The Pelvic Floor
What’s all this talk about the “pelvic floor”? Why is my Fitmama Strong instructor always mentioning it in class? In the pelvis area, the “pelvic floor” is like a series of slings/straps of muscles that form support for the urethra, the vagina, and the anus. These muscles are shown below in relation to the vaginal opening, and the anal canal.
Visualise your pelvic floor and see exactly what it is, where it's located and why it is important to train this hidden group of muscles.
All muscles need exercise and a “load” (if you will) to respond and maintain or gain strength. These muscles are put under an increased load during pregnancy (particularly during the 2nd and 3rd trimester), and need training to support the load. That’s where our squats and lunges come into play!
Lunges trigger your quads (thighs), glutes (butt), core (abdominal muscles) and calves, and they also stabilize your hips. Strength in these muscles directly impacts the strength of the pelvic floor.
Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist Specialists are a growing field in preventative and restorative care, especially for women in their child-bearing years. There are many specialists that can help by assessing you before, during and after pregnancy, working with you to develop a set of exercises and routines you can follow at each of these stages. They will help you understand if your pelvic floor has too much tension (hypertonic) or has low-tone/weakness (hypotonic).
Too often, women will ignore symptoms related to their pelvic floor, such as incontinence (for instance, peeing when you sneeze… While this may be common, it’s definitely not something that should happen at the same time!), painful intercourse, an immediate need to pee or poop (yes, that’s right… it comes without warning and you can’t hold it in!) general pain or heaviness in the genitals, just to name a few.
Generally, OHIP does not cover pelvic floor specialists. However, it does cover physiotherapists, so talk with your doctor to determine if there are any creative work-arounds. Often corporate or government health care plans often cover pelvic floor specialists, when they fall into the physiotherapist category, although you may need a referral from your healthcare provider. Learn more about government funded physiotherapy here: https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-physiotherapy
Fees for an initial appointment will range from $100-$180 depending on many factors (length of appointment, items included in assessment, etc.).
At Fitmama Strong, we always have some great resources to recommend in our regions (Durham Region and Ottawa) and if you’re not in our local areas, we can always help you find a resource close to you. Drop us a line and ask!
Other resources that might be of interest:
http://www.heyfitmama.com/exercising-your-pelvic-floor/ (Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist from Australia – great resources on their website!)
https://www.webmd.com/women/guide/do-i-have-pelvic-organ-prolapse
https://www.continence.org.au/pages/pelvic-floor-muscle-exercises.html
Interested in joining us? Our classes are a great way to meet other new parents. Fitmama Strong Online has been operating classes online from our virtual studio since 2020. Our community is a thriving and welcoming space for you and your littles.
We offer Prenatal Fitness classes, live from our virtual studio. Our series of Prenatal classes includes On-Demand Prenatal Yoga classes. Our 30 minute live, online Express classes our our On-Demand library of pre-recorded workouts are a favourite for busy mamas who enjoy consistency in their workout regime.
If you’re new to Fitmama Strong Online, try one of our 3 Class Passes! You can use them at our postnatal Express Strong and Express Elevate classes. It doesn’t matter if your baby was born 6 weeks ago or 6 years ago, we have something for all postnatal members! Already been to Fitmama Strong classes? Grab a monthly membership and keep moving:)
Finally, we offer in-person Stroller Fitness and Babywearing Fitness through our Durham Region and Ottawa locations. We can’t wait to have you join us!
We can’t wait for you to #startwithus and #growwithus. Find your Fitmama Strong Location!