Some exercises can damage the perineum and cause urinary leaks. Here are some of them. Conversely, what sports activities can strengthen the perineum? Let’s take stock!
After giving birth, the perineum is a fragile area that needs to be taken care of. Even if the sunny days encourage us to do more sport, be aware that certain exercises can damage the perineum and worsen urinary leaks. Here are the movements to avoid in order to preserve it and those to favor to strengthen it.
Protect the perineum: avoid crunches and heavy weights
The perineum supports several organs, including the bladder, rectum, and genitals. This set of muscles, membranes, and ligaments helps keep the sphincters closed to prevent incontinence. However, by performing sit-ups or “crunches”, we are engaging the stomach and increasing intra-abdominal pressure.. This movement presses on the organs and flattens the perineum. This exercise helps to lengthen the muscle tissues of the perineum. As a result, this can worsen urinary leakage.
To do abs properly, make sure your stomach is pulled in and not pushed out. When you bring your shoulders closer to your pelvis, your back muscles have to relax – so they don’t work – you increase the pressure on your viscera and all the organs that push forward and down. “, explains Bernadette de Gasquet, doctor, yoga teacher and author of the book Abs, stop the massacre et Perineum, let’s stop the massacre.
To avoid pushing the organs down, you can perform hypopressive abs. These are performed by contracting the abdominals while exhaling from the bottom to the top. This allows the diaphragm and viscera to be pushed upwards. Similarly, if you are carrying heavy weights such as dumbbells to strengthen your arms, shoulders or pectorals, be careful with your movements. To perform this exercise without damaging the perineum, it is necessary to pull in your stomach and contract the perineum.
Favor exercises that do not push the organs downward.
Running and Zumba, bad for the perineum
If you’re thinking about joining a gym to get in shape, be aware that running and Zumba can put a strain on your pelvic floor. These two sports are very trendy at the moment, however, they put too much strain on this small muscle.
In fact, so-called “impact” sports, such as cardio training or tennis, are sports that can cause urinary leakage. This can also affect women who have not had children. When practicing these sports, the impact on the ground is transmitted to the perineum which has difficulty absorbing the various shocks. The perineum is a fragile muscle and these sports lead to incontinence problems. When practicing Zumba, the abdominal belt is used as well as the perineal muscle.
It is better to avoid running, or to practice it in moderation, to protect your perineum.
What exercises can you do to strengthen your perineum?
To prevent risks, it is necessary to strengthen your perineum. Because a perineum that becomes too distended can cause organ prolapse. To avoid these problems, focus on spinal stretching exercises. This can be core strengthening or static exercises. Also, be aware of your breathing. Take a deep breath through your nose towards your rib cage. Then, exhale through your mouth, blowing gently with your navel pulled in.
To strengthen your perineum, you can lie on your back with your legs bent and your knees together. Then, contract your perineum. Then release it and continue in the same way for up to 10 repetitions. Probes are also available to strengthen your perineum. These allow you to strengthen the different muscles of your perineum while saving this information on your smartphone. Various adapted and fun programs are available.
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Article updated
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Source: www.consoglobe.com
