Oh, the holidays. They can be fun-filled and exciting. But they also can be filled with stress.
The added pressure that we put upon ourselves during the holidays can cause a serious uptick in pelvic floor symptoms. Have you ever noticed that your pelvic pain or leaking increases during the holidays or stressful situations? Why does worrying about making a holiday meal or ensuring everyone makes it to grandma’s on time cause pelvic pain or peeing your pants?
Read on to find out the answer!
The Pelvic Floor and Stress
There was a study done to examine the relationship between the pelvic floor muscles and stressful situations. In this study, they showed women movies and monitored the response of the pelvic floor muscles to the scenes. Some of the movies had threatening scenes in them, and some did not. They found that in the movies where a threat was perceived, the women had increased activity in their pelvic floor muscles. In those movies that were not threatening, pelvic floor muscle activity did not increase. Interesting, huh? Who knew our pelvic floor muscles were so interconnected with our emotional state??
It makes sense though because the pelvic floor muscles are just like any other muscle in the body. They can respond to stress by over-activating and contracting, usually involuntarily. The increased tension caused by this “protective” reaction can impact their function and increase pelvic floor symptoms such as leaking, constipation, and pelvic pain.
How Holiday Foods And Routine Changes Impact The Pelvic Floor
Changes In Routines
Anyone else’s routine go out the window before a big holiday?
This is especially true for me at Christmas time. With presents to secretly wrap and then hide again, food to prepare, and my kids more amped up than usual as they wait for Santa to come, my usual morning exercise and meditation routine tend to go right out the window. All the extra family visits, holiday events, and time spent traveling means we have to find the time from somewhere else in the day to fit it all in.
Unfortunately, I find that a lot of women tend to give up their daily exercise or meditation routine to be able to accomplish everything. But skipping these usual routines can cause your inner core piston to fall out of sync and your body to return to old muscle holding patterns.
Hello, pain and wet pants!
Changes In Diet
Exercise and meditation routines aren’t the only things that change during the holidays. Foods eaten during the holidays are usually pretty different from normal eating patterns.
The holiday foods that we lean toward eating tend to be rich in fat and sugar while fresh fruits and veggies become scarce. Water consumption tends to decrease during the holidays as well. With other festive drinks to choose from, water is usually an afterthought. The decrease in fiber and hydration increases the risk for constipation which can put increased strain on the pelvic floor causing you guessed it, increased pelvic floor symptoms.
So How Do You Keep Your Pelvic Floor Healthy During The Holidays?
Reduce your stress by simplifying your plans and trying not to hold onto perfection. Prioritize what is truly important to you, but recognize your limitations and either ask for help or forego an activity.
Remember to hydrate. I’m not gonna tell you to not indulge in the holiday foods that make their appearance once or twice a year. But be cognizant that they probably have more salt and fat than you’re used to. Try to fill the meals before the holiday parties with fruits and veggies. Try to drink at least 64oz of water each day to help your body process all the holiday foods.
Take care of yourself. I know it’s tempting to put off your own self-care to get the house decorated, or the gifts wrapped, or make the pies and cookies. (Heck, I’m guilty of it on occasion.) But giving yourself 15-20 mins a day to do some piston breathing, or my 20-minute gentle yoga flow, or meditation, or mindfulness can do wonders to reduce your stress, connect your pelvic floor, and reduce any pelvic floor symptoms.
Check-in with yourself during the day. See how you’re feeling. If you feel stressed or tense, work on relaxing and letting your pelvic floor relax and drop.
It is truly amazing how interconnected the body’s systems are with each other. So try to keep holiday stressors and commitments in check to keep your pelvic floor healthy and have a wonderful holiday season (with DRY pants!).