Pelvic Floor Stretches

Pelvic Floor Stretches


Persistent pelvic floor pain can be difficult to endure. Pelvic
floor dysfunction issues can range between hyperactivity to
pelvic organ prolapse. The result of both cases can lead to
painful and embarrassing symptoms for both men and women. In this
article, I will address helpful exercises and stretches that help
free you of painful symptoms and aid in restoring pelvic floor
and core function. To be clear, stretching is just one type of
input into the pelvic floor system and is not the only thing you
should do for a tight / tense pelvic floor. Downtraining your
pelvic floor will require a variety of loads and inputs,
stretching is one important one.


How to Stretch Pelvic Muscles


There are several ways you can properly stretch and engage your
pelvic floor in order to reduce pelvic floor tension . One of the
most beneficial and important techniques that I teach my clients
is 3-D breathing – a pattern of breathing that uses the rib cage
expansion rather than belly expansion for an effective and
efficient strategy.


One of the key elements in resolving pelvic floor dysfunction and
POP is breathing mechanics. In Restore Your Core, I spend a
significant amount of time teaching my clients proper breathing
mechanics. Often people don’t realize the way they breathe
impacts the integrity of their core and pelvic floor. Yet, most
of us do not even realize easily we can fall into improper
breathing patterns.


Most people are belly breathers. This means that while inhaling,
they’re extending their abdomen – focusing the tension in their
belly. An Illustration of this would look like filling an
oval-shaped balloon with water and squeezing the top creating a
bulge. The exact same thing happens when you belly breathe.
Bulging your gut strains your core and pelvic floor by increasing
intra-abdominal pressure. This tends to cause muscle and organ
damage in those regions. Our pelvic floor is not designed to
handle a lot of consistent pressure and stress.


I spend a lot of my time with clients training them to 3-D
breathe. 3-D breathing trains you to engage your diaphragm and
rib cage while breathing. This means that instead of your belly
extending as you inhale, your rib cage expands. Breathing in this
manner reduces pressure in your core and pelvic region.
Additionally, this technique encourages proper core response and
engagement in your daily activities. Now that you understand
proper breathing mechanics, it is time to learn how to properly
stretch and exercise your core and pelvic floor.


Stretches for the Pelvic Floor:


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. Remain in this
position for 5 to 10 breaths and relax.