Pelvic floor muscles (Image AI Generated)
In our day-to-day life, most of us are unaware of the fact that some of our daily activities are slowly and steadily weakening some of the very important muscle group that is pelvic floor muscles. Unlike other muscles, damaged pelvic floor muscle does not cause much pain specially in its initial stage thereby leading to the final stages of pelvic floor disruption. And the symptoms of damaged pelvic floor muscle produce symptoms like urinary leakage, pelvic organ prolapse, urinary or fecal incontinence.
According to Dr. Sandip Banerjee, Founder, Pelvinic- Micro Hospital, here are five everyday habits that could be harming your pelvic health and what you can do about them.
This one is the most common habit these days. We take our phones to the bathroom, and what was supposed to be a two-minute visit turns into ten or more. The mobile distraction leads to sitting in the defecation posture for long, thereby increasing pressure on the rectal and pelvic floor tissues. Over time, this can contribute to hemorrhoids, anal fissures, pelvic floor strain, and worsening pelvic organ prolapse.
Modern stressful life is resulting in increasing incidences of chronic constipation among population and hence the response to overcome constipation for many is to push harder. That "pushing down" movement when you strain to open your bowels can overstretch your pelvic floor and make it weaker. Chronic constipation and straining can put excessive pressure on the pelvic floor muscles, leading to issues such as pelvic organ prolapse and hemorrhoids.
If your job keeps you at a desk for more than eight hours a day, again the pelvic floor is paying the price. Sitting for long periods can weaken pelvic floor muscles and reduce blood flow, compromising pelvic support. It's not just about restricted movement because of prolonged sitting but about the sustained pressure and lack of muscle engagement that comes with a sedentary lifestyle
Chronic cough specially in chronic smokers, asthma, or bronchitis do have sudden spike of pressure through abdomen and onto your pelvic floor. That pressure is being applied hundreds of times a day. Over time, this repeated force weakens the pelvic floor muscles and can lead to stress urinary incontinence. The repeated coughs gradually weaken the pelvic floor, making leakages more likely-
Exercise is good, but not all exercise is good for pelvic floor. High-impact sports significantly increase the risk of pelvic floor dysfunctions, especially in women above 40 years of age. The most commonly reported symptom is stress urinary incontinence, with prevalence rates reaching up to 80% among female athletes. Even professional runners and Zumba enthusiasts can experience leakage from the repetitive impact of stretching wrongly.
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