Pelvic Floor Quadrants
The pelvic floor can be thought about as having four quadrants: left and right, front and back (anterior/posterior). Our stance and general posture can influence the tension in the pelvic floor.
We are meant to move, so having the pelvic floor be in a certain position during moving is not an issue.
It becomes an issue when we always favor a specific stance, such as whenever we stand up we always put more weight into the right leg. Or, when we’re standing we tend to favor an anterior or posterior pelvic tilt. Finding ourselves consistently in the same postural pattern can influence muscular balance in the pelvic floor.
When I favor one leg while standing, the leg that I’m standing on is my stance leg. In this example, let’s say the right leg is the favored leg.
Right Versus Left Stance: Pelvis Shifts Rotationally
When standing on my right leg, the right half of my pelvis is going to shift posteriorly, adduct, and internally rotated. The shift in the pelvis causes the sacrum and tailbone to shift towards the left side.
The result is that the right posterior pelvic floor and left anterior pelvic floor are in a lengthen the state. While the left posterior pelvic floor and right anterior pelvic floor are in a shortened state.
When I shift to the left leg, such as while walking, the pelvis torques in the opposite direction. The lengthened portions of my pelvic floor shorten, and vice versa.
This can be problematic if we ALWAYS find ourselves in a certain stance: standing up from a chair and putting more weight ALWAYS into the same foot; sitting and putting more weight into one hip; standing with weight more towards one side than the other.
This could contribute towards an uneven torque in the tension of the pelvic floor musculature.
Anterior to Posterior Pelvic Tilt: Front to Back Shift
When we move our pelvis forward and backwards, such as anteriorly tilting the pelvis where the back arches, or posteriorly tilting the pelvis where the butt tucks underneath, the pelvic floor’s position is influenced, as well.
When the pelvis is anteriorly tilted, the top half of the pelvis moves forward, as the bottom moves backwards. The pelvic floor responds by lengthening in the anterior half of the pelvic floor and shortening in the posterior portion.
When the pelvis is posteriorly tilted, the bottom of the pelvis shifts forward, as the top of the pelvis shifts backwards. The pelvic floor responds by lengthening in the posterior half, and shortening in the anterior portion.
Focusing on finding movement in our pelvic floor can help to alleviate any muscular imbalances.
So, when you stand up pay attention to which leg you put weight into and try to do the other side or try to have even weight in both feet when you stand up.
When you’re standing in front of the fridge, what is your postural stance? Are you tucking your butt underneath and pushing the hips forward, or are you arching in the low back? If you find that you tend to favor one or the other, try to come out of it and find a more neutral position or do some hip circles to find some movement.
Learn more about the pelvic floor, how it works, and relaxation/coordination drills in our online childbirth education courses and in our prenatal fitness education course that accompanies our prenatal fitness program.
We also offer weekly webinars that break down various topics, to include pelvic floor prep for birth and pelvic floor issues. Check out our upcoming webinars here.