Did you know that most of the time your pelvic floor acts as an endurance muscle?

70% of the pelvic floor is made up of slow twitch muscle fibers that sustain low level activation over long periods of time. That’s because the pelvic floor is a postural core muscle; it helps you stand or sit upright all day long, and supports all your abdominal contents so they stay where they ought to be (stomach, intestines, bladder, uterus, etc).

The other 30% of the pelvic floor is made up of quick twitch fibers that generate a fast and high intensity activation over a short period of time. These fibers are helpful for when we feel a cough or a sneeze coming on, or want to jump high or lift something huge.

Since the pelvic floor performs small adjustments and supports against forces within the abdomen continually all day, if the rest of the body isn’t functioning up to par or if supportive muscles aren’t well-coordinated, the pelvic floor can get worn out really fast!

Posture, lifting mechanics, pressure management, core activation patterns, breathing patterns, and even constipation can change how much force and pressure the pelvic floor has to work against with each move we make, thousands of times/day. If you’re lifting, sitting, or carrying in a way that creates excess pressure on your pelvic floor, it’s going to wear out fast and seem like it’s weak or has poor endurance, when in reality you are giving it an unnecessarily heavy workload!

Example:  If you were on a hike carrying a 10lb backpack with water, sunscreen, trail mix, and your phone, you would probably be able to hike longer with fewer breaks than if you were carrying a 50lb backpack filled with library books, a cold
lunchbox of sandwiches, pie, and bottled juice.  You could strengthen your legs to get further, but it’s faster and smarter to pack efficiently using only lightweight necessary items to get more mileage and speed!

Focusing on (QUALITY) kegels can increase the capacity of the pelvic floor. But addressing dysfunction in the movement and pressure management systems of the body can make an even BIGGER difference, faster!

Work smarter, not harder!

Frustrated with kegels?  Schedule a visit!