\n
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.<\/p>\n
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.<\/p>\n
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.<\/p>\n
Your support makes all the difference.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nRead more<\/span><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nAre you a woman who exercises regularly? If so, here\u2019s a vital question: do you train your pelvic floor muscles as part of your routine?<\/p>\n
If the answer is no, now\u2019s the time to start. It\u2019s never too late to protect yourself from pelvic floor dysfunction \u2013 and the benefits go far beyond avoiding leaks.<\/p>\n
The pelvic floor is a complex hammock of muscles and ligaments stretching from the front of your pelvis to your tailbone. It weaves around the urethra, vagina and anus, supporting the pelvic organs and helping them stay in the right place.<\/p>\n
These muscles are essential for bladder and bowel control, sexual function and core stability. <\/p>\n
In fact, your pelvic floor works alongside the diaphragm, abdominal muscles, and back muscles in what\u2019s known as the \u201ccore canister\u201d or \u201ccore rectangle.\u201d Together, they help stabilise the spine, protect internal organs, and support movement, especially in high-impact or strength-based activities.<\/p>\n
How does sport affect pelvic floor health?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n Many sports rely heavily on core strength. Running, jumping, lifting and full-contact sports like rugby all demand stability, control and muscular endurance. But they also place significant strain on the pelvic floor.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why pelvic floor dysfunction is surprisingly common among sportswomen. Around one in two women in the UK will experience pelvic floor symptoms at some point in their lives \u2013 but rates are even higher among female athletes. A 2024 study of female rugby players found that 63% experienced pelvic floor dysfunction serious enough to affect both their performance and daily life, often requiring physiotherapy or specialist support.<\/p>\n
Movements such as jumping, running, landing and breath-holding during exertion all increase intra-abdominal pressure, which pushes down on the pelvic floor. Without proper conditioning, these muscles can become strained or fatigued, especially if they\u2019re weaker than the surrounding core muscles.<\/p>\n
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Movements such as jumping, running, landing and breath-holding during exertion all increase intra-abdominal pressure (Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nEndurance sports can also take their toll, causing the pelvic floor to repeatedly contract under pressure. Like any muscle, the pelvic floor is susceptible to overuse injuries and needs time to recover.<\/p>\n
Pelvic floor dysfunction can show up in several ways, including leaking urine or faeces during exercise, coughing or sneezing; disrupted bowel habits; a heavy or dragging feeling in the lower abdomen or vagina; pain during sex; a bulging sensation or visible tissue in the vaginal area; and pelvic organ prolapse.<\/p>\n
These symptoms may appear during exercise \u2013 or at rest \u2013 and often worsen over time without the right support or training.<\/p>\n
Exercise can help with pelvic floor dysfunction \u2013 only if the pelvic floor is actively and effectively engaged. Many workouts target the abs or general core, but if the pelvic floor isn\u2019t included with the same intensity, muscular imbalances can develop. Combined with gravity and high-impact movement, this puts the pelvic floor at greater risk of dysfunction.<\/p>\n
The good news? The pelvic floor responds well to training. With regular, focused practice, these muscles become stronger, more coordinated and more resilient \u2013 helping to prevent dysfunction and even aiding recovery after childbirth.<\/p>\n
How to train your pelvic floor<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n Not sure where to start? Here\u2019s a simple exercise:<\/p>\n
\n
\nImagine you\u2019re holding in wind \u2013 gently contract your anus. <\/li>\n Next, squeeze your urethra as if stopping a flow of urine. <\/li>\n Now, lift upwards through the vagina. <\/li>\n Hold the contraction for a few seconds (or as long as you comfortably can), then release. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\nThat\u2019s one pelvic floor contraction: well done!<\/p>\n
Try doing a few reps at a time, and gradually build up. You can incorporate these into your run, add them to your core workout, or practise them during rest days or cool-downs. The goal is to make pelvic floor training a regular part of your routine.<\/p>\n
Your pelvic floor deserves just as much attention as your abs, glutes or quads. If you\u2019re a woman who exercises, training these deep core muscles can boost your performance, reduce your risk of injury and support your overall health now and in the future.<\/p>\n
So next time you lace up your trainers or hit the gym, don\u2019t forget your pelvic floor. Your body will thank you.<\/p>\n
Holly Ingram is a Senior Midwifery Lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University.<\/em><\/p>\nThis article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more Are you a woman who exercises regularly? If so, here\u2019s a vital question: do you train your pelvic floor muscles as part of your routine? If the answer is no, now\u2019s the time to start. It\u2019s never too late to protect yourself from pelvic floor dysfunction \u2013 and the benefits go far beyond avoiding leaks. The pelvic floor is a complex hammock of muscles and ligaments stretching from the front of your pelvis to your tailbone. It weaves around the urethra, vagina and anus, supporting the pelvic organs and helping them stay in the right place. These muscles are essential for bladder and bowel control, sexual function and core stability. In fact, your pelvic floor works alongside the diaphragm, abdominal muscles, and back muscles in what\u2019s known as the \u201ccore canister\u201d or \u201ccore rectangle.\u201d Together, they help stabilise the spine, protect internal organs, and support movement, especially in high-impact or strength-based activities. How does sport affect pelvic floor health? Many sports rely heavily on core strength. Running, ju…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3982,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3981"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3981"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3981\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3982"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3981"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}