How does the pelvic floor affect your core strength?
The pelvic floor muscles form the base of the group of muscles commonly called the ‘core’. Core muscles are vital for balance and stability. The core is not limited to the muscles you can see around the stomach (what we often think of as the “six-pack” region). In fact, dozens of muscle groups make up the core. The core can be described as a muscular box with the abdominals in the front, paraspinals and gluteals in the back, the diaphragm as the roof, and the pelvic floor and hip girdle musculature as the bottom. Within this box are 29 pairs of muscles that help to stabilise the spine, pelvis, and kinetic chain during functional movements. Without these muscles, the spine would become mechanically unstable with compressive forces.
During exercise, the internal pressure in the tummy changes. In the ideal situation, the regulation of pressure within the abdomen happens automatically. For example, when lifting a weight, the pelvic floor muscles lift, the abdominal and back muscles draw in to support the spine and breathing is easy. If any of the muscles of the ‘core’, including the pelvic floor, are weakened or damaged, this coordinated automatic action may be altered. In this situation, during exercises that increase the internal abdominal pressure, there is potential to overload the pelvic floor causing depression. When this happens many times during each exercise session, over time this may place strain down on the pelvic organs and this may result in loss of bladder or bowel control or pelvic organ prolapse. If a problem already exists, then pelvic floor symptoms can potentially be worsened.
Pelvic floor muscles need to be flexible to work as part of the ‘core’, which means that they need to be able to relax as well as lift and hold. It is common for people to brace their ‘core’ muscles constantly during exercise in the belief they are supporting the spine, but constant bracing can lead to the muscles becoming excessively tight and stiff. Pelvic floor muscle stiffness commonly coexists with muscle weakness and can contribute to problems such as urinary urgency and leakage. Other problems often associated with the pelvic floor muscles being too tight include:
Pelvic pain
Pain with intercourse
Difficulty emptying the bladder.
It is important to see a Physiotherapist who can assess what the problem is regarding your core system, as well as prescribe the appropriate exercise program. Many people are unable to correctly contract the pelvic floor, Transverse Abdominals or Multifidus muscles when asked to. Also, many of us do not breathe correctly with our diaphragm and certainly are not coordinating it well with our core muscles.
If you have concerns, or just want to begin a core exercise program, my best advice would be to come in and see one of our specially trained therapists. They can help you determine if you do have weakness or overactivity of these muscles, and whether you are correctly engaging them. This will maximise your effort and time spent on exercise in order to give you the best results. Having a strong core sets up a solid foundation for building bigger, more global muscle strength. Working on the small stuff will make the big movements easier!