Dr. Nidhi Sharma, on the right, is a pelvic floor physical therapist working in New York City.
Nidhi was a guest speaker on an IMS webinar that I attended during the pandemic. Her philosophy really resonates with me as many of her principles align with the Integrative Movement System; align, breath, and control.
The newsletter below is one that I received from Nidhi and with her permission I am reposting it. Yes, it is geared to women, however men, you too have pelvic floors and can benefit from the information given.
Enjoy!
Today I want to talk about how to “protect” your pelvic floor. A question that I often get on my social media posts is:
“How should I protect their pelvic floor? How should I strengthen it? How can I make sure that I don’t get injuries?”
In younger years, in pregnancy, in perimenopause, and in menopause.
How many Kegels (pelvic floor squeezes) should you do in a day to keep your pelvic floor strong? To PREVENT having any issues… 50, 100, 200?!
Well the answer is ZERO!
Yep. You don’t need to do any Kegels to PREVENT pelvic floor injuries. None. Not one.
And if you’re confused by that answer, let me ask you a similar question:
How many Butt squeezes do you do in a day to keep your hips healthy?
Your answer is Zero (I hope it is!)
Instead, you need to do bridges, squats, lunges and deadlifts to keep your hips healthy. You need to do hip openers and mobility work to keep your hips healthy. You need to be mindful of how you sit and how long you sit to keep your hips healthy. You need to walk around, and generally move more to keep your hips healthy.
You see…. to prevent an injury, you don’t need to do isolated contractions of a muscle. Instead, you need to make sure that the muscle or body part is moving and functioning well within the context of your life.
While Kegel exercises can be a starting point for people who have existing pelvic floor issues to help them release, engage, or train this muscle; people who do not have any issues with pelvic floor don’t need to do Kegels. Sure, if you want to learn how to do a proper Kegel, go ahead and do it! Knowledge hasn’t hurt anyone.
BUT when it comes down to training to prevent pelvic floor problems, here are three things you need to do:
1. Understand how your breath and pelvic floor are connected!
Every time you inhale, your pelvic floor relaxes a little. Every time you exhale your pelvic floor contracts a little.
If you understand and follow this cycle, all you need to do is to exercise and strengthen your entire body and your pelvic floor will get stronger by itself. That is ….Exhale with exertion as you do squats, lunges and deadlifts. They are ALL a pelvic floor workout.
Also, puhleassse Breathe well! Breathe into your belly. Breathe into your back. Breathe in your sides. Get your breath to distribute THROUGHOUT your trunk.
2. Have great poops!
Know that great poops are sacred! You need to have good bowel movement to have good pelvic health. Do what need to do to get there.
3. Move often!
Just like the rest of your body, your pelvic floor likes to move. It likes to dance; It likes to swim in the water. It likes to roll down a hill. The more you move, the happier your pelvic floor will be. And if that’s too poetic for you, let’s try to be more specific.
Aim to get 45 minutes to an hour of movement every day. This can be walking, swimming, running, or any aerobic activity. Strength train at least three times a week. Incorporate flexibility and mobility work into it as well. Avoid staying in one position whether it is sitting or standing for more than one hour.
And just to throw some caution out there: hundreds of pelvic floor squeezes in a day DOES NOT help anyone! It will generally make your pelvic floor problems WORSE! Holding a pelvic floor squeeze as you go about your day or workout hurts your pelvic floor more than helping it.
So lets keep it simple! Eat well, Move often and Breathe!
Your pelvic floor will thank you!
XX Nidhi
When I read this newsletter I could hear myself saying many of the same things to clients, family and friends. Of course, I am not a pelvic floor physio, however it is always nice when other people are speaking your language.
If you have any questions you can contact me, or reach out to Nidhi directly, www.nidhisharmapt.com. You can also follow her on Instagram @pelvicharmony.pt.
It is unfortunate that Nidhi is located in the US. She does however conduct virtual appointments. If that is not your thing, I can put you in touch with a pelvic floor physio here in Toronto/GTA, or ask your healthcare provider for a referral.