Nature gives you the body you have at 20…
It is up to you to merit the body you have at 50…
“I became aware there is something deep inside of me that is now awake and ready to participate in life. The more I study it, the more interested, curious and passionate I become. The infinite and un-measureable health benefits of this unseen, unappreciated deepest layer of the pelvic floor has completely captured my undivided attention, which is why I’m putting my fitness first, so I’ll be fabulous later.”
In the course of my career in the fitness world, I have met many women who have told me that after childbirth they felt the loss of their femininity. Why? Something has ripped apart down there and they had this empty, loose or wobbly feeling or started to experience leaking urine when they run or exercise. They complained about back pain, decreased sexuality, protruding lower belly and a saggy bum. What happened? Where did their body go? How could I help these women get back their core health and fitness of their youth to start feeling better about themselves?
As I continued my journey I searched everywhere for the answer and realized I was looking in the wrong place. I widened my perspective and it came to me! What I needed was to explore another approach from someone with a different background.
I went to one of Dr. Theresa Nesbitt’s Movement Mapping workshops. After the workshop we started talking about Pilates and the core and my frustration in helping these women with their issues. I was looking for a missing piece. She smiled and said, “Oh yes, that is the pelvic floor”.
It is with much appreciation that today, Dr. Nesbitt OBGYN and I work together developing core and pelvic floor retraining programs so many more women can put their health and fitness first, to be absolutely fabulous later!
Until a few decades ago, the pelvic floor was hardly considered relevant. Today, fortunately, there is a lot more attention on this muscle that we can learn more about with our awareness, senses and intellect.
Fitness First, Fabulous LaterThe pelvic floor has 3 layers, they work together and are located the bottom of your inner core, inside your pelvis. We will be discussing this deepest layer closest to your internal organs and responsible for their support.
You may already be familiar with the outer layer of the pelvic floor when you do a Kegel exercise. The outer layer is quite thin and acts as a reinforcement muscle to the upper two layers aiding in the support of the elevated organs and is more like the “ icing on the cake”, used more for sexual and sphincter function.
The middle layer is the transverse layer and is quite different in men and women, which we will discuss at another time.
The layer that I am addressing today is the innermost layer closest to your organs. It tends to become unresponsive after injury or childbirth. The failure to correctly retrain our core leads to these issues common after pregnancy.
In my years of sculpting bodies, nothing has built a better booty than the integration and awareness of the pelvic floor. It allows all muscles to attach and work in an optimal plane, so you won’t develop that saggy bum or persistent protruding belly.
The pelvic floor is KEY in shaping your body and getting fit from the inside out. It changes your posture and alignment by pulling everything together creating a more toned silhouette, a trimmed bum and flat tummy, as it brings everything up and in. It puts your glute muscles in the right place for that lifted youthful appearance. Your bum will no longer have that saggy look as it appears to fall into the back of your thighs.
The pelvic floor also plays an important role for a coordinated triggering of almost all of your movements. It integrates with balance, vision and breathing. Many back, knee and foot problems can be cured through the awareness and facilitation of this muscle.
Fitness First, Fabulous LaterNot only were women complaining about their saggy bums and belly’s; they were also changing their lifestyle in fear and shame of ‘leaking urine’ or controlling the ‘urge’ during exercise, laughing or coughing. A healthy responsive core and pelvic floor means better booty, a flatter tummy and enhanced sexuality, without the worry of ‘wetness’.
We are meant to live our lives to our fullest feminine potential, with confidence, health and wellbeing. This is the missing link I have been looking for to help my clients!
Embark with me on this amazing journey to the center of your core and reap the extraordinary benefits of a healthy responsive pelvic floor.
..and when you are 50, you will have maintained the youthfulness that nature gave you at 20.
And that is a beautiful thing!
~ Kathleen Pagnini, 52
Pilates and Core Specialist
