WORK OUT WHERE?

YOU TRAIN LEGS, YOU TRAIN BACK, YOU TRAIN ARMS — BUT HOW OFTEN DO YOU TRAIN YOUR PELVIC FLOOR? HERE’S WHY YOU SHOULD.

- JILL SCHILDHOUSE

It affects roughly a quarter of all U.S. women, yet the overwhelming silence that accompanies living with a pelvic floor disorder (PFD) is deafening.

PFD is any condition that affects your ability to contract or relax your pelvic floor muscles, which can contribute to urinary incontinence, constipation, pain during intercourse, sexual dysfunction and even lower-back pain. Yes, it can be embarrassing, and some women feel the need to avoid certain impact exercises such as jumping rope, standing for long periods or even lifting a child.

Pelvic floor issues can present at any point in your life, but Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas, DPT, PT, PRPC, pelvic floor physical therapy manager at Greater Boston Urology in Dedham, Massachusetts, outlines a few common causes:

PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH. Unsurprisingly, the weight of a growing baby places extra pressure on your pelvic floor and organs. Childbirth and labor (even in the case of a cesarean section) can injure the muscles and nerves of the pelvic floor.

MENOPAUSE. Hormonal changes associated with menopause can cause atrophy (aka, shrinkage or weakening) of the vulva and vagina, as well as in the ligaments and muscles that support your pelvic organs.