Can Running Improve Pelvic Floor

Increasing your cadence by a small amount can decrease forces through the body leading to less impact through the pelvic floor.

Can running improve pelvic floor.

To prepare the pelvic floor for a demand like running we have to ask it to do things that match that demand says wiebe. Pelvic physiotherapist michelle kenway says you can reduce the stresses on your pelvic floor when you run by. When it comes to walking and running holding in your pelvic floor is the last thing you want to do. Running itself will not improve this group of muscles.

What is the effect of running on the pelvic floor. What is the pelvic floor. When you are running walking or just doing other daily movements the pelvic floor plays a major yet often silent role. Yes you did read that right.

Over time this repetitive force can weaken the pelvic floor muscles. Bear in mind that over tightening your upper abdominals may also cause a pushing effect into the pelvic floor making you bear down on your pelvic floor putting more pressure on it. Running is a form of high impact exercise. The following exercises train the pelvic floor to be responsive go through a range of motion and engage in larger body movements and be involved in a functional pattern that translates into running.

When you re doing these activities your pelvic floor is working. As your heel strikes for each step the force travels up your leg to your pelvic area. A strong well supported pelvic floor will better withstand the pressure and impact associated with running when compared with a weak dysfunctional pelvic floor. Researchgate contributing authors the pelvic floor consists of muscles at the bottom of your pelvis that help hold up your bladder and close off the bottom of your abdominal cavity.

First running increases intra abdominal pressure by as much as 2 5 times. The good news is there are running techniques to help soften the blow to your pelvic floor. Second each time your heel hits the ground your pelvic floor muscles contract to absorb the force. A well coordinated strong pelvic floor will contract and relax up to 3 000 times during a 30 minute run.

A functional pelvic floor will contract on each heel strike about 3000 times for a 30 min run to cushion the force from the leg. Mixing up your running surfaces to avoid continually running on hard surfaces think gravel sand and grass instead of roads and cement paths reducing your stride length running speed or running distance wearing well cushioned footwear. Another way to reduce the impact when running is to increase your cadence the number of steps you take in a minute.