Why a Strong Pelvic Floor is Important for Overall Health

Think of your pelvic floor like a foundation for a house. If the foundation is weak, the house will eventually crumble. The same is true for your pelvic floor muscles. A strong pelvic floor provides stability and support for your organs and can help prevent issues such as urinary incontinence and prolapse. In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of having a strong pelvic floor and provide tips on how to achieve it!

Controlled Breathing Exercises

The pelvic floor is a hammock of muscles that spans the bottom of the pelvis. These muscles support the bladder and bowel, and they also play an important role in sexual function. Unfortunately, these muscles can weaken over time, leading to incontinence and other problems. Fortunately, there are exercises that can help to strengthen the pelvic floor. Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) is a type of exercise that helps to tone and strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. One way to do PFMT is to practice controlled breathing exercises. These exercises involve contracting and relaxing the pelvic floor muscles while inhaling and exhaling.

There are a few different types of controlled breathing exercises that can help to improve pelvic floor function. The first is relaxed breathing. This involves slowly inhaling and exhaling through the nose, keeping the mouth closed. The second is supported breathing. This type of exercise uses a props, such as a pillow or blanket, to support the back and allow the chest and shoulders to relax. The final type of exercise is deep abdominal breathing. This involves exhaling fully and then inhaling deeply through the nose, allowing the stomach to expand. By doing these exercises regularly, you can help to improve the function of your pelvic floor muscles and reduce stress levels.

Bonus tip: Use these exercise sessions as a time of self reflection and meditation!

Kegels

Kegel exercises are simple clenches and releases of the pelvic floor muscles. These muscles support the bladder, vagina, and uterus in women, and the rectum and penis in men. Kegels can be done anywhere and at any time, without anyone knowing. The National Institute on Aging suggests the following steps for doing Kegel exercises:

Find the right muscles

To find the right muscles, try to stop your urine midstream. If you succeed, you’ve identified your pelvic floor muscles.

Tighten your pelvic floor muscles. Squeeze those muscles for three to five seconds, then relax for three to five seconds.

Work up to doing Kegels three times a week for at least three months.

Kegel exercises can improve or even eliminate urinary incontinence by strengthening the pelvic floor muscles. They can also help sexual dysfunction in both men and women by improving muscle tone in the vagina or penis. For pregnant women, Kegel exercises can help prevent tearing during childbirth by preparing the muscles for delivery. As men age, kegel exercises may also help reduce the risk of erectile dysfunction by keeping blood flowing to the penis.

Monster Walk

The monster walk is another simple exercise that can help to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. To do this exercise, start by standing with your feet hip-width apart. Bend your knees and place your hands on your hips. Lift one leg straight out in front of you, keeping your pelvis level. Hold for a few seconds, then lower your leg and repeat with the other leg. Do 10-15 repetitions on each side. As you get stronger, you can add dumbbells or a resistance band to increase the difficulty of the exercise.

Pilates

Pilates is a great way to strengthen the pelvic floor, and it can be done at home or in a class if you prefer. Pilates is an ideal exercise for the pelvic floor because it is low-impact and can be done relatively slowly and gently. Additionally, Pilates can help to improve posture and alignment, which can also help to reduce strain on the pelvic floor. To get started, try one of the video routines below. Just a few minutes of Pilates each day can make a big difference in your pelvic floor health!