Pelvic Floor - on incontinence & sexual health

You might have heard of the term "pelvic floor" during one of your pilates classes, do you know what exactly is it?

Pelvic floor is a group of muscles that stretch like a hammock from the tail bone at the back to the pubic bone in front. It supports the bladder, the womb and the bowel. The urethra, the vagina and the rectum pass through them. It's important to build and maintain strength in the pelvic floor, as it play important role in bladder and bowel control, and sexual sensation (for both male and female).

The easiest way to find your pelvic floor muscles is to pretend to stop the flow of urine, you will feel a slight lifting up of the muscles underneath your pelvis. Another way to find your pelvic floor muscles is to suck your thumb. Bizarre but true!

Though problems relating to weak pelvic floor are more common in ladies, the men are not spared. Because beside pregnancy, childbirth (whether delivered naturally or by Caeserian) and menopause (hormones at work again!), pelvic floor can also be weakened by obesity, excessive weight lifting, constipation (that you have to strain to empty your bowel), and even chronic cough (smoker's alert!).

Besides the famous Kegel exercise, pilates can also help strengthen the pelvic floor. Although the term 'pelvic floor' was not used, the concept was part of the original pilates system. If you pull in your powerhouse and engage your deep trasverse abdominus, then your pelvic floor muscles engage. Next time when you do pilates, try to think of these muscles contracting as part of the girdle of strength.

So pilates can help improve your sex life (of course prevent incontinence too)! Yet another great benefit of pilates that you can add on to the list.