Pelvic Floor

[topfitmama]

Originally Posted by Helen

I was told to do the urinating thing during pre-natal classes as a way to retain strength & to regain it after giving birth - but my children are 13 yrs old, so maybe it's been usurped by more recent information.

My MIL (a SA trained midwife) told me to do that, but my midwife (UK) said not to. The Pregnancy Book that the NHS gives all first time mothers-to-be also said not to stop the urine flow to work the pelvic floor on a regular basis.

It may be outdated advice...

[Keepfitgirl]

I've got Katy Bowman's Down there DVD and was a bit disappointed it didn't go into the pelvic floor and what to do about strengthening it in more detail.

I got it after having a C-Section & was hoping for more info. I think I'm going to write to ask her advice, as I believe that she doesn't agree with doing Kegels and, rather, advocates doing full squats instead.

Emma

[SharonNYC]

From Katy's blog, here's a look at the debate between Katy and the Kegel Queen. Very entertaining, and informative as well. Kegel Queen's youtube video is classic and Katy's discussion with her is quite interesting:

http://www.alignedandwell.com/?p=160...ess&Itemid=223

As with many issues these days, positions are drawn along definite lines, and I think the truth often falls somewhere in between. We live in the Sound-Bite era and everything is framed to get our attention fast and with as few layers of meaning or as little subtlety (or gray area) as possible.

I do lots and lots of malasana (yoga squat) but I work the entire pelvic floor area in much the way beyond.omega describes as well, bringing in the rectis, transverse abdominus etc.

[jerebo]

I don't know whether there's any truth to this or not, but Esther Gokhale, author of 8 Steps to a Pain Free Back, suggests that many problems with the pelvic floor can be corrected by properly aligning the pelvis. The photos in her book are rather convincing. She shows that most Americans tend to tip their pelvis, which means that the pubic bone does not rest below the organs in question. If we keep our pelvis properly aligned, the pubic bone rests below everything. She claims this can help with bladder control issues as well as with so-called incompetent cervix (what a name!).

[susan p]

Sharon, I agree that you need to digest ALL the info out there. I think what Katy brings to the table is a idea that has been largely ignored, which is that there is an opposing muscle group to the pelvic floor that is also an important part of the equation, and the pelvic floor and the glutes both need length and strength, not just one or the other. I never realize how mobile the sacrum is until I watched that video (nor how often my pelvis is tucked!)

But I still do Kegels, too; I wouldn't write them off entirely either, just have to realize they're only PART of the equation.

[SharonNYC]

Originally Posted by susan p

Sharon, I agree that you need to digest ALL the info out there. I think what Katy brings to the table is a idea that has been largely ignored, which is that there is an opposing muscle group to the pelvic floor that is also an important part of the equation, and the pelvic floor and the glutes both need length and strength, not just one or the other. I never realize how mobile the sacrum is until I watched that video (nor how often my pelvis is tucked!)

But I still do Kegels, too; I wouldn't write them off entirely either, just have to realize they're only PART of the equation.

Exactly. I thoroughly enjoy Katy's blog!

And in general, I think any time you're zeroing in on only one muscle, or goup of muscles, you're losing sight of the body works as a whole -- just like people who overwork their abdominal muscles and let the back muscles go to seed.