A 2023 poll published by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists found that 60% of UK women experience at least one symptom of poor pelvic health.
The most common symptom was urinary incontinence, which can be particularly stressful to deal with – especially in public. Yet the poll also found that, unfortunately, 69% of women hadn’t spoken to doctors about these issues.
For women, urinary continence is closely linked with the strength and condition of their pelvic floor muscles. The pelvic floor is a muscle group that supports the organs in the pelvis – including the bladder, uterus, and rectum – and plays a key role in maintaining urinary and bowel continence, core stability, and sexual function.
However, just like all muscles, the pelvic floor can weaken; usually due to pregnancy, childbirth, ageing, and certain medical conditions. Though the good news is that there are many ways to strengthen your pelvic floor and boost your overall quality of life.
1. Incorporate pelvic floor exercises into your routine
The single best thing you can do to boost your pelvic floor health is to do daily pelvic floor exercises. You don’t need to go to the gym for this, as you can often do these exercises when going about your day – whether going for a walk, sitting at your desk, or standing in a queue.
The best-known pelvic floor exercises are Kegel exercises, which involve squeezing and releasing the same muscles you use to stop the flow of urine. The NHS suggests doing a set of 10 slow contractions followed by a set of 10 quick contractions every day to improve pelvic floor health.
2. Do yoga or Pilates
While Kegel exercises target a specific area, other exercises – such as yoga and Pilates – can also be beneficial for improving pelvic floor health. Another perk is that these exercises also go a long way in improving strength, balance, and coordination – something that becomes even more crucial in our 50s and 60s.
It’s important to remember the pelvic floor is part of a larger muscle group – and the diaphragm, abdominals, and obliques are also linked to pelvic floor health. So, regularly working these muscles is another great way to boost pelvic health and prevent urinary incontinence.
Yoga, in particular, can increase flexibility and circulation in the pelvic area, and certain poses, like the goddess pose, bridge pose, and pigeon pose, can specifically target pelvic floor muscles. One study of women experiencing incontinence saw a 70% decrease in incontinence frequency after the women participated in a six-week yoga therapy programme.
Practising Pilates is also beneficial. Because it’s designed to strengthen your core muscles, Pilates can be a great way to combat stress incontinence caused by actions like laughing, sneezing, or coughing. Pilates classes also tend to incorporate pelvic floor exercises.
To find out more, check out our introductions to yoga and Pilates for over-50s.
3. Maintain a healthy weight
According to a 2023 NHS health survey, 26% of British adults are classified as obese, while a further 39% of adults are overweight, but not obese. Because being overweight can put you at increased risk of health conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes, maintaining a healthy weight is one of the best things you can do for your health.
However, being overweight can also weaken your pelvic floor muscles. The weight of excess tissue can place pressure on your bladder and other organs within the pelvic floor, so losing excess weight can go a long way in preventing leaks.
It’s also worth trying to avoid foods and drinks that can irritate the bladder. These include caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods, tomato-based foods, acidic juices and fruits, carbonated drinks, and chocolate.
4. Drink plenty of water
If you’re experiencing urinary incontinence, the most common symptom of poor pelvic floor health, you might feel reluctant to up your fluid intake. But restricting your fluid intake can cause concentrated urine, which may irritate your bladder, reduce its capacity, and intensify incontinence. It can also lead to constipation, placing more strain on your pelvic floor.
The NHS recommends between six and eight glasses of fluid a day, and this doesn’t have to be water; low-fat milk, plant-based milks, and sugar-free drinks, including tea and coffee, all count.
5. Avoid heavy lifting
While exercise is good for improving pelvic floor health, the NHS advises that lifting heavy weights may put strain on your pelvic floor muscles.
Remember that lifting heavy weights isn’t always an intentional action that happens in gyms. Lifting heavy objects in your day-to-day life, whether a child, shopping bags, or furniture, can also be problematic.
If you need to lift something heavy, make sure you breathe deeply, use both your legs and glutes, keep your pelvic floor muscles tight, and try to maintain good posture. And remember to ask for help if needed.
6. Get enough vitamin D
Getting enough vitamin D is essential for maintaining healthy bones, teeth, and muscles – and yet it’s estimated that around one billion people worldwide are deficient. Interestingly, health studies on women show that having high levels of vitamin D means a reduced risk of weakened pelvic floor.
Nearly a quarter of participants reported pelvic floor weakness, and the studies found that those suffering from incontinence had significantly lower vitamin D levels compared to the women who didn’t suffer from incontinence. Because Vitamin D is important for muscle function, it’s believed to have a direct impact on strengthening your pelvic floor muscles.
To learn more about vitamin D and how you can make sure you’re getting enough, why not read our article: What is vitamin D and why do we need it to stay healthy?
Final thoughts…
If you’re dealing with incontinence, we hope you’ve found this article helpful and are inspired to take some of the steps above. Some, like losing extra weight, can make all the difference, and many people find simply reaching a healthy weight is enough to improve things.
However, as you might expect, improving your pelvic floor health takes time and often involves making sustainable lifestyle changes, like quitting or reducing caffeine and alcohol, or doing daily exercise.
Remember that millions of men and women experience incontinence, and there’s no need to struggle in silence. By learning more about the pelvic floor, drinking lots of water, maintaining a healthy weight, and doing exercises like yoga and Pilates, you can improve your pelvic floor health, ease incontinence, and live a comfortable and confident life.
For further reading, check our article: 8 ways to get through the day with an overactive bladder.
Have you found any of these tips particularly useful? We’d be interested to hear from you in the comments below.
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