Here's your Power to the Pelvis newsletter for May. Happy Mother's Day to all of my mamas out there, especially those who are new mamas this year! May it be an extra special time for you! For my local mamas, I'm hosting more pelvic floor workshops in the Colorado Springs and Monument areas. Follow my social media for more details on these workshops and more!
* Tip of the Month: Is that your psoas talking?
SO many of my clients have psoas tightness (myself included), and even a weak psoas. This comes largely from our seated posture, sleep position (anyone sleep in a fetal position or one hip flexed position?), and even playing sports.
What is the psoas, and how does it affect your pelvic floor? Both the psoas and the pelvic floor are crucial players in core stability and movement. The psoas is a long, deep muscle that directly connects the spine, starting at T12-L5, to the femur and passes through the pelvis from the back to the front. It's composed of fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibers (meaning it's capable of producing bursts of movement quickly or low levels of intensity for more endurance activities).
While you can't see your psoas, it's literally at the center of most of your everyday movement, from walking or bending over to twisting and reaching. The primary function of the psoas is hip flexion, but also plays a role in core stability, trunk rotation, and maintaining good posture. There's also some great literature on the emotional component behind the psoas, but I won't get into that today.
Both the psoas and the pelvic floor are interconnected through a network of connective tissue called fascia. When the psoas contracts to flex the hip, it also puts a downward pressure on the pelvic floor. This helps to maintain continence and provides stability to the pelvis during activities like walking, running or jumping. When the psoas is tight, it can pull excessively on the pelvic floor, potentially leading to pain, weakness, or dysfunction. On the other hand, a weak or overly tight pelvic floor may not be able to handle the downward pressure from the psoas during movement, which can also contribute to pelvic floor dysfunction.
What's the bottom line here? That kind of depends. Some might say "stretch your psoas!" Others would say "No, strengthen!" I can't tell you which one would be the most beneficial to you, but I can say that maintaining a healthy balance between the psoas and pelvic floor is important, and that maybe strengthening AND stretching might be a good idea.
Here are a few of my favorite psoas stretches. You can try any of these positions, with caution and support as needed. Holding a stretch for 45-90 seconds is optimal for soft tissue release. You can even try tucking your pelvis under slightly in the kneeling positions.
PC - ISSA, beginner
PC - Somatic Movement Center, intermediate
PC - Bicyling Magazine, advanced
PC - Runner's World, beg-int
Click here to geek out some more about the psoas, or "muscle of the soul!"
* Mindfulness - Box Breathing
I oftentimes find myself forgetting to slow down and just breathe. As I'm busy throughout the day doing housework, chasing my kids, making a meal or doing homeschool activities, it's something I'm trying to be more mindful of. I always guide my kids to take deep breaths when they are upset to help them calm down, but rarely do I follow that advice in my own hustle! I am a fan of box breathing, which is breathing in to a count of 3-4, holding the breath for a count of 3-4, exhaling for a count of 3-4, and holding for a count of 3-4. Repeat.
Here is a great video to guide you through this breathing exercise if you're interested.
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!
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I’ve recently started treatment with Aleta and I’m already so impressed by her depth of knowledge. She is so willing to discuss in depth the details of my concerns and is incredibly kind and accommodating with scheduling. Thank you, Aleta, for your top tier service and treatment.
