How to Strengthen Pelvic Floor

Your pelvis is vital to supporting your spine and your entire
body. At times, the pelvic floor may become overactive or
hypertonic. When this happens, the muscles may be overly tight or
tense when they should be relaxed. learning to relax and release
the correct muscles in your pelvic floor (contracting the muscles
as shortly as you would by bulging your bicep – or a long
contraction as you would stretching out the bicep). If you have
an overactive pelvic floor, you may experience
symptoms such as: back pain, painful intercourse, a feeling
of heaviness in your pelvic floor muscles, or incontinence.


What Causes a Weak Pelvic Floor?


The most common causes of a weakened pelvic floor usually
include:


Pregnancy

Childbirth

Prostate cancer (in males)

Constipation (strain and forceful pushing during bowel
movements)



If your pelvic floor muscles are weakened, your body may begin
experiencing a lack of support and alignment. Exercises can help
strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and restore the proper
support and alignment your body requires to function properly.
They may also help alleviate pain and other symptoms you may be
facing.


How to Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor Muscles


Find Your Pelvic Floor Muscles


Education is one of the primary benefits that we at RYC offer in
our programs. Understanding where your pelvic floor muscles are
located and how they affect your body can help benefit your
recovery. In my program, I help men and women learn more about
how their bodies work and how to properly engage and exercise
their pelvic floor muscles.


Pelvic Floor Exercises


Exercise can be a great way to heal your pelvic floor.
Unfortunately, in many work out programs for postpartum people
and others seeking pelvic floor recovery, kegel exercises are the
most commonly recommended exercise to use. However, kegel
exercises can actually increase stiffness and make it harder to
feel your pelvic floor muscles. Avoiding unnecessary contraction
during pelvic floor exercises can be beneficial to recovering the
strength and mobility of your pelvic floor muscles.


If we want things to shift in our pelvic floor, we need to also
shift the habit mode of our muscles. In the case of our pelvic
floors, there tends to be much confusion. Is my pelvic floor too
tight? Not tight enough? How can I tell the resting tension? How
can I fix it? Before we set out to resolve/fix our pelvic floor
dysfunction we need to first “know” our pelvic floor. Know what
engaging it feels like, what releasing it feels like, and how to
control both contracting and releasing it. Only then we can
discern what our tendencies are and create new movement patterns
and choices.


Pelvic Floor Exercises: Stretching


Below are a few pelvic floor exercises I cover in my program at
RYC. These exercises may help you begin to feel the way your
muscles work and go way beyond kegel exercises.


Supine Pelvic Floor Stretch:


Lying on your back, keep your knees bent and bring them toward
your chest. Slowly extend your knees to the side to stretch the
inner groin. Relax your pelvic floor and butt. Hold this position
for 5 to 10 breaths and relax.


Supported Slight Backbend Pelvic Stretch:


This is a fantastic pelvic stretcher. Using a pillow or bolster
of some kind, gently lower your back to rest on top of the
pillow. Once in position, slowly bring your feet together so the
soles of your feet are touching. Keep your knees bent, but gently
allow them to open sideways. If you feel any discomfort at all in
your back or inner thighs, you can use pillows for further
support or get rid of the bolster. Hold for 30 seconds or more
(roughly 15 to 20 breaths) and relax.