When it comes to overall wellness, the health of your pelvic floor may not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, these often overlooked muscles play a crucial role in everything from core stability to bladder control to sexual health. In recent years, the discussion around pelvic floor health has gained momentum, highlighting the importance of maintaining and strengthening these muscles. But why is toning your pelvic floor really important?

In this article, we interviewed Sandra Koh of Theresa, a holistic medical group in Singapore that recently launched its Vagifacial program at Cosmo Aesthetic Medispa, also under the name Theresa. From exploring the profound impact a strong pelvic floor can have on your life, to debunking myths and practical tips to make sure you’re giving those muscles the attention they deserve, here’s everything you need to know about pelvic floor health.

What are pelvic floor muscles and why are they important for overall health?

Pelvic floor care is all about keeping the muscles in the lower pelvic area strong and healthy. These muscles support important organs like the bladder, uterus and bowel and play a big role in controlling things like urination, bowel movements and even sexual function.

After birth: After having a baby, your pelvic floor muscles may be stretched and weakened by the pressure and weight of pregnancy and the birth itself. This can lead to problems such as leaking urine when laughing, sneezing or coughing (urinary incontinence) or even problems with bowel control.

Long-term consequences of neglect: If you don’t take care of your pelvic floor after giving birth, these problems can get worse over time. This can lead to persistent bladder leakage, a feeling of heaviness in the pelvic area (as if something is “falling out”), or even sexual discomfort. In the long term, weak pelvic floor muscles can lead to prolapse, where the organs they support begin to sag or press into the vaginal canal, causing further discomfort and complications.

To take care of your pelvic floor, you can do specific exercises such as Kegel exercises that strengthen these muscles, as well as paying attention to how you lift heavy objects or how you control your body weight. This is an important part of postpartum recovery and maintaining your overall health as you age.

What common problems can arise from weak pelvic floor muscles?

Weak pelvic floor muscles can lead to a variety of problems, including:

Urinary incontinence: This is one of the most common problems. Involuntary loss of urine can occur, especially when coughing, sneezing, laughing or during physical activity (stress incontinence).

Fecal incontinence: Similar to urinary incontinence, weak pelvic floor muscles can lead to difficulty controlling bowel movements, which can result in involuntary loss of stool or gas.

Pelvic organ prolapse: Weak muscles can cause pelvic organs such as the bladder, uterus or rectum to sink lower into the pelvis and sometimes protrude into the vagina. This can cause discomfort, a feeling of heaviness or even visible bulging.

Sexual dysfunction: Weak pelvic floor muscles can lead to a decrease in sexual sensation, problems with arousal or pain during intercourse.

Chronic pelvic pain: Some people with weak pelvic floor muscles experience persistent pain or discomfort in the pelvic area.

Lower back pain: The pelvic floor is part of your core. If it is weak, it can lead to lower back pain as this area lacks support and stability.

To prevent these problems, it is important to keep the pelvic floor muscles strong. This is especially true after events such as pregnancy, age or surgery, which can lead to weakening of the pelvic floor muscles.

How can pelvic floor exercises specifically help alleviate these symptoms?

Pelvic floor exercises, often called Kegel exercises, are specifically designed to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor. These muscles support the bladder, uterus and rectum and play a crucial role in controlling urinary and bowel functions as well as sexual function. Here’s how pelvic floor exercises help improve certain conditions:

1. Urinary incontinence

Strengthening control: Regular pelvic floor exercises strengthen the muscles that control the bladder and urethra, reducing or preventing stress incontinence (leakage during activities such as coughing or sneezing) and urge incontinence (sudden, strong urge to urinate).

Bladder support: By improving muscle tone, the pelvic floor supports the bladder better, reducing pressure on it and preventing leakage.

2. Recovery after pregnancy

Restoration of muscle tone: Pregnancy and childbirth can stretch and weaken the pelvic floor muscles. Exercises help restore muscle tone and reduce the risk of long-term problems such as prolapse or incontinence.

Supportive healing: These exercises can also promote blood circulation in the area, aid healing, and relieve postpartum discomfort.

3. Pelvic organ prolapse

Prevention or treatment of prolapse: Strengthening the pelvic floor can help hold the pelvic organs in place, reducing the chance of prolapse (where organs such as the bladder or uterus slip out of their normal position) or treating mild cases.

Relief of symptoms: For women who already suffer from prolapse, these exercises can relieve symptoms such as heaviness or discomfort in the pelvic area.

4. Bowel control

Improving sphincter control: Stronger pelvic floor muscles can improve control of the anal sphincter and thus reduce the risk of fecal incontinence (loss of stool) or urinary urgency.

Support digestive health: Pelvic floor exercises contribute to the smooth functioning of the digestive system by maintaining muscle tone.

5. Sexual function

Increased sensation: Stronger pelvic floor muscles can increase sexual sensation and orgasm in both men and women.

Sexual health support: For men, pelvic floor exercises can help with problems such as erectile dysfunction, while women may find that they reduce discomfort during intercourse.

6. Pain relief

Relief from pelvic pain: Regular exercise can relieve chronic pelvic pain by improving muscle function and reducing muscle tension in the area.

What misconceptions are there about pelvic floor exercises?

Many people believe that only women need to do pelvic floor exercises, especially after childbirth. However, these exercises can also be beneficial for men, especially for problems such as incontinence or recovery after prostate surgery.

It’s common to think that pelvic floor exercises are only necessary if you already have problems like incontinence or prolapse. In reality, these exercises can be preventative and help maintain pelvic health before problems arise.

While Kegel exercises are a well-known pelvic floor exercise, the pelvic floor is a complex muscle group that benefits from a variety of exercises, including those aimed at relaxation and coordination.

Signs and symptoms of a weak pelvic floor

Women with a weak pelvic floor may experience the following symptoms:

1. Urinary incontinence

Stress incontinence: Loss of urine during activities that increase abdominal pressure, such as coughing, sneezing, laughing, or exercise.

Urge incontinence: A sudden, intense urge to urinate, followed by involuntary loss of urine.

Frequent urination: Urge to urinate more often than usual, especially at night.

2. Pelvic organ prolapse

A feeling of heaviness, pulling, or bulging in the vaginal area. Some women describe this as a feeling like something is “falling out” of the vagina.

3. Sexual dysfunction

Pain during sexual intercourse (dyspareunia).

Decreased sensation or difficulty achieving orgasm.

4. Lower back pain

Persistent or chronic lower back pain, possibly due to lack of support from the pelvic floor muscles.

Can pelvic floor exercises benefit women at all stages of life, from postpartum to menopause?

Recovery after birth: Pelvic floor exercises can help strengthen muscles that have become stretched or weakened during pregnancy and childbirth. This can prevent or relieve problems such as urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.

Support: Strengthening these muscles can also improve overall core stability, improve posture, and relieve lower back pain that is common after childbirth.

Hormonal changes in perimenopause and menopause: During menopause, the decline in estrogen levels can weaken the pelvic floor muscles. Regular exercise can mitigate the effects of these hormonal changes and reduce the risk of incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.

Bone health: Pelvic floor exercises, especially when combined with other forms of strength training, can help maintain bone density, which is crucial during and after menopause.

Ongoing support in old age: As women age, maintaining pelvic floor strength can improve bladder control and reduce the risk of falls by improving overall core stability.

Quality of life: Strong pelvic floor muscles can contribute to a better quality of life by maintaining independence and preventing common problems such as incontinence.