Weight Lifting And Pelvic Floor
Work that pelvic floor.
Weight lifting and pelvic floor. Certain crossfit moves including deep squats place an inordinate amount of strain on the pelvic floor. Choose the heaviest one you can hold in place for a few minutes. When you pull push lift or lower weights maintain good posture. Gradually increase the amount of time the vaginal weight is in place up to a maximum of 15 minutes twice a day.
Avoid holding your breath by exhaling with effort e g. Reduce the level of your abdominal muscle exercise programs see core exercises. Lighten your weights or resistance so that you don t feel pressure down on your pelvic floor as you move. Some moves by their very nature have a larger pelvic floor load.
This is a natural feedback loop within the body that creates a strong dynamic pelvic complex. Weak pelvic muscles offer insufficient support for your uterus which causes the uterus to slip down into the vagina. This study showed that heavy lifting with a head strap of 20kg on average only displaced the pelvic floor and possibly increased risk of prolapse during the follicular phase of their menstrual cycle. So what can women at higher risk of prolapse do to stay safe.
As you exhale breathe out your diaphragm goes up and your pelvic floor lifts. Neither of these studies show that all heavy lifting whatever they define it to be is contraindicated in all women. As you inhale breathe in your diaphragm expands down and your pelvic floor relaxes down which is eccentric loading of the pelvic floor and abdominals when done under load. If the weight stays in place try the next heaviest weight.
Coordinate the pelvic floor with the diaphragm. The amount of weight lifted matters but so does technique. Insert the weight and try standing walking and even coughing without lying down. Vaginal weightlifting is a pelvic floor exercise similar to kegels where you lift and squeeze objects in order to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.