Pelvic Floor Training For Women

Exercise, Healthy Habits / By
Stretching and pelvic floor strengthening at fitandhappy boot camp in Edinburgh

Why We're Always On About Your Pelvic Floor

And No, It's Not Just Because We Love a Challenge!

If you’ve been coming to my classes for a while, you’ll know there’s one phrase you hear more than "one last rep" and that’s "squeeze and lift!". There are some very good reasons why I’m slightly obsessed with a group of muscles you can’t even see in the gym mirror. 

Up to a third of all women will deal with pelvic floor issues at some point. Whether it’s that dreaded "oops" moment when you sneeze or jump, or an intense feeling that you need to empty your bladder as soon as you put the key in your front door, it’s all incredibly common. But here’s the thing: “common” doesn’t mean "normal" and it doesn’t mean that we have to put up with it.

It's Not Just About "The Knack"

We don’t just train the pelvic floor so you can survive a trampoline session with the kids (though that is a definite win). These muscles are the literal foundation of your "core". Think of your torso like a tin of soup; your diaphragm is the lid, your abs are the label wrapping around and your pelvic floor is the sturdy base. If the base is a bit wobbly, the whole system struggles.

That’s why I like to integrate pelvic floor work into almost everything we do, from squats to press-ups.

Why We Train It the Way We Do

stretching and controlling pelvic floor muscles at fitandhappy class

You might have heard of Kegels, but we like to go a bit deeper than just a quick squeeze while you’re waiting for the kettle to boil. In our classes, we focus on:

  • The Connection Breath: Learning how your breath and your "down there" muscles work in harmony. As you inhale, the floor relaxes; as you exhale, it should naturally draw up.

  • Strength vs. Speed: Your pelvic floor needs the endurance to support you all day, but also the "fast-twitch" speed to react when you cough or jump. We train both long, slow holds and short, snappy squeezes.

  • The Full Range: It is just as important to be able to fully relax these muscles as it is to squeeze them. If you’re constantly "holding on," those muscles get tired and tight, which can actually make problems worse.

A Bit of 'Pelvic Floor Homework'

 Here are 5 tiny tweaks you can make today:

  1. Watch Your Posture: Sitting with your pelvis tucked under puts extra pressure on your pelvic floor. Standing with your bum sticking out or tucked under also means that your pelvic floor activation isn’t going to be optimal. Aim for a "neutral" spine where everything feels stacked and easy.

  2. Coughing, Sneezing, Laughing:  Learn to tighten your pelvic floor muscles before any activity which involves a rise in intra-abdominal pressure - coughing, sneezing, lifting, carrying or laughing.

  3. Hydrate! It’s tempting to reduce your fluid intake to reduce frequency, but if you don't drink enough, your urine becomes more concentrated, which can actually irritate your bladder and make you want to go more often.

  4. Low-impact exercise may be your friend: If you find that you have stress urinary incontinence with exercise, try to avoid very high-impact exercises, which involve jumping, very heavy lifting or prolonged increases in intra-abdominal pressure e.g. double leg lifts. This is until you are ready to jump again! At fitandhappy, we always offer low-impact options in our classes so you can choose what feels right for you.

  5. The "Step-Up" for Toileting: Believe it or not, how you sit on the loo makes a massive difference to your pelvic floor health. Straining is one of the quickest ways to overstretch and weaken these muscles. Use a small step or stool under your feet while you’re sitting on the toilet. This brings your knees up higher than your hips, creating a squatting position. This position straightens out the "kink" in the rectum, allowing things to move much more easily without you having to strain or push.

Let's Keep Talking About Your Pelvic Floor

ladies doing squats at a fitandhappy class in Edinburgh

We want you to feel confident, strong and capable of lifting heavy things (including the shopping and the kids/grandkids) without a second thought. If you’re ever struggling with the exercises or finding that things aren't improving, please do have a chat with us, or better yet, ask your GP for a referral to a specialist Women's Health Physiotherapist. They are absolute wizards and can help you get back on track.

In the meantime, keep breathing, keep squeezing and we’ll see you at the next session!