7 Steps You Can Take To Have Better Pelvic Health No Matter How Much Time You Do or Don’t Have

There are so many steps you can take to improve your pelvic health, reduce your pain, improve your bladder or bowel control and sex life. The steps below start with the easiest, least time intensive and least expensive to implement, and increase in time and resource requirement, as well as personalization, as they go.

Regardless of how much time you have, the resources and providers available to you, there’s something on this list for everyone. Depending on where you are in your health journey, some of these may be appropriate for you and others may not. Below are 7 steps you can take to better your pelvic health, broken down by how much time you have to give.

If you have minimal to no time, here are three things you can do:

Drink more water and less other stuff.

Hydration helps soothe your bladder while carbonated, acidic, alcoholic and sugary drinks may do the opposite. A good rule of thumb is to aim for drinking half your bodyweight in ounces of water each day. Example: Someone who weighs 160 pounds should drink around 80 ounces of water per day. Learn more hydration tips, here.

Pee and poop when you need to and not when you don’t.

Do you chronically hold it when you need to use the restroom? Or do you go to the bathroom to pee “just in case” when you don’t actually need to go? Both of these habits can impede your body’s awareness of its needs and ability to control them. When possible, listen to your body. Go when you need to go and don’t when you don’t. Learn more about better bladder habits, here.

Stop wearing clothing that prevents you from breathing fully or causes you to suck in.

Listen, I get it. High waisted jeans are cute and so are high waisted compressive leggings. Particularly for us Millennials who had to live through the middle school hell of low rise jeans (why!?). But clothing that prevents your belly from expanding as you breathe prevents your pelvic floor from relaxing, too. Clothing that makes you feel like you have to keep your gut sucked in will force you to keep your pelvic floor tightened, too. Instead, opt for clothing you’re comfortable in that doesn’t prevent your abdomen from moving and save the high waisted or compression pants for select occasions so they don’t become your norm. Your pelvic floor will thank you.

If you have 10-20 minutes a day, here are a couple options you can add in:

Practice meditation and diaphragmatic breathing for 10-15 minutes a day.

Just like all other aspects of our health, mindfulness can make a huge impact on our health. One study found that 13 minutes of daily meditation can decrease negative mood, enhance attention, working and recognition memory and decrease anxiety. Anxiety and cortisol tend to aggravate pelvic health conditions whereas nervous system regulation tends to improve them. Meditation and breathing is one way to serve your mental AND physical health at the same time. If you choose diaphragmatic breathing as the focus of your meditation practice, you get the double whammy of practicing pelvic floor relaxation and coordination while getting the mental health benefit, too.

To take a diaphragmatic breath, slowly inhale for 4 seconds, feeling your rib cage expand in all directions. Pause at the top and then slowly exhale. You can also think about breathing your air lower into your belly instead of keeping your inhalation in your chest. As you breathe in and expand your ribs, your diaphragm descends, helping your pelvic floor relax. As you exhale, let everything spring back to where it wants to go.

Do a daily 10-20 minute walk.

So many pelvic floor symptoms come about as a result of weakness and sedentary lifestyles. For someone who hasn’t been in the habit of moving their body consistently, starting with a daily walk can make a huge difference. Daily walks improve balance, cardiovascular endurance and can decrease pain sensitivity. The combination of movement and outdoor time is excellent for mental health, too. Plus, if you have littles, they can come along in a stroller so you’re introducing them to movement! If it’s easier for you to get your walk done indoors on a treadmill or even around your house, that’s OK too.

If you have 20-30 minutes a few times per week, but no time to leave the house:

Get stronger.

This relates to the point above and is an excellent next step if you’re ready to start moving more consistently. Weakness is often the root cause of pelvic floor symptoms like pain, leakage, diastasis recti symptoms, heaviness symptoms, lack of sexual sensation (I could go on). People are often scared to start strength training when they have symptoms like these, but strength is often the solution. When beginning a strength training regimen, it’s important to start slow and grow. If strength training is new to you, in a perfect world I’d recommend consulting with a physical therapist or personal trainer. If that’s not possible, here are some general guidelines to follow:

• Meet your body where it is, not where it once was or where you want it to be. Gauge your workouts based on what’s challenging for your body, not what your brain thinks should be hard.

• Start with bodyweight for at least 2-3 weeks before incorporating weights or other forms of resistance.

• Don’t be afraid to start on the mat.

• Aim for 60-70% effort for your first few weeks. Slow and steady wins the race (and reduces the risk of injury).

• Check out our prenatal and postpartum fitness programs if you’re looking for a place to begin.

Be sure to consult your medical team if you have any concerns or preexisting health conditions.

If you have 20-30 minutes a few times a week and you want support:

Work with a pelvic floor PT.

Pelvic floor PT is at the end of the list because it requires the greatest amount of resources and commitment. It requires time for appointments, time for homework, financial resources and commitment to the process. It doesn’t require more time than building strength, but does require the ability to commit to appointment times at whatever specified cadence you and your PT determine together.

I say this not to dissuade you, but because too often people start PT only to fall off as a result of not yet being able to commit for a number of reasons, all of which are valid. But all of the suggestions above are generalized. Done with moderation and assuming baseline health, they won’t hurt you. But they also may not be enough to address the root cause of your symptoms. Working with a pelvic floor physical therapist allows for a personalized approach tailored to your body, your individual needs and weaknesses, your goals and priorities. It’s the most effective and efficient way to improve your pelvic health, if and when you’re ready for it and resources allow.

Navigating pelvic floor symptoms can be a challenge, no matter where you are in life. Working with a professional helps to take the guess work out of it and improves your confidence that you’re doing the right thing for your body. Pelvic floor physical therapists have doctorate level educations in the body. This is what we’re here for.

Want to learn more about working with our team? Give us a call at 512-766-2649 or shoot us a message here.