Performing At Your Best: How Pelvic Health Therapy May Improve Athletic Performance

Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD), like urinary incontinence, may affect participation in high-impact exercise, like CrossFit or running, or low-impact exercise, like walking or swimming. In fact, urinary incontinence is most prevalent in female athletes. For example, research shows that 1 in 2 cisgender women who experience urinary incontinence stop or modify their exercise participation due to unwanted leakage¹. However, PFD impacts athletes of all ages and genders. Studies show that in addition to people who have gone through pregnancy or childbirth (cesarean section or vaginal), young athletes who have never been pregnant may also find themselves stopping participation in exercise or sport due to PFD.

Pelvic health therapy has been shown to improve athletic participation in those experiencing pelvic floor dysfunction^3,4. Urinary incontinence and other pelvic floor dysfunctions are often the result of poor habits or pelvic floor muscle function. Athletico’s pelvic health therapists are trained to treat these symptoms and help you return to sport. You deserve to participate at your highest level of athletic performance, and we are here to help.

Pelvic health therapy can improve athletic participation in several ways:

1. Optimize Movement And Pressure Management

Your pelvic health therapist may observe and assess your sport-related movements, such as running, jumping, or squatting. If you experience urinary leakage or other pelvic floor dysfunctions while performing these movements, your therapist will identify strategies to reduce unwanted symptoms. They may tweak your body mechanics during the movement, teach you to land lighter on your feet or help you breathe differently while exercising.

2. Pelvic Floor Coordination, Strength, And Endurance

The pelvic floor muscles work like any other muscles in the body. The muscles should be able to contract and relax, and they should be flexible and coordinated. Your pelvic health therapist will assess your pelvic floor function and teach you how to perform various pelvic floor contractions (Kegels) to improve your muscle endurance, coordination, strength, and flexibility. Your therapist will then show you how to integrate the pelvic floor into advanced exercises that replicate your sport and will progress your exercises until you are able to participate without thinking about what your pelvic floor is doing.

3. Forming Good Habits

Do you find yourself keeping your abdominal muscles pulled in tight all day? Do you lift weights but never stretch your muscles? Do you continue to use the bathroom “just in case” throughout the day? Do you strain with bowel movements? If yes, a pelvic health therapist will help you learn to replace these bad habits with better ones. PFD, such as urinary incontinence, can often be influenced by factors like diet, constipation, muscle clenching, or toileting habits that are performed over time. Your therapist will help you understand what physically and mentally affects your pelvic floor habits so that you can find ways to create new habits that help you return to athletic participation without worrying about pelvic floor symptoms.

If you are an athlete who experiences pelvic floor dysfunction or a non-athlete who enjoys exercising or going to the gym, consider consulting an Athletico pelvic health therapist to optimize your long-term performance and participation.

Find a Pelvic Health Therapist Near You

The Athletico blog is an educational resource written by Athletico employees. Athletico bloggers are licensed professionals who abide by the code of ethics outlined by their respective professional associations. The content published in blog posts represents the opinion of the individual author based on their expertise and experience. The content provided in this blog is for informational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice and should not be relied on for making personal health decisions.

References:
1. Dakic, J., Hay-Smith, J., Cook, J., Lin, K., Calo, M., Frawley, H. (2021). Effect of pelvic floor symptoms on women’s participation in exercise: a mixed-methods systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, 51(5), 318-378. https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2021.10200
2. Dakic, J., Cook, J., Hay-Smith, j. Lin, K., Frawley, H. (2021). Pelvic floor disorders stop women exercising: A survey of 4556 symptomatic women. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 24(12), 1211-1217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2021.06.003
3. Culleton-Quinn, E., Bø, K., Fleming, N. et al. Elite female athletes’ experiences of symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction: A systematic review. Int Urogynecol J 33, 2681–2711 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-022-05302-6
4. Giagio, S., Innocenti, T., Pillastrini, P., Gava, G., Salvioli, S. (2021). What is known from the existing literature about the available interventions for pelvic floor dysfunction among female athletes? A scoping review. Neurourology and Urodynamics, 41, 573-584. DOI: 10.1002/nau.24883