Struggling to improve your pelvic floor muscle strength?  How harnessing the power of your breath will propel your strength to the next level, let me explain…

The desire for bladder control is THE most common goal my clients have when they come to see me at my pelvic health physical therapy practice.   With good reason, bladder problems are incredibly common.  

The most recent studies estimate that 1 in 4 women will experience some form of bladder dysfunction in their lifetime.  Most experts feel this number is grossly underestimated!

The foundation for bladder control starts with being able to activate your pelvic floor muscles so that they are strong, responsive, and able to work with your urethra and bladder.

Your pelvic floor muscles and urethral sphincter work together to regulate your urinary system.  When the pelvic floor muscles relax, it allows urine to flow out of your body, and when your pelvic floor muscles contract, it allows you to hold it or not have a bladder leak.  

How do I get my pelvic floor muscles to work?

The surface layer is circular in nature, like muscles surrounding your mouth.  When they activate, they close around the vagina and urethra.  

The second layer is structured like a hammock that stretches from the front of your pubic bone to your tailbone in the back.  When it contracts it lifts. 

Activation of your pelvic floor muscles happens in that order, closure and lift.

Good visual cues are key for activation because we cannot see these muscles in action.  Want to know more about my ‘zipper’ technique for strengthening?  Check out my blog here. 

But did you know that your breath can help with this activation?

Your breathing diaphragm and your pelvic floor muscles are both muscle groups that stretch horizontally across the body, from front to back and left to right.  

They are like layers of a cake with the diaphragm on top just under your ribs and pelvic floor muscles on the bottom at the level of the vagina.  Because of this orientation, these two muscle layers mirror each other in action. 

When you take a breath in, your breathing diaphragm drops down, and your pelvic floor muscles relax and descend.  

The opposite occurs when you exhale.  Your breathing diaphragm rises, and your pelvic floor muscles contract and lift in response.  

So, to optimize pelvic floor muscle function, you need to activate them during your breathing exhalation.  

Your breath is your pelvic floor muscle superpower!

Working with your breath, allows you to have better pelvic floor activation, improves coordination, and avoids breath-holding.

All of these things are important for bladder control, and preventing bladder leaks!

Let’s put it all together and start with our breath. 

• Sitting in a comfortable, supported position with feet resting on the floor.
• Place one hand on your upper chest and the other on your low abdomen at the level of your belly button.
• Take a regular breath in through your nose, and feel your rib cage lift, chest and low abdomen expand.
• As you exhale and your breath gently leaves your mouth, activate your pelvic floor muscles by closing and lifting. 
• Extend the lift up to the level of the belly button, gently drawing in the low abdominal muscles.
• Hold the pelvic floor muscles and low abdominal muscles together.
• Relax and repeat.

Practice this sequencing a few times to get the rhythm and coordination down.

How do I put this into exercise?  

Start by holding for 5 seconds and once this gets easier advance to holding for 10 seconds.

Perform 10-15 reps, in lying down, sitting, and standing positions throughout your day or whenever you think about it.  Take your time, and focus on quality, not quantity.

Remember to relax fully between muscle contractions so that your pelvic floor muscles have a chance to recover.  These are small muscles so they get tired quickly.  

I recommend practicing small bouts of exercise during your day rather than working on ALL of them at once.  

Want more specifics about exercise training?  Check out my free printable on pelvic floor muscle exercise here.

You can do this!  

The pelvic floor muscles are postural in nature, which means that a little bit of exercise can go a long way in changing how they operate.  

Improving the strength of your pelvic floor muscles means no more toilet scanning, bladder urgency, and worries about bladder leaks! 

Freedom!

Know someone who could benefit from this superpower?

Share the bladder love with a friend!

Happy bladder wishes!

~ Tami

~Tami

Tami Lines is a licensed Physical Therapist with certifications in Pelvic Rehabilitation and Women’s Health Coaching.  She is the founder of Pelvic-Health-Matters.  Tami has over 15 years of experience with expertise in bladder Health, and pelvic floor muscle dysfunction for adolescent and adult women.  She is also a mom of two wonderful young adults working their way through college. 

References:

Lukacz, E, Santiago-Lastra Y, Albo M, Brubaker L. 2017.”Urinary Incontinence in Women.”JAMA Oct 24/31, Vol 318, N16

Lukacz, E S, C Sampselle, M Gray, S Macdiarmid, M Rosenberg, P Ellsworth, and M H Palmer. 2011. “A Healthy Bladder: A Consensus Statement.” International Journal of Clinical Practice 65 (10): 1026–36. doi:10.1111/j.1742-1241.2011.02763.x.