Is Belly Bracing Contributing to Your Pain/Leaking?
I’m gonna tell you a secret…. For YEARS as an in-gym coach I taught people to stand and move by first bracing their abs and tucking their pelvis under.
YEP. That was me. And when people moved robotically, told me it was hard, that they looked insane, or that it was a lot to think about- I told them they would get used to it with enough practice and if they went back to their old ways it would contribute to symptoms.
Oh, past Madison…
I don’t coach this way anymore. I actually RARELY use the cue “brace your belly” during exercise and really the only time I cue to brace is when a client is bracing for the impact of their toddler full on running at their belly or jumping on it while they are on the floor.
Why? We’ll get into the logistics here in a minute, but first a story.
Of course I had to practice what I preached and this is the way I moved and stood for a long time- belly braced hard, butt tucked under to maintain that belly brace- even though I am a chronic butt tucker/gripper. After Eli, my second, was born I noticed more incontinence, feelings of heaviness in my pelvic floor, and back pain. This got worse after exercise when I was more focused on gripping.
It was actually making my symptoms WORSE, not better.
Why would that happen?
Let’s briefly overview the core canister. Check out this photo for reference:
Top is diaphragm, in front you have the deep abdominals, and down below you have the pelvic floor. When we breathe the muscles of the core canister relax and contract- the relaxation part is JUST as important as the contraction. It’s supposed to create this kind of undulating/wavelike motion. On inhale, the canister expands and relaxes, on exhale it tightens gently and contracts.
When you constantly brace and contract the belly muscles, the core canister loses the ability to relax on inhale. This can cause your pelvic floor muscles to stay in a constant state of tension and when we add activity, movement, or weight to that, the ability of the core canister to respond to that load or movement is compromised.
Okay, I know what you’re thinking though. It’s a GOOD thing if the belly and pelvic floor are constantly on. That’s what makes them strong right? And I’m here to tell you, it isn’t all about strength. Part of what makes muscles work properly is the ability to both contract and RELAX. For a muscle to have full range of motion or full strength, it has to be able to perform both of these tasks. If we keep the muscles in the constant contraction state, it often means that the muscle also lacks full range of motion.
So basically if you’re noticing an increase in leaking or heaviness and you’re wondering “WTF, I’m doing what people tell me to do. I’m building a ‘strong core’ by bracing!” Know that you aren’t alone and watching your tension during daily activity can help you easily manage these symptoms.
One last point- when the abs are constantly gripped or ON, think about where the pressure in the core canister has to go- because it has to go somewhere. If it can’t go out into the relaxed belly, it goes up into the diaphragm- which would alter your breathing patterns- OR it goes down onto the pelvic floor- putting extra pressure on the muscles and structures down there which can cause an increase in leakage, pressure, or pain.
Alright, now try this.
Brace your belly. Brace it real hard and hold that tension. Now try to bend over and pick something up.
Doesn’t feel too great, right?
Now take a deep breath, relaxing the belly and pelvic floor. As you exhale, start to bend over while gently contracting the belly. Super gentle, like 30% out of 100.
What difference do you feel?
So now you may be wondering, what is the right thing to do? How much should you brace your belly and when?
I teach my clients the concept of tension to task. This simply means that you’re matching the tension to the task at hand. If you’re going to pick up a stuffed animal from the floor or putting a spice back in the spice cabinet, you aren’t going to need a full-on strong belly brace to do that task. It’s too much. But if you’re going to lift your 7 year old into those godforsaken car carts at the grocery store, you’re going to need more tension and support- so a stronger brace here is appropriate.
Alternately, if your toddler is running at your belly full force- you’re gonna need to brace for impact.
Ever walked up to a door thinking it’s going to be really heavy so you brace yourself to pull open the door with all your might when, lo and behold, that door ends up being a thousand pounds less than what you imagined so it comes flying open, smashing into the wall because you hulked out on it?
This is the concept of tension to task. Too much tension for the task at hand.
For a better understanding, you can watch the video below.
So, THIS my friends is why constant belly gripping may be contributing to your symptoms. And it’s one of the things I discuss with my clients in Foundations of Symptom-Free Fitness, my 8-week 1:1 coaching program for moms who want to live an active life without worrying about pain, leaking, or symptoms. In this program I teach you how to manage your symptoms through exercise in a way that can help you feel less achy and frustrated by the end of the day, so you can enjoy time with the people you love all while feeling strong and capable in your body. Enrollment is open, you can apply for a spot here!