Beyond the Kegel
I am a woman. I am a physical therapist. I am a barre studio founder and pilates trained. I have birthed three children and gone through menopause. I had NEVER been educated about the intricate and all important function of the pelvic floor and how it works within the system that I am calling the mid-body region of our bodies. Do Kegels. Have sex in 6 weeks after birth. That was the extent of the conversation and the knowledge I had after interacting with the healthcare system THREE times after THREE babies. I am not the outlier unfortunately.
Do Kegels……. Why this isn’t enough. Kegels are a simple contraction. Contract relax in isolation. Your pelvic floor and the dynamic system in which it functions is not simple. That would be like tearing your rotator cuff and doing shoulder shrugs for your rehabilitation program. NOT. GOING. TO. RESTORE. FUNCTION. That is why a dynamic program and educational intervention is key and the good news is it is never too late. We have worked with women who have experienced leaking after childbirth for upwards of 16 years and they were able to resolve their issues in as little as 2-3 sessions. The body is a miracle and with a little investment in our program you can see big improvements.
Here are a few notes I took from the International Pelvic Pain Society that I would like to share to show you all why the system isn’t designed to recover and restore itself with a one size fits all Kegel exercise. There are nuances and relationships that must be trained and coordinated. These notes are specific to urinary leakage which affects 1 in 3 women at some point in their lives.
Women who leak with running have higher levels of pelvic floor muscle activity compared to those that do not. Their pelvic floor is working hard throughout the exercise trying to prevent a leak. But the pelvic floor cannot work in isolation. It needs the help from its synergists in the abdominal wall and gluteal (buttocks) muscles to be effective. Women who leak tend to rely only on the pelvic floor and not have the muscle coordination with the deep core muscles.
Women who leak have less upward lift of their pelvic floor with a concentric contraction. So even though their pelvic floors are working at max capacity throughout their exercise, the muscles are not as efficient and do not give the upward lift that helps to close the urethra off from leaking.
Women who leak contract their abdominal wall before their pelvic floor. Women who do not leak contract their pelvic floor and then the abdominal wall. This is all about the timing. The pelvic floor muscles should contract prior to the abdominal muscles to help close off the urethra prior to the force from the ground while running. If I squeeze the middle of the toothpaste tube but do not put the cap on, I am going to have issues.
Your pelvic floor is a beautifully designed system that works in ways that require a multifaceted movement program like the Female Edit. While Kegels may be one part of your program, they should not be the ENTIRE program.