Here is the low down on those down-low muscles….

Did you know that men and women have a pelvic floor? It’s a common misconception that only women have one, due to the importance placed on the strengthening of a woman’s pelvic floor to avoid “accidents” post-pregnancy. However, there’s so much more to it which has nothing to do with pregnancy, so share this one with your husbands and partners.

The pelvic floor is made up of two layers of muscle, and together these muscles are responsible for many functions, including:

• Supporting the lower abdominal organs inside the body (bladder and bowel for men; bladder, bowel and uterus for women)
• Providing bladder and bowel continence

The pelvic floor runs from your pubic bone, which is at the front of your pelvis, to your tailbone, or coccyx, which is located at the back of your pelvis, and between your sit-bones. It’s sounds a lot more complicated than it actually is!

Historically, the reason women hear about pelvic floor muscles more than men is because during pregnancy the pelvic floor supports the developing baby and assists in the delivery of the baby during labour. But the pelvic floor is also involved in stabilisation of the pelvis and spine for everyone (men, women and children!) along with the diaphragm, and deep muscles of the back and core.

So it’s not just women who can have problems with their pelvic floor. Some of the reasons for pelvic floor problems include:

• Pregnancy
• Child birth
• Poor lifting technique
• Constipation
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Chronic coughing
• Obesity
• Surgery, and cancer and other diseases of the reproductive and gastrointestinal organs

As you can see, only two of these factors are specific to females!

The other thing to note is that pelvic floor weakness is not the only problem that can happen – pelvic floor tightness can be just as much of an issue.

Here are some general things you can do to maintain healthy pelvic floor function:

1. Maintain or work towards a healthy weight
2. Ensure your diet contains the right amount of fibre from fruit, vegetables and grains
3. Stay well hydrated
4. Get moving – reduce time sitting, and get regular exercise in
5. Maintain good bowel habits – go when you need to go!
6. Practice safe manual handling techniques – whether it be at work or at home

If you’re concerned about your pelvic floor function, particularly if you’ve had children, we recommend you see your physiotherapist or exercise physiologist. Your therapist will assess the severity of the problem, and either work with you to re-train your pelvic floor muscles (and address any other contributing factors), or refer you on to a specialist continence and women’s health or pelvic floor physiotherapist.

Main image courtesy of Shutterstock.com