How does my Posture Affect my Pelvic Floor?
How are you holding your body right now?
As you read this, you’re likely looking at your phone or computer and there’s a good chance you are slouching or hunched over.
But what does that have to do with my pelvis?
Posture, or the way we hold our bodies upright against gravity, has a direct impact on our pelvic floor muscles.
When we slouch, our pelvic floor muscles become less active and eventually can weaken or tighten over time. In addition to our pelvic floor muscles, our transverse abdominis muscle in our abdomen becomes compressed when we slouch. This leads to taking shallower breaths, not fully expanding our diaphragm and therefore not allowing our pelvic floor muscles to fully relax and lengthen. Bad posture can contribute to muscles in your pelvic floor becoming tight. A tight or weak pelvic floor can lead to issues such as incontinence, prolapse, or pain with sex.
So, how should I be sitting?
- Be sure to keep your feet on the floor or use a footrest if necessary
- Don’t cross your legs
- Balance your weight evenly across your sit bones
- Relax your shoulders and pull them back
- Keep head and neck relaxed
- Use a low back support if necessary, a lumbar cushion can be beneficial
And what about standing?
- Place your feet about shoulder width apart
- Don’t lock your knees, keep then relaxed and slightly bent
- Pull your shoulders back but do not force this
- Keep your weight balanced on each foot
How can I work on improving my posture?
Try to make a habit of proper sitting or standing postures. Eventually over time it will start to feel more natural. Most importantly, remember to change your positions frequently! Your body is made for motion, and holding any position, seated or standing, for extended periods of time can compromise your posture and may put you at higher risk of pelvic floor injury. Aim to move your body 3-5 minutes every 30 minutes of sitting or standing you do, this can look like gentle stretching or just walking to the kitchen to get a glass of water!
We Can Help!
If you’re still unsure of “how to fix” your posture or not sure if you have a good ergonomic work set-up, consider scheduling an evaluation with a physical therapist! As physical therapists we specialize in evaluating movement and how your body responds to that movement. Body Harmony Physical Therapy offers one on one physical therapy sessions for both pelvic floor and orthopedic conditions. Our treatments are for up to one hour in a private treatment room.
