Strengthen your pelvic floor muscles

Pelvic floor muscles sit at the base of your pelvis. Here are a couple of illustrations showing these muscles. Note that the top photo shows a woman's innards, but the musculature is the same for men.

These are important muscles. They contribute to overall core strength and hold multiple organs in place, including the bladder and bowel, insuring they work properly. They are vital for everything from basic bathroom functions to sitting and standing. As one professional states, the pelvic floor is “just as important in your daily life as your Achilles is for running, because we use it for everything.” Historically, there’s been some prudishness about the area. (The pudendal nerve, that runs through the pelvic floor, comes from a Latin word that means “to be ashamed.”)

When the pelvic floor muscles aren’t working well, you can have urinary incontinence, pelvic pain, pelvic organ prolapse, or a combination of both. Symptoms of a weak pelvic floor are leaking pee or poop, or feeling the need to pee when you don’t have to. Both men and women can experience these issues.

You can strengthen these muscles with exercises, commonly known as Kegel exercises. Kegel exercises can give you better control over your bladder and bowels and prevent your pelvic muscles from getting weak. It’s tricky to feel these muscles. You can get a feel for them by trying to stop peeing after you’ve started, or imagine you’re trying to prevent yourself from passing gas. (Women tend to know about Kegel exercises, but they are just as valuable for men.) I don’t want to include the exercises here, but you’ll have no trouble finding them on Google.

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