The Pelvic Floor

Tonight I would like to address a topic that may seem a little taboo to many of you.  It is important, especially for our female population, especially those of you that have not yet had children.  

The pelvic floor is a combination of muscles, tendons and ligaments that support the organs of the lower abdomen and stabilize the pelvis.  These muscles, in addition to the abdominal and back muscles, create the strong trunk from which all movement stems.

Weak pelvic floor muscles are usually caused by childbirth, inactivity, and chronic coughing.  Generally, the most common result of having a weak core is incontinence of some degree--hence tonight's post.  I have had many people (yes, all women) shy away from jumping rope for months until finally admitting why.  

If you need help finding out how to feel your pelvic floor muscles at work, here are some ways to discover them.

If you suffer from light incontinence while exercising, there are exercises (Kegels) you can do to help.  There are even special barbells you can purchase to help you strengthen these muscles.  I will not go into detail about this, but here is a great article from the Mayo Clinic on how to perform a Kegel for women.  If you are male, here is an article on how to do kegels for men, which may have some added benefits for you.  Pilates (dare I mention this) can also help develop the pelvic core muscles.