Winter, Fascia, and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: What You Need to Know

Winter can quietly impact pelvic floor health by reducing muscle coordination, circulation, and fascial hydration, increasing the risk of pelvic floor dysfunction and urinary incontinence. Understanding how cold weather affects the pelvic floor, and how fascia, hydration, and targeted exercises support it, can help you protect pelvic health throughout the colder months.

I recently caught myself gazing out the window, mesmerized by the ice crystals and snow wrapped around each branch and twig outside my window. There is a type of frost known as hoar frost, a grayish-white crystalline water vapor which is frozen in air and deposited on surfaces like leaves, tree branches, and grass. It reminded me of fascia, how the continuous layer of connective tissue wraps around every structure in the body, including muscles, organs, and even bones and nerves.

The Fascia & Hyaluronan Connection

Fascia is a soft, loose, white substance made of multiple layers. Between each layer is a liquid known as hyaluronan. The hyaluronan helps your fascia stretch as you move, like oil sliding over gears, lubricating the layers to reduce friction in the body. But hyaluronan can dry up due to inflammation or physical trauma in the body. When the liquid between layers of fascia is diminished, fascia tightens and restricts the movement of your muscles and tissues, causing pain or even damaging fascia.

Damaged or unhealthy fascia can lead to tenderness, stiffness, reduced range of motion, or swelling. Unhealthy fascia can become constricted, sticky, and inflamed, and cause discomfort in the affected area. Overuse or repetitive motions can also result in the sensation of knots within the muscle tissue.

How Fascia and Hyaluronan Affect Pelvic Floor Health

In the fitness world, we often think of fascia surrounding muscle tissue. But like frost, it encompasses every structure in the body, including the pelvic floor. As winter brings a chill to the air, it may also even worsen pelvic floor problems. Have you noticed the increased need to pee more often when it’s cold outside?  Similar to other skeletal muscles, cold pelvic floor muscles (PFM) have a reduced response to the nervous system and may become less coordinated. Low temperatures reduce blood flow by causing blood vessels and arteries to narrow and reduce muscular strength and speed. As a result, your pelvic floor muscles (PMF) will be less effective at keeping you continent and securing your pelvic organs in place. Existing pelvic muscle weakness may intensify or new weaknesses may be experienced.

The link between Pelvic Floor Health and Urinary Incontinence 

Women with urinary incontinence may display a very weak PFM contraction and also lack proprioception and awareness of these muscles. How can you maintain your pelvic muscle strength, when even something as basic as coughing, sneezing and blowing your nose, especially common in colder months, can create significant pressure and fatigue your pelvic floor muscles? Improving proprioception of PFM and adequately contracting them could be a proactive approach to preventing pelvic floor dysfunction. Results from a study that included proprioception and awareness training (PAT) for the treatment of urinary incontinence found that women who received PAT had a significant improvement in PFM function, activation, and quality of life. Participants also exhibited improvements with urinary loss when coughing, sneezing, squatting and weightlifting compared to the control group. In fact, PAT was also recommended prior PFM training.

Pelvic Floor Exercises and Myofascial Release for Winter Wellness

How can I Reduce Pelvic Floor Dysfunction During Colder Months? 

Understanding how colder winter months can affect your body allows you to take practical steps to improve your pelvic health. Connecting cold weather or your cold or flu symptoms with your pelvic floor health will help prevent discomfort or problems. Here are some techniques to incorporate to support pelvic health:

1. Practice Proper Coughing Techniques 

Coughing techniques include proper bracing. By engaging your core and pelvic floor muscles before  coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose, it can help distribute pressure away from your pelvic floor.  Watch as Jill Miller demonstrates activating the tubular core, a technique to support the body, in the video below.

Coughing into a soft surface such as a pillow can also help reduce the intensity of your cough and minimizes strain on your pelvic muscles.

2.  Rest and Restore

If you’re sick, let the body rest. Rest is especially important for your pelvic floor to prevent additional strain. Restorative poses like constructive rest, ardha savasana, help relieve pressure and tension from the pelvic floor. Lying on your back, bend your knees and place your feet on the floor hips distance or wider and allow the knees to move towards each other. You can also elevate your legs on a chair or bed.

3. Get Warm and Cozy

Keeping your body warm promotes physical comfort and supports optimal pelvic muscle function. Warmth can soothe and relax tension in the pelvic floor.

4. Hydrate 

Staying hydrated helps the body’s organs and muscles work properly. Loading up on fluids will help to reduce headaches, relieve flu symptoms, and strengthen the body’s immune response system.

5. Pelvic Floor Exercises and Myofascial Release

Performing pelvic floor exercises can strengthen PFM and alleviates the pressure from coughing or sneezing. To relax the entire pelvic floor, start with a Coregeous Ball and massage your abdomen and psoas.

Follow with the Alpha or Plus Ball and roll out the gluteals.  Come to seated on a Coregeous Ball (on a chair or the floor) and circle the pelvic floor area, locating the ischial tuberosities, coccyx, and pubic symphysis. Activate your pelvic floor by contracting and relaxing the pelvic floor muscles by attempting to squeeze and release the ball.

With a smaller, broken-in Yoga Tune Up ball, you can also circle the tissues around the ischial tuberosities and high inner thigh.

By adopting mindful habits, getting adequate rest, staying warm and hydrated, and incorporating pelvic-friendly exercises, you can glide through the winter season and maintain a happy and healthy pelvic floor.

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