When people think about building strength in the pelvic floor, they often think about Kegels, breathwork, or bladder control exercises. This overlooks one of the simplest and most straightforward influences on pelvic floor health – posture.
The way you sit, stand, and move throughout the day directly affects how your pelvic floor muscles work. Posture has to do with alignment, pressure, and coordination throughout the entire body.
How does posture affect the pelvic floor, and what changes can you make to support both?
Understanding the pelvic floor
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues that form a supportive “hammock” at the base of the pelvis. These muscles help support the pelvic organs, control bladder and bowel function, support normal sexual function, stabilize the spine and pelvic, and manage pressure within the abdomen.
While important to the body as a whole, the pelvic floor doesn’t do this on its own. It functions together with the diaphragm, deep abdominal muscles, and back muscles. Dysfunction in one of these areas can lead to dysfunction in other areas.
When you inhale, your diaphragm moves downwards and ideally, the pelvic floor gently lengthens. When you exhale, the diaphragm rises and the pelvic floor recoils. These coordinated movements depend on a proper neutral alignment of the rib cage over the pelvis. When the diaphragm and pelvic floor are aligned, pressure is evenly distributed and muscles can contract and relax. When there is a misalignment present, pressure may shift, muscles may become overactive or weak, and the pelvic floor may struggle to respond properly. Over time, this misalignment can lead to noticeable symptoms.
Poor posture can show up in unexpected places
Slouching at a desk or on a couch, overarching the back, flaring the ribs, and sitting with the head hanging forward are common behaviors that contribute to symptoms related to poor posture.
The misalignment and misdirection of pressure from the diaphragm through pelvic floor that results from poor posture can show up in a number of ways. It’s not just back pain – poor posture can look like constipation, pelvic pain, organ prolapse, and urinary incontinence.
Good sitting posture supports pelvic floor health – here’s how!
Many people spent hours each day sitting. The way you sit can significantly affect your pelvic floor. Proper sitting posture can support overall comfort and stability, as well as the pelvic floor.
Supportive sitting posture includes:
- Feet flat on the floor
- Weight evenly distributed on your sit bones
- Rib cage stacked over pelvis
- Natural spinal curves maintained
If you sit for prolonged periods:
- Take standing or walking breaks every 30-60 minutes
- Avoid slumping forward or leaning to one side
- Use lumbar support if needed
Take a moment to learn diaphragmatic breathing – Sit tall, with one hand on your rib cage and one on your abdomen. Practice slow breaths that expand the rib cage in all directions. This supports coordination between the diaphragm and pelvic floor; be sure to breathe properly and avoid shallow breathing.
Perfect posture isn’t the goal; better posture is
Want to take the first steps towards improving your posture? Try varying your sitting positions throughout the day, take regular movement breaks, be aware of your body positioning, and breathe intentionally.
Think poor posture may be affecting your pelvic floor?
You may benefit from a posture assessment by a pelvic floor physical therapist if you regularly experience urinary leakage, pelvic pressure or pain, tailbone pain, chronic constipation, or difficulty achieving a full bowel movement. Posture is rarely entirely to blame for these complaints, but is often involved.
Good posture is about more than looks…it affects the strength and stability of the entire body. If you’re suffering with any of the symptoms mentioned above, there is a way to address them.
Your pelvic floor is part of a whole system. Supporting that system starts with the way you sit, stand, and breathe each day. If you’re struggling with where to start or feel like you’re not getting results, reach out to a pelvic floor physical therapist for an initial assessment.
Body Restoration Physical Therapy specializes in treating pelvic floor dysfunction, and is conveniently located in Roslyn Heights, New York. Contact us today to learn more or book your first appointment.