Pelvic Floor Care From Behind the Chair: A Stylist’s Guide to Feeling Better + Working Longer

Pelvic Floor Care From Behind the Chair: A Stylist’s Guide to Feeling Better + Working Longer

Why Stylists Should Care About the Pelvic Floor

Long days on our feet. Bending to shampoo. Reaching for tools. Twisting to check a cut. If your lower back or hips ache after a full book, you’re not alone. After talking with pelvic floor physical therapist Maureen, I realized a lot of those mystery aches can tie back to one key area: your pelvic floor. When it’s tight or weak, the rest of your body has to pick up the slack. That’s when pain and leaks can show up, and confidence can dip fast.

What the Pelvic Floor Actually Does (Quick + Clear)

Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles at the base of your pelvis. Think support + control. It helps you:

  • Hold urine + bowel movements until you’re ready
  • Support your bladder, uterus, and rectum
  • Work with your core, back, glutes, and breath so you move well
  • Enjoy pain-free intimacy

When it’s off, you might notice leaking when you laugh or sneeze, pressure down low, trouble with bowel movements, pain with intimacy, or nagging low-back + hip pain.

Salon Life Habits That Stress Your Pelvic Floor

Real talk from the chair:

  • Standing all day with locked knees or tucked hips
  • Holding your breath while you detail a bob or foil around the hairline
  • Twisting from sink to station a hundred times
  • Clenching during freeway traffic or a packed double-book

These small things stack up. Over time, your body protects you by gripping in the wrong places. That “protection” can turn into pain, tightness, or leaks.

Simple Reset You Can Do Between Clients (2 Minutes)

Try this quick flow between guests or before a big color:

  1. Unclench + stack: Soften jaw, drop shoulders, unlock knees. Stand tall like a string lifts your head.
  2. Breathe low: Inhale through the nose, feel ribs expand. Exhale and gently think “stop the pee” for 2 seconds, then fully let go on the next inhale. Do 5 slow rounds.
  3. Hip hinge check: Practice sitting + standing with a hinge at the hips, not a fold in the low back. Your glutes + core should share the work.
  4. Move it: 5 cat-cows or a short child’s pose if you can. If not, heel-to-toe calf pumps while standing to keep blood moving.

Kegels: Helpful or Not?

Kegels can help if weakness is the issue. But if your muscles are tight, more squeezing makes things worse. That’s why breath + release come first. Build awareness, then add gentle strength during moves you already do (like a tiny pelvic floor engage as you stand from the stool), and let it go as you sit back down.

When to Get Pro Help

If you notice regular leaks, pressure, pain with intimacy, or stubborn back/hip pain that won’t quit, a pelvic floor physical therapist can help you figure out if it’s tightness, weakness, or both. Track what you feel, when it happens, and bring notes to your visit. You deserve to feel strong in + out of the salon.

 

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