Wow, thank you all so much for your beautiful replies and responses to my big share in last week’s newsletter. I have been overwhelmed by your support and shared experiences. This week, I wanted to follow up with a blog series giving you a bit of science behind what happens with our hormones and how they specifically impact your pelvic floor.
What Are Hormones and Why Do We Need Them?
Firstly, let’s understand what hormones are and why we need them in general before we get into the nitty gritty of hormones and your pelvic floor. Hormones are chemical messengers that regulate various functions in the body, such as growth, metabolism, and mood, ensuring our organs and systems in general work properly.
For women, some of the most important hormones include estrogen, which regulates reproductive health and menstrual cycles; progesterone, which supports pregnancy and plays a role in menstruation; and testosterone, which is often thought of in relation to men but also affects women’s libido and muscle strength.
Focusing on Estrogen: The Menopause Connection
For this series, I want to hone in on estrogen, especially as it relates to menopause. As we move through different stages of life, the role of estrogen becomes particularly crucial, especially when it comes to muscle health, fascia, and the pelvic floor. Breaking it down into bite-sized pieces will help make this complex subject easier to digest.
You know I’m a huge fan of knowing your anatomy – I firmly believe it’s one of the most empowering tools you can have to live well in your body. Understanding how estrogen impacts your body will allow you to take control of your well-being.
Estrogen’s Role in Muscle and Fascia Health
Estrogen (or oestrogen) isn’t just a hormone tied to reproduction—it has profound effects on muscle strength, recovery, flexibility, and the health of your fascia. Let’s explore how it plays a role in each of these areas.
Muscle Strength and Mass
Oestrogen helps maintain muscle mass and strength by influencing the production of proteins involved in muscle repair and growth. It promotes protein synthesis and reduces muscle breakdown, which can help women maintain muscle tone, especially during the reproductive years.
Muscle Recovery
Oestrogen has natural inbuilt anti-inflammatory properties that support quicker recovery from muscle injuries or post-exercise soreness. It helps reduce stress and inflammation, promoting faster healing and reducing muscle damage after intense activity, injury or even surgery. Like our own built in Ibuleve or Voltarol.
Muscle Flexibility
Estrogen plays a key role in maintaining muscle elasticity. This flexibility aids in greater joint mobility and a wider range of motion—both of which are essential in exercises like Pilates and for simply moving through life more freely. When muscles are more pliable, they respond better to movement, which reduces the risk of injury and enhances overall physical function.
Fascia Health
Fascia is one of the most fascinating aspects of our anatomy—it’s the connective tissue that wraps around, supports, and links our muscles, bones, and organs. Estrogen promotes the production of collagen, a key component of fascia. Collagen helps keep fascia hydrated, strong, and elastic, ensuring that muscles move smoothly, retain strength, and maintain flexibility.
When estrogen levels are balanced, fascia is well-hydrated and supple. However, when collagen production decreases, as it can during menopause, the fascia becomes less elastic, leading to increased stiffness. This is why some women may feel more joint pain or tightness as they age—stiff fascia can make movements feel restricted, almost like a dry sponge that doesn’t bend as easily.
Metabolism and Fat Distribution
Oestrogen helps regulate fat distribution and metabolism. When oestrogen levels are balanced, fat is more likely to be stored under the skin rather than around vital organs, which is healthier for the body and improves overall muscle function. I’m sure I’m not the only one aware of the redistribution of fat.
Being on camera as I so often am or teaching in front of mirrors I can’t help but see my body changing right in front of my own eyes. It has felt disconcerting and out of my control so digging into understanding more about these hormones has felt empowering and I feel like I’m accepting myself more again.
Post-Menopause: The Impact of Declining Estrogen
After menopause, estrogen levels decline, which brings about several noticeable changes in the body. Many women experience a loss of muscle mass, reduced collagen production, and therefore, less elastic fascia. Muscles may feel tighter, joints stiffer, and injuries may take longer to heal.
This shift increases the risk of injury and slows down recovery from physical activity. The pelvic floor, like any other group of muscles, can be affected by these changes. The decline in estrogen’s protective qualities means that the pelvic floor might not function as effectively, leading to issues such as pelvic floor dysfunction, weakness, or discomfort.
The Importance of Understanding Estrogen’s Role
Wow, even as I write this I’m still blown away by the importance of the role oestrogen plays for us women in maintaining our physical well-being and how little we are taught about it. If I hadn’t embarked on my deep-dive studies into anatomy years ago I would not have had an inkling or any appreciation of its role.
More next week on how estrogen affects your pelvic floor specifically. But for now, I hope this insight into estrogen’s influence on muscle and fascia health has given you a greater appreciation of how interconnected our bodies are.
Understanding this can empower you to take the next steps toward maintaining a strong, flexible body as you age.
Are you looking for HOPE for your menopause and pelvic health? Try my Whole Body Pelvic Health membership FREE for 7 days!
“I almost feel like Claire is in the room with me, which is quite a skill! She brings so much energy to the screen! I feel so much more confident from doing this course. I feel like I know more about my birth injury, I understand my body more and I know its limits.” – Lisa, Whole Body Pelvic Health Member