Today we're going to discuss exercises for your pelvic floor. Your pelvic floor helps to support your core and also assists with essential functions such as bladder control and bowel regularity. The pelvic floor muscle starts from the front of the pubic bone and extends to your tailbone.
While exercising your pelvic floor, make sure to avoid these motions to ensure you’re isolating your pelvic muscles:
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Holding your breath
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Pulling your stomach in too tight
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Squeezing your legs together
Step 1: Identify Where Your Pelvic Floor Muscles Are:
Since this muscle helps to control our bladder, sit up straight, and pretend you are trying to stop your urine flow by slowly contracting your muscle inward. That is your pelvic floor muscle.
Step 2: Exercises for Your Pelvic Floor
Think of pelvic floor exercises as a series of contract to relax cycles. When performing pelvic floor exercises, perform the slow exercises first, followed by the quick exercises right away. As well as completely relax your pelvic floor muscles between each exercise.
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Exercise 1- Slow Pelvic Floor Contractions: While sitting or lying down, gradually tighten your pelvic floor muscle and hold for up to 10 seconds then relax for up to 5 seconds. Repeat up to 10 times.
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Exercise 2- Quick Pelvic Floor Contractions: The second exercise is to tighten your pelvic floor muscles as quickly as you can, hold for 1 second and then relax. Repeat up to 10 times.
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Exercise 3- Bridges: Lay on your back with knees bent, arms crossed across your upper chest, and toes pointed up. Contract your abdominal muscles while also contracting your pelvic floor muscles. Keeping your muscles engaged, lift your buttocks off the ground while keeping your body stable, hold for 5 seconds then relax on your way down. Repeat 10 times.
You can repeat these exercises 3-5 times per day. Consider making it part of your daily routine by performing these when you wake up, before you go to bed, or before other activities.
You can also help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles by controlling your weight, preventing constipation, and avoiding heavy lifting or high-impact exercises.
Always remember to check with your provider before starting any new exercise regimen. If you have symptoms related to your pelvic floor muscles, discuss these with your provider as well. If you stop pelvic floor exercises, related symptoms may return. If your symptoms are severe or not improved, you can also consider meeting with a pelvic floor physical therapist.