Summertime Challenges for the Pelvic Floor

Summer brings challenges for maintaining a healthy pelvic floor – more time in wet bathing suits, more time sweating, more hair removal, more time outdoors. None of these have to cause problems. There are simple things worth knowing, to keep your pelvic floor and vulva health in good shape during the warmer months.

Bathing Suits and Moisture
Sitting in a wet bathing suit for extended periods of time is a habit that can impact vaginal health. The combination of moisture, heat, and a tight-fitting suit create an environment where bacteria and yeast thrive. After swimming, changing out of your wet suit, as soon as possible, is a simple thing you can do to support the tissue and microbiome. If you are prone to yeast infections or bacterial vaginosis, this is especially important. Putting on loose, breathable clothing, after a swim, gives the area a chance to dry out properly. There are a variety of vaginal moisturizers meant to help with dryness, itching, and redness due to skin irritation. Look for one with hyaluronic acid.

Vaginal Hygiene
The vagina is self-cleaning, which means it doesn’t require cleaning with vaginal wipes, soaps, douches, or a “pH balanced” products. The vulva, which is the external tissue, should be gently cleaned, preferably with just warm water. But a mild, fragrance-free soap can be used if desired. Scented soaps, body washes and feminine hygiene sprays can disrupt the natural pH balance and lead to irritation, infections, or worsening of existing symptoms. When we sweat more and spend time in water, it is tempting to over clean. But less is more. Keep things simple.

Yeast Infections
Yeast infections are more common in the summer for several reasons – heat, moisture, and sweat create the perfect conditions for yeast to overgrow. In addition to changing out of wet bathing suits and sweaty exercise gear, wearing breathable underwear, made from natural fibers like cotton, is helpful. Avoid heavily scented products, stay hydrated, and support your gut health with diet and probiotics. This can make a difference. If you find yourself getting recurrent yeast infections, speak to your provider, rather than repeatedly treating on your own.
Not all infections that feel like a yeast infection are a yeast infection. It is also worth knowing that recurrent vulvovaginal symptoms often overlap with pelvic floor tension and conditions like vulvodynia or vestibulodynia. If infections keep coming back or the discomfort lingers even after treatment, a pelvic floor PT can be a useful part of your care team.

Exercising During Summer
Summertime tends to mean more movement – between outdoor sports, water activities, and increased activity levels, many people have symptoms they don’t notice the rest of the year:

• leaking with jumping or running,
• increased urgency after a long hike,
• pelvic heaviness after a day of walking or time on their feet.

Heat and humidity affect how the body manages fluid, which can increase issues with bladder urgency and stress incontinence. Staying well hydrated is more important than people realize for bladder and pelvic health. Concentrated urine is more irritating to the bladder lining than diluted urine, causing stronger and more frequent bladder urges. A pelvic floor PT can help you figure out what is driving your symptoms and how to address them properly.

There are things you can do on your own. If urgency is an issue, bladder retraining can help. Rather than rushing to the bathroom when a strong urge hits, pause, take a few slow deep breaths and relax the pelvic floor to help quiet the signal. Symptoms like heaviness or leakage, after a big activity day or heavy exercise, are often a sign that the pelvic floor was asked to do more than it was prepared for, so gradually building up intensity rather than going from zero to a full beach day makes a difference.