Okay busy ladies. This one is for you! 3 easy/quick tips for your pelvic floor you can start today. These tips are easy things you can focus on and implement during the run of your day.
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Optimize Your Emptying
When you are peeing or pooping, make sure you sit down on the toilet and ensure your knees are slightly higher than hips. This allows our muscles to relax and allows for easier emptying. A squatty potty is a great option but any small stool will do. Point your lady bits at the water, aka make sure your not sitting back on your tailbone. Let your knees go wide, and let your pants drop to the floor so you can actually relax your leg muscles. Take a couple of deep breaths focusing on your belly. If your peeing, you can actually lean a little bit forward, this will help empty your bladder.
2. Pay Attention
When it comes to peeing, we want to pee about 6-8 times in 24 hours and each pee should be about 7-16 seconds. So when we are emptying our bladder we want to make sure we are emptying fully, taking our time and not power peeing (aka don’t force it). We know! Easier said than done when a toddler is pulling on your leg and your 5 year old is banging on the bathroom door.
Find you’re outside of these guidelines? And wonder why you’re peeing for 3 seconds, 12 times a day. We did a great post on overactive bladder here. Overactive bladder can be quite common postpartum and is something we see and treat in clinic often.
Okay, time to talk poop.
When it comes to emptying your bowels. We want to ensure we’re not constipated. We’ve said it before and we will say it again. Do NOT allow yourself to get constipated. It’s like mini-childbirth for the pelvic floor. I repeat. It’s like mini childbirth for the pelvic floor.
So you are probably asking yourself – how do I know if I am constipated? To keep it simple we’re aiming for at least one soft bowel movement a day that’s easily passed.
This is the Bristol Stool Chart:
And when you look in the water after a bowel movement, you’re hoping to see a type 3-4. If not, you’re either constipated (remember we don’t want that!) or your stool is too loose making it tough to keep in sometimes.
If you find you’re more of a type 1-2- try increasing your water slowly to about half your body weight in ounces and make sure you’re getting enough fiber. If you need help- chat with your physician, naturopath, dietitian or nutritionist to get some additional advice.
One more time just for good measure. Do NOT get constipated.
3) Manage your pressure
Learning how to manager your intraabdominal pressure is very important for long term pelvic floor health. And ALOT of us hold our breath every time we have to do something hard or lift something heavy.
In fact I challenge you to pay attention next time you have to pick up something heavy like your toddler, laundry basket, baby car seat…. are you holding your breath?
If you are- and you find you are doing this often. Challenge yourself to practice blowing out as you exert yourself.
For example- you’re going to push a heavy door, start to breath out before you push. Sitting up in bed- blow out before you move. It’s easy to do and it reduces intraabdominal pressure on your pelvic floor and core.
Okay. There you have it. 3 Easy Tips for Your Pelvic Floor you can start today.
Hope that helps,
Eryn & Katie.