The abdomen and the pelvic floor

The “pelvic floor” is a term used to describe the deep muscles at the bottom of the pelvis, which provide a base and support for the internal organs against the force of gravity. At the same time, an important part of this muscular layer is the sphincters, which must open from time to time, but not excessively. When the stability of the pelvic floor is compromised, control over the sphincters also decreases, and the internal organs do not receive the support they need. However, since these are muscles and not an actual floor, they have additional functions related to stability and movement.

In martial arts, for example, much attention is paid to the abdomen and pelvic floor as key to optimal organization, although precise definitions are often lacking. In the next four lessons, we will examine how the pelvic floor relates to the lower abdomen and the special importance of this area in movement and breathing, and perhaps we will also discover why a flat stomach is not necessarily functional.