Exercise and Pelvic Floor = Heart Health?

Now, I can’t say that math is my best subject (my math teacher husband would agree 100%!!) but I know for sure this equation is accurate. Any which way you put it, pelvic floor health and exercise leads to heart health. We know without a doubt cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women. We also know that 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week is what’s recommended by the American Heart Association for heart health. Now for the mic drop: almost half of women do not exercise because of pelvic floor dysfunction.

How the Pelvic Floor Impacts Exercise

Leaking

Let’s face it, if you’re going to the gym or running down the street and there is pee wetting your clothes or down your legs, it can be embarrassing. You have probably seen the tiktoks about runners who poo unexpectedly during a race, new parents tooting their way down the hall, or an average person avoiding trampolines. Even certain positions during other types of exercise can feel like a no-no if you tend toward leakage. Leaking liquid, gas or solid does not have to be your limiting factor to keeping your heart healthy. 

Prolapse

Prolapse is the increase in range of motion of your vaginal wall. Symptoms of this can vary widely: pressure down there, feeling heavy, sensation of needing to “hold yourself up/in”, or you can feel a bulge at the vaginal opening. Sometimes you may feel this after a harder workout, toward the end of your workouts or immediately once you begin. You may feel uncomfortable, you may feel pain, or you may feel nothing at all! This is a common symptom for people who are having difficulty during exercise. 

Performance

Feeling like you can-hardly-do-anything-so-what’s-the-point can be defeating. Not only can pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms feel embarrassing, they can cause isolation. Exercise in a group or with a community is great motivation and provides accountability and consistency. Great pelvic floor strength and coordination can increase your workout performance; lifting heavier, running further, feeling confident, and trying new things.

What can I do?

Working with a pelvic floor physical therapist that you trust and that comes recommended is key. Individualized care is most important here - if you feel like you express your concerns and ask your questions and are met with what feels like ‘cookie cutter’ education and treatment, find someone else! Tracking your symptoms, not only with workouts and timing during workouts, but also with your menstrual cycle will give us the most amount of information to start off strong and give you the care that you need. Cheers to a happy pelvic floor!