Could Your Favorite Sport Be Damaging Your Pelvic Floor?

It’s Women’s Health Week, and many women are planning or have already started exercising to get back in shape after a long winter of chocolate and movie-marathons (we hope that’s not just us!) While any exercise is good for your body and mind, certain sports–called high-impact sports–can actually damage vital muscles in your body. We’re talking about your pelvic floor muscles, a group of muscles that support the bowel, bladder, and uterus, and helps control their function. When the pelvic floor is weakened, you may start suffering from leaks of urine either during your workouts, or–even worse–as you go about your day!

Well That Doesn’t Sound Good! Which Sports Put My Pelvic Floor Health At Risk?

The words ‘high-impact sports’ may conjure up images of NFL players clashing head-on, but actually describe any sports or exercises that involve impact movements, such as landing from jumps or lifting heavy weights. Some of the most common high-impact sports include:

• CrossFit
• Tennis
• Running
• Baseball
• Soccer
• Basketball

Over time the repeated downward forces in the abdomen and on the pelvic muscles from the impact movements of these sports, weaken the pelvic floor muscles and induce pelvic floor disorders.

Because these sports promise full-body health, it often comes as a surprise the workouts are actually damaging muscles that are so vital for wellbeing. Shockingly, over 1/3 of women who participate in these sports regularly can start showing signs of pelvic disorders, namely bladder leaks.

But I Love My Workouts! What Can I Do?

Thankfully, protecting your pelvic floor can be easier than it sounds. You can still do your favorite sport while keeping your pelvic floor in optimal shape by adding Kegel exercises to your daily routine.

Right now you might be thinking “aren’t Kegels for sex?” Well, while increased sexual sensations are certainly the most heard of benefits of Kegels, improved sex is actually just a happy side-effect of a strong pelvic floor. Kegels are actually super effective exercises that offer health benefits including treating and preventing bladder leaks, particularly beneficial for women doing high-impact sports and for new moms.

Okay, So What Next? How Do I Kegel?

If you’re new to Kegels, we recommend checking out Kegels for Beginners – The Guide to Getting Started – which gives you an overview of what Kegels are, and how to get started.

Of course, when you’re learning a new exercise, it’s often really helpful to have a trainer or coach. It’s the very same with Kegels! That’s why we developed KegelSmart personal Kegel trainer! It’s the perfect complement for women who do high-impact sports, and guides you though a complete, sweat-free Kegel workout in less than 5 minutes! It really couldn’t be easier!

Check out our video to learn why KegelSmart is the easiest Kegel routine ever!

Start Training With KegelSmart Today