The Yoga Guide to Regulating Pelvic Floor Health and Bladder Control During Menopause

Understanding Menopause and its Impact on Pelvic Floor Health and Bladder Control

Have you ever wondered why pelvic floor strength and bladder control become one of the major concerns of women during the transitional period of Menopause?

Menopause is a natural yet inevitable part of a woman's life; her body undergoes specific changes physically and mentally during this period. Hormonal changes marked by estrogen and progesterone drops are one of the essential physiological events that take place during this period, making her body prone to health risks ranging from the development of osteoporosis to pelvic organ prolapse.

What is Pelvic Organ Prolapse?

A pelvic organ prolapse is a condition that occurs when one or more pelvic organs slip down from their normal position and bulge out through the vagina. Pelvic organ prolapse occurs when the tissues supporting the pelvic organs- uterus, bladder or vagina lose their strength and gets stretched, eventually causing damage to it. A drop in Oestrogen leads to loss of strength of connective tissue supporting the pelvic organs and vaginal wall stretching, which increases the risk of prolapse and painful intercourse - a sexual dysfunction which, in turn, gets worsened by vaginal dryness during Menopause.

Why Understanding Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM) is Essential?

GSM/Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause is a hypoestrogenic condition which is associated with the reduced production of female hormones, namely Oestrogen.

Urinary incontinence is one of the main symptoms of GSM.

As a woman enters Menopause, the production of Oestrogen in her body decreases, making her bladder muscles highly sensitive and stretched due to loss of muscle strength. This decrease in muscle strength leads to increased bladder irritability, which tends to empty the urine frequently before filling it, unlike the normal bladder.

The following symptoms occur in a menopausal bladder:

• Urge to pee frequently
• Inability to control urination
• Vaginal dryness and itching 
• Frequent urinary tract infections

Breathing Exercises for Pelvic Floor Strengthening and Bladder Control

Improving an individual's breathing mechanics can help in positively impacting pelvic floor muscles. Restructuring the movements of your respiratory diaphragm with exercises like pranayama and diaphragmatic breathing helps increase pelvic floor strength and decrease the pain trigger points of the same. Deep breathing exercises improve focus and self-awareness, enhancing control over stress and emotions and relieving menopausal stress responses.

How do breathing exercises help in empowering the menopausal transition?

• It reduces levels of anxiety and depression.
• It helps with better emotional regulation and stress management.
• Improves mind-body connection.
• It helps with better pain management. 
• It boosts circulation and nutritional supply.

The key to maintaining pelvic floor muscle strength and bladder control is strengthening the muscles connected to it. You can achieve it through specific physical techniques like Yoga. Let us find out how.

Yoga to Unlock Pelvic Floor Health - Why and How?

Before exploring Yoga for unlocking pelvic floor health, let us understand why maintaining pelvic floor strength is essential.

The pelvic floor is shaped like a basin and holds the pelvic organs, which are the uterus, vagina, bowel & bladder in position. The pelvic floor also supports the bladder by controlling urination, improving sexual sensitivity, and improving posture.  

Yoga can improve the overall health of the pelvic floor by strengthening and coordinating the muscles in and around the pelvic floor.

So, how does Yoga for pelvic muscle strength benefit you? It reduces the risk of pelvic organ prolapse and Increases sexual sensation, improving overall pelvic floor wellness and relieving specific menopausal symptoms.

Now, let us explore some effective yoga poses that can help you improve your pelvic floor strength.

Improving Bladder Control through Yoga

Urinary incontinence is a condition in which bladder operations occur in an uncontrolled manner, even causing the leakage of urine by accident. This condition also referred to as an overactive bladder, can cause irritability and embarrassment and even affect the quality of life of the affected person. 

During Menopause, due to the lack of the hormone estrogen, a condition of decreased muscle strength of the bladder occurs, making it highly sensitive and delicate, preventing your bladder from filling to its total capacity and emptying it before it gets filled up. You can manage this condition of frequent urination by improving the muscle strength that helps you regain control over urination, allowing you to enhance overall bladder health and quality of life.

Now, explore certain yoga poses that can help combat urinary incontinence and improve bladder strength.

Holistic Wellness for Menopausal Empowerment: How Can it Effectively Solve Discomforts?

It is important to note that all of the poses mentioned above can improve pelvic floor strength and retain bladder control, as the cause of these conditions is decreased muscle strength. So why do we need to adopt a holistic approach to menopausal empowerment? This is because Holistic physical and mental techniques like yoga act as a powerful tool in naturally blending the rhythm of your body by balancing the irregularities with improved awareness of oneself.

Yoga can contribute to menopausal empowerment by:

• Balancing pelvic floor.
• Improving alertness of your body.
• Increasing the stability of pelvic organs.
• Uplifting mood.
• Providing better control over menopausal symptoms.
• Reducing stress.

Consistency and Patience: Why Are They Essential for Yoga Management?

When practising Yoga for pelvic floor health, consistency and patience are essential. Please note that the results can vary from person to person. Each individual is different, with a unique psychosomatic constitution that results in various levels of tolerance and flexibility that can cause the positive outcomes to vary from person to person. 

Cultivating patience and consistency within ourselves helps us to stay grounded, with the asanas helping us to attain our goals and a sense of well-being.

Mindfulness and Body Awareness

It is important to note that mindfulness practices integrated into Yoga can enhance your ability to connect with your body, improve pelvic muscle strength, and help you get better control over your bladder. But why is practising mindfulness with Yoga so powerful? 

• This is because mindfulness helps us to improve a better sense of awareness about our body and helps us to live in the moment rather than worrying about what happened before or what will happen next. 
   
• Mindfulness has a positive impact on the stress responses of your body that can bring down anxiety during menopause. 
   
• Practising mindfulness also helps in perceiving the symptoms of Menopause better, with a calmer mind and body eventually combating them.

To Conclude

Yoga can help you navigate the transformative journey of Menopause with improved pelvic floor health and bladder control if done with patience and consistency. This holistic approach can empower you to embrace the menopausal transition quickly and gracefully. For personalised yoga plans and expert tips, connect to our Nirva health experts now!