Power to the Pelvis
Hello friends!
Here's your Power to the Pelvis newsletter for July! It's a little later in the month than I had anticipated due to our family road trip at the end of last month, and then we were all sick at the beginning of this month. We took a 12-day road trip from Colorado to the Oregon coast, and explored 6 National Parks on our trip. For those interested, you can check out all about our adventures on my Instagram!
I hope you all are enjoying a beautiful summer wherever you are, and wherever the road takes you.
* Tip of the Month: shoulder relief
The connection between your pelvic floor and shoulders might seem surprising, but they are actually interrelated in fascinating ways. Our bodies function as a whole, and tension in one area can often manifest in another. I know I've talked about fascial lines before, and there is such a huge connection between shoulder fascia and pelvis fascia. (Fascia is a connective tissue that runs throughout your body).
Pelvic Floor Tension Causing Shoulder Pain
Chronic stress can lead to tension in the pelvic floor muscles. These muscles form a hammock-like sling that supports your bladder, bowels, and uterus. When they are tight, they can pull on the fascia. This tension can travel up the fascial slings and affect the way your shoulders move and hold tension, potentially leading to pain.
Shoulder Tension Causing Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Conversely, tight shoulders can also contribute to pelvic floor dysfunction. Poor posture, hunching forward for long periods, and rounded shoulders can all lead to tightness in the upper back and chest. This tightness can restrict the diaphragm, a dome-shaped muscle that sits below your lungs and plays a role in both breathing and pelvic floor function. Restricted diaphragm function can lead to pelvic floor dysfunction.
So, what do we do about it? I recommend working on posture to almost all of my clients, this includes stretching the shoulders. Most of us sit and even stand with a forward shoulder posture. Hello, breastfeeding and bottle-feeding mamas!!
My favorite shoulder stretches are:
Standing pec stretch
Stand with arms up, forearms supported on the doorframe. Press chest forward, keeping head up. You should feel a stretch in your chest. Hold 45-90 seconds.
Bent over lat stretch
Bend over with hands on counter or table. Press chest down, keeping head in line with spine. Hold 45-90 seconds.
Puppy pose
Start in hands/knees position, then slide arms forward until you find a comfortable stretch. Hold 45-90 seconds. You can also lift one arm at a time from this position to get a juicy shoulder workout.
Thread the Needle
Start in hands/knees position, then slide one arm underneath your body. You can place your head on the floor or on a pillow/yoga block and rest on your shoulder. Hold 45-90 seconds.
As with any home exercise program, make sure you are cleared by a physician before engaging in exercises that are new and have not been in your current repertoire. If you are having any pain in any of these positions, stop that exercise. There are many other exercises that might be better for you if you do have pain with these. Please feel free to reach out for a free Discovery call, and we can talk through some options!
* IG I'm loving
For more great shoulder (and hip) work, check out stephanieridgwaydpt on IG.
Click this link for one of her more advanced shoulder workouts. These exercises can be modified for any body with seated options, lighter/no weight options, or plank on knees instead of full plank. Be mindful of how things feel in your body if you do want to try them.
Did you try any of these tips? I'd love to know what you think. I read every email! And if you have something you are curious about or want more information on, let me know... maybe I'll add it to my next newsletter!
See you next month!
P.S. Need a vaginal moisturizer? Kindra is a women (OB-GYN) owned and operated company that makes a non-hormonal vaginal lotion that restores moisture and supports the skin barrier function for vulvar and vaginal tissues. The vaginal lotion contains vitamins E and B3, coconut oil, sunflower seed oil and safflower seed oil. It is research -backed
Find more information here. Use code: GETRELIEF for 20% off of your order.
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"Be a girl with a mind,
a woman with attitude,
+ a lady with a strong pelvic floor!"
~MuTu system
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