecting twice as many women as men. This is because women experience unique health events like pregnancy and childbirth, which can affect the bladder, urethra, and other muscles that support these organs.

“But women who have had children are not the only ones affected by incontinence – anyone who engages in high-impact sports, like gymnastics and running, can find that it takes its toll on the pelvic floor.

“According to a recent study, 30 percent of women who engage in high-impact sports experience urinary incontinence.

“Pelvic floor muscles have two important roles – they support abdominal organs and are essential for the closure of the urethra, vagina, and rectum.

“The muscle fibres respond quickly and partially involuntarily when pressure increases on the bladder, which prevents stress incontinence.

“Working out daily and focusing on our core muscles may lull us into a sense of security that there cannot be anything wrong with the pelvic floor.

“But not only do these muscles need to be able to contract, but they also need to relax. Practising Kegel exercises is obviously beneficial to ensure our pelvic floors are strong.

“But what happens when these muscles are so tense, you are not sure how to relax them?

“Just like a runner who feels their hamstring is too tight, pelvic muscles that are too tense can result in some unfortunate bladder leakages, as it alters the ability to react to the stresses of moving and can change the pressures on the bladder.

“Muscles must be able to do both jobs properly – contracting and relaxing – to keep us dry and to be able to react to movement.  Like gears in the car – we must appropriately move the gears up and down depending on the task.

“People with tense pelvic floor muscles that are unable to relax may also experience other health concerns including constipation, painful sex, urgency, and pelvic pain. Women with endometriosis can also develop tense pelvic floor muscles due to chronic pain and inflammation.

“While these health issues may be concerning, for many people, giving up their favourite workouts, sports or in extreme cases, careers, is not an option. It is important to find the right balance for our pelvic floor muscles to ensure that they are strong enough to support our organs, but not so strong they are unable to relax.

“Kegel exercises are great to help strengthen your pelvic floor, and there are several stretches, – including the happy baby pose, child’s pose and adductor stretch, which can help relax those muscles, too.

“However, if you are feeling nervous about practising these exercises and stretches by yourself, electronic pelvic toner devices are especially helpful. They not only show you how to exercise your pelvic floor muscles properly, but how to properly relax them. Many which are available now will also let you visualise how your muscles are working, too.

“Fitted with a small probe that can be inserted into the vagina, the probe sends electrical pulses deep into the muscles, which makes them contract.

“When working with a toning machine, it is especially important to relax the muscles between contractions as well as focus on the tightening up. There are good long rest periods between each electrical impulse to ensure those muscles have relaxed fully.

“For results in as little as six weeks, you should use a toner once or twice a day at the beginning of your journey. To maintain results, you should practice twice a week.

“These devices are a fantastic way to ensure your pelvic floor is in peak condition, and with a little help, you will not have to worry about any leakages while doing the activities you enjoy.”