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w w w. s p i r i t o f w o m e n . c o m | S U M M E R 2 0 1 7 | S P I R I T O F W O M E N
SHUTTERSTOCK
By Kathleen Hall
U.S. Hospital Report
L
ike other muscles and connective tissue,
your pelvic floor can weaken as you age,
leading to such unpleasant events as
urinary or bowel leakages.
The remedy? Use it or lose it, just as with
other muscles in your body.
Your pelvic floor supports your reproductive
organs, bladder and bowels and helps control
urination, sexual activity and bowel movements.
By not smoking, maintaining a healthy
weight, and performing simple pelvic floor
strengthening exercises, you can help keep
your pelvic floor in tiptop shape.
Increasing pelvic floor problems
The incidence of pelvic floor problems such as
incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse is on the
rise, in large part because the population is aging
and women are living longer after menopause,
says Dr. Jeffrey Koszczuk, an osteopathic
medicine physician at Aspirus Riverview
Hospital in Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
Easy ways to protect your
pelvic f loor