Brittany Mahomes, wife of NFL superstar Patrick Mahomes, recently shared an important message with mothers on social media: “Once you have kids take care of your pelvic floor. Seriously.” This eye-opening advice from the young mom raises awareness of an issue that impacts millions of women.
Our pelvic floors play a key role in maintaining bladder, bowel and uterine health. However, many women don’t realize just how common pelvic floor problems are. According to experts, up to 1 in 4 females will deal with pelvic floor dysfunction at some point. Risk factors include childbirth, age, heavy lifting and prolonged standing – all things many active women deal with.
Left untreated, pelvic floor weakness can lead to embarrassing and uncomfortable issues like urinary incontinence or organs prolapsing into the vaginal canal. It’s also been linked to low back pain in some cases. Thankfully, there are proactive steps women can take to support this sensitive area.
Doctors recommend basic pelvic floor exercises known as Kegels. By learning to tighten and relax these muscles regularly, including while driving or working, women can build strength down below. Other lifestyle habits like limiting very heavy weights and remembering to rest can also help protect pelvic health long-term.
While many may be unaware, pelvic floor issues are exceedingly common. By following Mahomes’ advice to prioritize this area post-childbirth and beyond, women can set themselves up for better bladder, bowel and back health in both the short and long run. It just takes a few minutes per day of the right exercises and habits to potentially avoid big pelvic floor problems down the road.
