PELVIC FLOOR FITNESS

Recent article written by Brenna for The Ladner Birchtree Summer Newsletter

The deep core muscular system is in fact our “true core” and supports our

bodies in all physical endeavors. Starting from our earliest engagement in

various sports and physical activities, we need to be aware of the

importance of a strong pelvic floor.

The Pfilates program (pelvic floor pfilates) is unique in that it involves

training movements that result in an excellent lower body toning program,

as the exercises have been drawn from yoga and pfilates and have been

selected and tested from over 120 different movements.

Beginning with posture, PFMT provides stability and correct alignment of

the pelvis and support and alignment of the spine, generating graceful

balance which ensures ease of movement in creative activities such as

dance, gymnastics, or sports such as tennis and golf, where coordination

is important, or in martial arts, where stability and balance are

critical. If you are involved in body building or weight training programs,

the strength of the pelvic floor is critical. Learning about your true deep

core muscles, their location and role in exercise, will result in increased

efficiency and benefits for you. Once you have located and experienced

engagement of the transverses abdominus, (your natural girdle), you will

know when to engage it before lifting weights, or performing strenuous

exercise.

Pulsing, or plyometric exercise is used in training by athletes engaged in

sports that require powerful, explosive movements, such as long

jumping, basketball, volleyball, and sprinting. Plyometric exercise

partially contracts a muscle, then fires it in rapid sequence. The pulsing

phase in pfilates exercises provides this plyometric advantage. Because

the pelvic floor is comprised of both slow twitch and fast twitch muscle

fibres, you can combine strength, endurance and co-ordination by

working the slow twitch fibres, with the ability to produce the explosive

powerful movements required by many sports by strengthening the fast

twitch fibres, avoiding the common flow or leaking of urine.

Essentially, strengthening and toning of the pelvic floor is the first step

when undertaking any fitness program. Only after you have built your

strong central “floor core”, will you be ready to move on to the

conventional “abdominal exercises”. Even after you engage in

abdominal training, you will need to include and continue with your

PFMT. Like any other exercise, you do need to incorporate it into your regular fitness program.