DON’T BE
PELVIC FLOORED
By Continence Foundation of Australia
Did you know that one in four Australian adults (4.2 million) has
bladder leakage, and that 80 per cent of them are women?
D
id you know
that one in four
Australian adults
(4.2 million) has bladder
leakage, and that 80 per
cent of them are women?
Or that high-performance
athletes are among those
at highest risk – with 50 per
cent of tennis players and
67 per cent of gymnasts
affected? This elite group
surpasses the other major
at-risk group – women
who’ve had babies – with
one in three affected.
24
Regardless of anyone’s athletic prowess,
exercise will exert extra downward
pressure on a person’s bladder supports
and urinary sphincter. If the pelvic floor
isn’t strong enough to support these
structures, bladder leakage can occur.
And if this happens often enough, there
is a risk the pelvic floor muscles will
overstretch and, eventually, weaken.
To ensure the pelvic floor can do its job,
women, men, personal trainers and
other fitness professionals need to know
how to strengthen their pelvic floor,
and which exercises they should and
shouldn’t do.
There is also a section for fitness
professionals about referrals, exercise
program modifications, referrals and
professional development.
Downloadable resources such as the
Pelvic Floor Safe Exercises app, the
Pregnancy Pelvic Floor Plan app are also
available.
For free, confidential advice on bladder
or bowel control problems, fitness
professionals or their clients can phone
the National Continence Helpline on
1800 33 00 66 or visit continence.org.au
References available on request.
The pelvicfloorfirst.org.au website, an
initiative of the Continence Foundation
of Australia, provides instructions,
videos and information on pelvic floor-
strengthening and pelvic floor-safe
exercising.
WHAT’S NEW IN FITNESS - WINTER 2017