Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor
SEXUAL HEALTH
Life, pregnancy, weight changes, and time can all affect the pelvic floor. If you feel a bit of pee slip out every time you laugh hard or sneeze, you may be struggling with pelvic floor weakness or incompetence.
It happens to all of us. Do not fret or feel ashamed. Below we offer several exercises and tools you can use to strengthen your pelvic floor.
Strengthening the pelvic floor is crucial for overall health and well-being. Incorporating targeted exercises into your routine can help improve bladder control, enhance core stability, and even boost sexual function.
Here are four effective exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles:
1. Kegels: Kegel exercises involve contracting and relaxing the pelvic floor muscles to improve strength and control. These simple contractions involve squeezing and releasing the muscles you use to stop urination midstream. Aim to hold each contraction for a few seconds before releasing.
Start with your bladder empty, squeeze your muscles as if you are stopping your pee mid-stream, hold the squeeze/contraction for 4-5 seconds, then release and relax for 4-5 seconds. Repeat this 8-10 times. Do Kegels regularly, 2-3 times per day to get the best results. And, the great thing about Kegels is that you can do them anywhere, in bed or in the car, wherever and whenever you have a few minutes.
2. Bridge Pose: The yoga Bridge Pose is a simple floor pose that engages the core and pelvic floor muscles, helping to build strength and stability in this area. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. You may put your arms and hands flat on the floor beside your or under your body when you lift.
Lift your hips towards the ceiling so that your knees and hips are parallel. Squeeze your gluteal/butt muscles engaging your glutes and pelvic floor muscles. Hold for 5-6 seconds and then relax and lower your hips and buttocks back down to the floor. Repeat this 10-15 times, two or three days a week. This is a good floor exercise to do in the morning as you gradually wake up to greet your day. The Bridge Pose helps strengthen the pelvic muscles, core muscles, and lower back muscles for greater stability, bladder control, and sexual satisfaction
3. Static Squat-Holds: This lower body exercise not only targets the glutes and thighs but also engages the pelvic floor muscles as you lower and rise from a squatting position.
Start with your legs apart, slightly wider than your hips, with your toes pointed outward just a bit. Bend your knees and lower yourself down as far as you can comfortably go. Keep your arms bent and hands together in front of you. Pull your elbows inside your knees as you lower yourself down. When you are down as low as you can go, press your elbows into the insides of your knees, while your hands are clasped together. When you are as low as you can comfortably go, relax your spine and feel your butt lower just a little lengthening your spine. Hold for 8-10 seconds. Rise up evenly to a standing position and repeat these squats and holds for several rounds.
Static Squat-Holds are a great way to work multiple muscle groups, including the lower back and pelvic muscles, while opening and stretching your hips.
4. Pelvic Floor Tools: Another way to help improve and strengthen your pelvic floor is to consider using tools that add variety to your pelvic floor workouts and challenge those muscles in different ways.
The following is a list of tools used to help improve the muscles of the pelvic floor:
Ben Wa Balls or Kegel Balls. These are typically made of metal or glass and are weighted to provide resistance against your pelvic floor muscles. Just as with any weight-type resistance, the pelvic floor muscles become stronger after using kegel balls over time. These weighted balls are inserted into the vagina and stay inside for several minutes, building up the amount of time you are able to hold them inside without them slipping out.
Kegel Vibrators. Kegel vibrators usually have a long stem with a vibrating ball at the end. The ball end is inserted into the vagina. The person can adjust the vibration speeds and patterns, used to strengthen your pelvic floor. As a bonus, Kegel vibrators often bring on amazing orgasms.
Vibrating Eggs. These are similar to Kegel vibrators with a long stem or handle but without a handle. Most vibrating eggs are wireless and can be easily slipped into the vagina, with a remote control used to adjust the vibrations and patterns. The different speeds and patterns help to strengthen and train the pelvic floor muscles.
Using tools like resistance bands or exercise balls can add variety to your workout routine and target the pelvic floor muscles effectively. Using these tools and exercises, overtimes can improve sexual function and enjoyment, bladder control and muscle tone.
Your pelvic floor provides essential support for all of your internal organs, the core of the body. Strengthening your pelvic floor can improve the entire body. By incorporating these exercises into your fitness regimen, you will be able to quickly and effectively strengthen your pelvic floor and improve overall muscle tone. Remember that being consistent and patient with yourself is important. Incorporate one or more of these exercises daily to see the best results.
