The pelvic floor completes the lower abdomen. From an evolutionary point of view, the muscles of this area contributed to the development of upright man. The main function of the pelvic floor muscles in the body is to maintain internal organs in their places, to prevent their displacement and diseases caused by a similar condition.
Structure
The pelvic area is limited to the lower edge of the pubic joint, the tip of the coccyx and ischial bones. Regarding the muscles, the bottom is represented by a kind of plate of connective tissue and longitudinal muscles that completely cover the exit. Regardless of gender, the structure of the bottom includes the urogenital part and the anus.
The pelvic floor area is lined with muscle fibers in several layers, the outermost part itself is represented by four bundles.
- The sciatic-cavernous is a ribbon-like muscle.
- Onion-spongy - the area of the spongy muscle tissue around the pubic joint or base of the penis.
- Anal-annular sphincter - a ring that compresses the outer portion of the rectum.
- The superficial transverse section of the perineal muscles - the section from the sciatic tubercles to the central tendons, is responsible for strengthening the latter.
The middle layer has three main elements:
- The urethra and sphincter.
- The vaginal part.
- Transverse deep muscle.
The next inner layer refers to the pelvic diaphragm and anus. In terms of anatomy, it is represented by three pairs of bundles:
- Pubic-coccygeal muscle bundle.
- Sciatic-coccygeal.
- Iliac-coccygeal.
The fundamental difference between the functional structure of men in the pelvic floor
In the body of every person, regardless of gender, the pelvic muscles are responsible for the implementation of acts of defecation and urination, upright posture and maintaining the abdominal organs. Pelvic floor muscles in men are also responsible for erectile function. The weakening of the muscle corset with age or as a result of trauma contributes to the disruption of the reproductive system.
Differences in the features of the pelvic floor of a woman
In addition to the general functions, these muscles in women perform, perhaps, the most vital role - bearing and subsequent birth of the child. The whole period of pregnancy, they have the difficult task of keeping the growing uterus and fetus in place, and during childbirth they are fully responsible for the child’s promotion through the birth canal. Girls who lead a healthy lifestyle, play sports, strengthen the pelvic floor, in most cases do not have problems while waiting for the baby.
Problems in women
Unfortunately, a sedentary lifestyle contributes to a significant weakening of the pelvic floor muscles in women, and the high-quality implementation of the basic functions is not available. The muscles of the arms, legs, and back work constantly, unlike the intimate muscles, which require only forced training to strengthen. As a result of inaction, the greatest injuries are inflicted during childbirth due to overstretching and unpreparedness of the muscles for such extreme loads.
Unpleasant conditions that a girl may encounter after childbirth
In the first weeks after giving birth, a woman with weakened pelvic floor muscles is overtaken by urinary incontinence. With laughter, sneezing, or a strong desire to go to the toilet, the liquid flows out arbitrarily, giving the young mother a lot of discomfort. The body is an ideal machine, it is prone to self-healing, the urination system will return to normal within a couple of months, but it is much more pleasant not to encounter a problem at all than to wait for its resolution.
Wide vaginal syndrome may appear in a woman after childbirth. During intimacy with a partner, the fit will not be so tight and, accordingly, the couple expects a decrease in sensitivity and sexual dissatisfaction.
Gymnastics for training and ensuring normal muscle function
The main problem of the lack of sport in a woman’s life is a lack of time. Work in the office or at the enterprise, children's sections, school, caring for the home and family take a lot of time, and it is very difficult to allocate time to visit a club or coach. Fortunately for all the girls in the world, there are Kegel exercises that you can do at home anytime, in any setting.
Performing a series of simple exercises will not take more than 15 minutes. The result, as after any training, will not be instantaneous, the first visible effect will be noticeable in a couple of weeks. With a daily moderate load, every day there will be a noticeable improvement, and after the birth of a child, the girl will not meet with the above problems.
Kegel Description and Technique
- Interval is the first and one of the simplest exercises for pelvic floor training. During urination, it is worth remembering about your intimate health and holding a stream of urine for 10 seconds, and then relax the muscles. Repeat up to five times.
- Squeezing exercises can be done almost anywhere at a convenient time. Within five minutes, it is recommended to squeeze the external muscles of the pelvis and immediately relax.
- Concentration is aimed at working specifically with the internal muscles of the pelvis. Holding your breath for several seconds, it is necessary to strain the internal muscles of the vagina and fix it for 3-5 seconds, gradually increasing the time.
- The technique of gradual tension is not so simple, for its implementation experience and some specific skills are required. According to the technique of execution, the complex is similar to concentration, but the internal pressure builds up gradually from the bottom up. Relaxation occurs exactly the opposite - gradually from top to bottom.
- A storm or sequential reduction is the final exercise of the complex. The technique is similar to the previous one, the difference is in the sequence of contractions of each of the “muscle floors”. By learning to make this complex, you can authoritatively declare the development of all Kegel exercises.
Preventively a set of exercises to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor is recommended for girls from 20 years old. Shown daily three times the repetition of the entire complex at any convenient time.
When exercise is contraindicated
As in every complex, pelvic floor muscle training cannot be performed in a number of situations and pathological conditions. Do not engage in Kegel exercises if:
- defects in the mucous membrane of the vagina or cervix are present;
- benign or oncological tumor processes of the pelvic organs are present;
- there are inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary system;
- an operative measure was performed, or after a month less than a month has passed;
- there is a risk of uterine or intestinal bleeding.
Pregnancy is not a pathological condition or illness, the period of bearing a child is not a contraindication to pelvic floor training, but the expectant mother should focus solely on her health. Do not spend time on exercises during the period of toxicosis, preeclampsia, uterine tone or the risk of premature birth.
With sufficient attention to such an important area of your body as the muscles of the pelvic floor, the chances of an easy pregnancy and childbirth without negative consequences literally soar. The absence of risk of organ prolapse and full sexual satisfaction in adulthood will help to avoid discomfort, emotional stress for the couple and the need to undergo a rather complicated treatment. All that is needed is just training the pelvic floor muscles twenty minutes three times a day.