Have you ever peed your pants while working out? *Raises hand* Ok, well here’s something worth considering.
Have you ever:
1. peed your pants while exercising or lifting something heavy (a toddler, a keg, a huge ass case of Pellegrino, for example)
2. noticed yourself lifting your shoulders when you inhale? I’m not talking about your lungs expanding naturally, but rather, you actually crowd your ears on a breath in.
(I didn't think I did this, but I actually just noticed myself doing it as I'm typing. Cool!)
3. Did you know the two could be correlated?
Normal, healthy breathing involves your belly expanding on an inhale,which allows your diaphragm to contract and move downward to make space for your lungs as they fill with air.
When you exhale, your diaphragm then relaxes and lifts back up into place as your lungs empty.
But many of us—and I mean A TON of us—routinely involuntarily practice the exact opposite, known as paradoxical breathing.
Paradoxical breathing occurs when you suck your belly IN on an inhale and expand your belly on an exhale.
This isn’t great for a few reasons:
1) Your neck, chest, and shoulders are working to make space for your lungs, which is your diaphragm’s job. (a possible cause of neck strain and/or tight chest muscles, btw)
2) If you expand your belly on an exhale instead of deflating on the exhale, guess what else expands and drops? Your diaphragm. Which puts pressure/strain on your pelvic floor. This is especially true when you’re recruiting a LOT of breath and forcing an exhale, like when lifting or jumping.
3) You’re not getting sufficiently oxygenated and humans NEED oxygen for every feel-good chemical in the body to actually work (more on that next week).
Over time, this can cause pelvic floor weakness/dysfunction since the PF muscles are unable to lift naturally on an exhale as they should. Instead they’re met with the pressure of an expanding diaphragm that keeps them in a short position.
Make sense?
Want to know more about peeing your pants, your overall pelvic floor health, and the difference between an overactive pelvic floor (too tight) and underactive pelvic floor (too weak)?
Then watch my conversation with Eryn Kirschbaum of Mendwell Pelvic Health cause I just pretty much went straight for the jugular and asked all the questions such as:
What does peeing your pants while working out indicate?
Can sex help an overactive pelvic floor? (the answer: sort of yes and also no)
What if you’re just out for a walk and you pee your pants for no apparent reason?
What should you do if you have had diastasis for several years? (answer: the same thing as if it were brand new and yes, you can still heal/strengthen it, even if it’s been 7+ years)
Does barre work/pilates cause more overactive pelvic floors? (answer: maybe?)
Should you workout if you have pelvic floor issues? (hell to the yes is the answer)
And more….
All right, that’s all for now! Would love to hear your thoughts and questions so send 'em on over. Till next time, everybody!
p.s. Remind me to never wear cropped jeans in a sit down interview EVER AGAIN. Thank you.
XO,
