The pelvic floor is a very delicate area of women and for this reason we should not avoid doing sports, but on the contrary, we must carry out some sports activity on a regular basis, but taking into account the prohibited exercises for the pelvic floor, which are those that they damage and weaken it.
Strengthening the pelvic floor in adulthood will help us reduce and prevent urine leakage and other problems related to weakened pelvic muscles . We have already said that exercising is of vital importance especially if we want to have a healthy life, but in the case of the pelvic muscles, not all sports are well regarded, but there are some forbidden.
The pelvic floor is a set of muscles found in the lower abdomen that supports the bladder, vagina, and rectum. All these muscles deteriorate with age, some women happen earlier and others are considerably delayed, but it ends up arriving as happens with menopause.
There are factors that influence this deterioration, apart from age, and there is the physical condition, the type of sport that is carried out, obesity, chronic cough, having several deliveries and not taking care of the pelvic area, etc.
If we like high-impact sports (running, lifting weights, jumping, cycling, etc.) and that cause pressure in the intimate area, then we will be interested in knowing which sports are prohibited for damaging the pelvic floor.
The worst exercises for pelvic floor health
Exercising is very healthy, although along the way there are a number of questions to be taken into account and today we are going to discuss a very important one for women. Is this exercise good for my pelvic floor? If it’s on this list, no.
Running
Running is the jogging of a lifetime and it has become very fashionable for several years. In fact, we are not saying that it is not recommended and healthy. On the contrary, it is one of the best sports we can do, as long as we take good preventive measures such as wearing quality shoes with VERY good cushioning and we do not push our body to the limit.
This sporting practice brings many benefits to the body, but it has a hidden side and that is that it weakens the pelvic floor. It is an impact sport that negatively influences the pelvic muscles and the greater the intensity, the greater the damage.
Paddle and tennis
They are two seemingly harmless sports, right? Well, the reality is quite different and that is that both sports are considered prohibited for the pelvic floor . In both sports practices, sudden and repetitive movements of certain impact are carried out with abdominal pressure in positions of body flexion.
In summary, when practicing paddle tennis and tennis the pelvic muscles are weakened because the efforts are directed to areas with less resistance of the pelvic floor itself and what is achieved is to accelerate the consequences such as loss of urine, for example.
Crossfit
Actually, any cardio training board that involves impact activities where you perform repetitive movements with force and pressure , such as sit-ups and jumping jacks. Crossfit itself is considered a high-impact activity that we must learn to control and reduce if we do not want to severely weaken our pelvic muscles.
Surely our coach will be able to tell us some changes and recommendations to avoid those annoying consequences of having a weakened pelvic floor in the long term.
Cycling
Cycling is an impact sport, as long as it is done on robust and hard terrain, such as mountain biking. However, if we ride a bike as a walk through flat areas without bumps in a relaxing way, then technically we could continue with our routine, but making some important changes.
- Use suitable and breathable clothing with protection in the pelvic area.
- Use a padded saddle adapted to the size of our body.
- Position the chair correctly so that the legs are bent.
- Pedal in an upright posture.
- Only use the bike in soft, flat areas without bumps or rough terrain where you have to make great efforts.
Spinning classes are not recommended for women who are elderly or who already have symptoms of a weakened pelvic floor. In that case the best is elliptical, yoga, Pilates, mild fitness, etc.
There are other sports that are not recommended so as not to weaken the muscles of the intimate area and are horse riding, aerobics, athletics, trampoline jumping, jumping on trampolines , skiing, weightlifting or heavy lifting, etc.
Beneficial alternatives for the pelvic muscles
Leaving aside the exercises that harm the health of our intimate area, there are others that could be taken as alternatives, since they are gentler sports practices, but they also start our heart and with which we exercise the whole body.
The first ones are yoga and pilates , two modalities that seem boring from the outside, but once the tests you realize that you are getting in shape “almost effortlessly”. By playing with relaxation, gentle movements and breaths cause beneficial effects on our body and above all respect the pelvic floor.
The good thing about Pilates is that hypopressive abdominals are practiced and with them it is possible to tone the pelvic muscles apart from the abdominals and the muscles that are responsible for stabilizing the spine.
Swimming is also recommended, yes, not in excess or extreme competition, but exercises in the water are quite recommended. Swimming is not an impact sport and its regular practice, that is, several times a week, helps to control weight and the good health of the pelvic muscles.
If we want to practice other types of sports, it is convenient that we consult with a specialist in women’s training, and better still, with a specialist in pelvic floor. Only they will guide us on the right path to improve the health of the intimate area.
