Pelvic floor dysfunction affects 25 million adult Americans. Research shows that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men experience it.
Why Running Triggers Pelvic Floor Issues
Studies show that 33 percent of females and 16.7 percent of males deal with pelvic floor dysfunction over their lives. Data from Runnersworld shows that pregnancy, childbirth, extra weight, and hormone shifts weaken the pelvic floor in females. High-impact activity like running exacerbates these issues because the pelvic floor absorbs impact and dampens vibrations.
Urinary incontinence comes to mind first. A small-scale study found that 46 percent of top-tier female cross-country skiers and endurance runners experienced urine leakage when coughing or sneezing.
A meta-analysis released in 2021 in the Cureus Medical Journal determined that urinary incontinence occurs even when the pelvic floor is strong. Young female runners who have never given birth experience urine leakage. Pelvic floor activation is similar between incontinent and continent runners.
Male Runners Face Severe Pelvic Pain
Male runners also face severe pelvic issues. Gordon Garner experienced excruciating pain after a run in Dallas. He felt the need to urinate but produced only a few drops.
Specialists Examine Pelvic Floor Behavior over Time
Specialists examine how the pelvic floor behaves over time rather than in a single moment.
Exercises to Restore Pelvic Floor Coordination
Runners work with physical therapists to establish strength routines that coordinate pelvic floor muscles. For recovery, specialists recommend testing muscle response by imagining a vacuum pulling up a marble. Use the muscles applied to stop urine or gas, and then relax those muscles so they release downward.
Garner scaled back his running for a few weeks while working on stretching and breath-control exercises with the right therapist. By 2023, he ran 40 miles in a 24-hour period for his 40th birthday with no issues, using his new exercises and breathing techniques.
Liz B., a 36-year-old physical therapist from central Ohio, found a therapist who helped her coordinate her pelvic floor muscles again after experiencing postpartum leakage during a four-mile run.
