A Sports Bra for your Pelvic Floor

If you’ve done any type of exercise that involves running, jumping, or lifting heavy weights, you likely wore a sports bra to give your girls a bit of support. 

We don’t think twice about this. We don’t feel like our bodies are broken or something is seriously wrong because our boobs don’t stay in place when we want them to. 

I want to bring this mentality to using support for your pelvic floor during physical activity. 

Your pelvic floor has muscles that support the bladder, uterus, and bowel. These muscles also help us keep pee and poop controlled (in an ideal case) and give support to our pelvic and hip bones. 

Your pelvic floor also has other support tissues that we can’t necessarily control, like fascia and ligaments. 

After pregnancy or simply as we get older, these structures lose their stiffness. And stiffness is good in this case! 

So, we can get help from an outside support so our pelvic floor muscles, bladder, and urethra don’t move as much. Because extra movement and less support can sometimes cause pressure, heaviness, and urine leaks. 

What type of support, you ask? 

A pessary is a static support that helps your pelvic floor muscles contract more efficiently in order to control leaks and decrease pressure.

Think of it almost like a tampon - it inserts vaginally and can be worn up to 12 hours during the day. 

There are over-the-counter brands that are easily accessible (and affordable) for most: Revive and Uresta (I am not an affiliate - these are simply brands that some of my patients have had success with).

During pelvic floor therapy appointments, I often advise runners to only wear it while they run, while moms that leak or feel pressure throughout the entire day might benefit from wearing it longer. 

This all depends on what your symptoms are and how your pelvic floor works, which can be assessed by a pelvic floor physical therapist. If you’re in Arlington Heights and looking for guidance, reach out to see if we would be a good fit! 

Pessaries are also not the ONLY solution to improving bladder leaks, pressure, or heaviness. I always pair them with exercises, breathing strategies, and bracing your core properly to make sure the systems of your pelvic floor, core, and hips are all working together. 

It’s time we shift thinking from feeling like we’ve failed if we need a little extra support, and more into - what can I do to feel better and decrease symptoms so I can still do the activities that are important to me?

Wearing a pessary is not a failure - it’s a sports bra for your pelvic floor. And some tissues just need a little more support!

Looking for a fitness forward pelvic floor physical therapist in Arlington Heights? Set up a free consultation to see if I can help you!