Here is your Power to the Pelvis Newsletter for March! Yesterday was International Women's Day! I celebrated as one of the wellness hosts at an event with Barre3 studio in Colorado Springs.
And... I forgot to include my OWN table in this!
One of the things I was talking to the barre class instructor about was her wonderful cuing and that she did a great job talking about not allowing the ribcage to shift forward - I usually refer to this as "ringing a bell" foward in my practice.
Ribcage (and thoracic) mobility: A lot of my clients lately have been coming in with decreased ribcage and thoracic mobility, and shallow breathing patterns, so I wanted to focus on this often neglected part of our anatomy.
* Tip of the Month: Thoracic mobility
When I think of ribcage mobility and thoracic mobility - they are not totally interchangeable. Ribcage mobility is more how does your ribcage move? We want that 360° expansion of the ribcage. Thoracic mobility is more how does your ribcage move over your pelvis? We want to have some good rotation.
Did you know incontinence is linked with poor ribcage and thoracic mobility? The relationship between ribcage mobility (I'll just refer to it as ribcage mobility at this point) and pelvic floor dysfunction is significant. When you don't move your ribcage well, it can cause a host of issues, but one of those is incontinence. The breakdown usually occurs when your diaphragm cannot fully expand and contract, which affects the whole core canister, which in turn affects the pressure system into the pelvic floor.
When you inhale, the diaphragm expands and descends, and the pelvic floor gently relaxes. When you exhale, the diaphragm compresses and rises, and the pelvic floor gently contracts. This is not a purposeful clenching of the pelvic floor, it is (ahem... it should be) an automatic response with breathing.
What I was discussing with Marie at Barre3 yesterday was her great awareness and cuing of "unringing that bell" with the ribcage, bringing it out of a flared forward position, which helps with balance in the core pressure system.
So... you might ask, do I have restrictions in MY ribcage? And if so, what do I do about that?
You can look at the video I posted below for some mobility and breathwork. If that is a struggle for you I highly recommend reaching out. I would LOVE to do a virtual session to educate you on getting some more mobility in your ribcage. Some other things I recommend are:
Breathing exercises - breathwork is so essential to our daily lives, grounding in our bodies, relaxing the nervous system, but also for optimal pelvic floor function
Manual therapy/massage into your diaphragm - there are several techniques for manual therapy around your diaphragm and ribcage
Posture correction - we live in such a forward shoulder, forward head culture. It's not about sticking your chest out and pulling your shoulder blades back (as a lot of people think when they think of good posture). It's more about remembering to keep your stack - head over shoulders over pelvis can be a game changer.
If you are interested in seeing me virtually, or to ask more in depth questions, you can schedule with me here!
* IG - Mountain Mama Pelvic Health:
Here's a little instructional video I posted to my IG about thoracic mobility, with a test/retest option to see if you gain any motion.
MMPH IG image
Start with the seated rotation a couple of times, then move to the thread the needle exercise. You can move as slowly as you'd like, holding the pose for as long as you find comfortable on each side. Then repeat the seated rotation to see if you've gained any more mobility.
I love Thread the Needle for waking up the spine and ribcage!
* Quote of the month:
Did you try any of these tips? I'd love to know what you think. I read every email! And if you have something you are curious about or want more information on, let me know... maybe I'll add it to my next newsletter!
See you next month!
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