I laughed so hard I peed a little... not funny when you poop a little

Place one hand on your abdomen and your other on your chest and take a deep breath. If your chest rose and your abdomen pulled in you have an inverted breathing pattern. As children we are taught that having a flat stomach is good and we inhibit our natural tendency to breathe with our abdomen. So what? Well I have successfully rehabilitated the pelvic floor of many clients by teaching them to breathe properly, if you don’t want to end up smelling like an old lady read on.

When we forcefully breathe out like sneezing or coughing our pelvic floors should contract to counteract the increased abdominal pressure and stop any leakage, from either the front or back. If you have an inverted breathing pattern then the muscles of the abdomen and the pelvic floor have been taught to work in reverse... That means that when you cough or sneeze the pelvic floor muscles actually relax, this is a problem and it is more common than you think. If you have an inverted breathing pattern it also means that your core stability is compromised.

Over many years I have worked with many clients mostly female, but some guys too, to help them increase the strength of their pelvic floor muscles to help reduce the incidence of accidental urination or defecation. The first stage of their rehabilitation is to ensure that there is nothing insidious causing the pelvic floor dysfunction, like cancer or serious neurological conditions. Once the client has been cleared we always start with breathing exercises, 90% of clients that we see have an inverted breathing pattern, the other 10% are either martial artists, elite endurance athletes or yoga devotees.

Stage 1: Lay on your back and place a book on your abdomen, as you breathe in allow your abdomen to expand and and push the book towards the ceiling. When you breathe out allow the book to fall. Try this for 40 breaths, it can be quite hard for some people. Next try and add some pelvic floor contractions into the breathing cycle. 

Stage 2: Lay on your back and place a book on your abdomen, as you breathe in allow your abdomen to expand and and push the book towards the ceiling. When you breathe out allow the book to fall and contract your pelvic floor. You must get your body to associate the action of breathing out with contracting the pelvic floor, this is the first stage in ensuring a strong pelvic floor.

If you are unsure if you are contracting your pelvic floor correctly Corina and I have some female pelvic floor educators that will ensure that you have the correct activation. We have used these educators extensively and to great effect.

Pelvic floor dysfunction is a bit embarrassing but it is a problem that we have had a lot of experience and success in dealing with. If you or someone you know could benefit from our advice give us a call or come into the studio we always love to help.

Alan