You may ignore your pelvic floor muscles, but it can impact many aspects of your life. The pelvic floor muscles are extremely hardworking muscles that support your pelvic organs, including your uterus, vagina, rectum, bladder, and urethra. But just like any other parts of the body, the pelvic floor muscles can become weak too! And while pregnancy is a major event that weakens the pelvic floor muscles, other factors like injuries, surgeries and stress can also lead to pelvic floor issues. Here are the most common signs of weak pelvic floor muscles.

Common Symptoms

  • Urinary incontinence

  • Stress incontinence (loss of urine when coughing, sneezing, or exercising)

  • Pelvic pain

  • Pain during sex

  • Painful urination

  • Feelings of incomplete emptying of the bladder or bowel

  • Difficulty with bowel control

  • Pelvic organ prolapse (where pelvic organs fall out of our pelvis). Can Your Vagina be Too Tight? Here’s What Makes Sex Painful for You.

Lesser-Known Symptoms

  • Lower back pain or sometimes hip pain, with no other cause

  • Testicular pain

  • Pelvic pain

How to Strengthen Weak Pelvic floor Muscles

If your pelvic floor muscles are weak, you may need a personalised treatment. However, the best thing to do is to train your pelvic floor muscles to relax and contract with proper coordination. When the pelvic floor muscles contract without appropriate coordination, the tissue can become 'tight' or go into a spasm mode. Kegels for Men: How to Perform Kegel Exercise to Beat Erectile Dysfunction and Strengthen Pelvic Floor Muscles.

One of the best ways to strengthen your pelvic floor is to perform daily stretches. Stretching can help relax and elongate your muscles and alleviate built up stress and tension. Pilates can be excellent to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Yoga for Endometriosis: 5 Poses to Balance Hormones, Calm Inflammation and Ease Pain.

However, it is best to get evaluated by a doctor as most people perform the kegel exercises incorrectly. A doctor will be the best person to help you understand what your pelvic floor needs are.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 16, 2020 02:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).