Is Strength Training Harmful for Your Pelvic Floor?
If you’ve been following along on the Move Smart blog, you know by now that we are PRO strength training. As a pelvic floor physical therapist I have patients come in all the time telling me that their providers are telling them unfortunately to stop lifting/squatting/etc. as it will harm their pelvic floor. I’m here today to say….
STRENGTH TRAINING DOES NOT HAVE TO BE HARMFUL FOR YOUR PELVIC FLOOR
Proper strength training in fact can help prevent pelvic floor dysfunction and treat any issues that are present. Key word here is “proper”…there are certainly ways you can harm your pelvic floor with strength training so I’d like to share some tips today to prevent worsening pelvic floor symptoms with strength training.
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Breathe during your lifts – Holding your breath increases pressure in the abdomen and down onto the pelvic floor thus increasing risk of leakage or prolapse. When we breathe throughout a lift it reduces that pressure going down. My favorite breath cue is to “inhale to prep then exhale with exertion”. So if you are lifting weight from the floor or overhead, inhale as you bend to pick up the weight then exhale as you lift the weight. If you are squatting or deadlifting, inhale as you lower down then exhale as you come up from the squat or deadlift.
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Only lift as heavy as your pelvic floor can handle – It doesn’t benefit your body to lift weights heavier than you can handle then have urine leaks on the gym floor. The pelvic floor is just like any other muscle, you want to load it but NOT overload it. If you are leaking or experiencing pelvic pain or pressure during or after workouts then you could be overloading the system. Take a step back and try decreasing weights or modifying the activity.
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Form matters – How you hold your posture and specifically where your ribs, pelvis and spine are in space matters for your pelvic floor. If you are lifting or squatting with a pelvis that is tipped really far forward or back OR a ribcage that is thrusted forward or over tucked you can increase pressure down onto the pelvic floor causing leakage, prolapse, or pain. This is my favorite place to intervene in a lifting protocol – I love problem solving exercises to figure out how we can optimize form for strength training success!
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Use your core – Many people don’t realize that the pelvic floor is actually part of your core system. It should contract and lengthening in coordination with your diaphragm, abs, and deep back musculature to provide adequate support during exercise. If you’re not sure how to connect these different parts, give us a call or check out my previous blog post titled: Just Breathe!
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Consult with a pelvic floor PT – If you are experiencing any pelvic floor symptoms such as pain, heaviness/pressure in the pelvic region, or leakage give me a call. Or better yet, call me BEFORE you are having symptoms. I love to teach injury prevention with strength training and helping patients problem solve before the problem exists. I can teach out to use your pelvic floor to help enhance your core strength and stability so you can lift stronger than ever!
Don’t let pelvic floor dysfunction stop you from the activities you love, give us at call here at Move Smart and see how we can help you continue the things you enjoy symptom free.
Written by: Kelsey Karnes PT, DPT
