✨Let’s say it once and for all! There is more to a healthy and balanced pelvic floor than than just doing kegels!
Kegels can be helpful and a great way for someone to learn about their pelvic floor. But to maintain both support and release, there are other factors to consider.
For pelvic girdle stability and a functional pelvic floor, we want proper muscle tone which means that the muscles have support and flexibility. The pelvic floor will pick up the slack of other parts of the body that are not doing their job. So besides simply teaching how to engage and relax the pelvic floor muscles, we need to strengthen the rest of the body that influences pelvic floor function (such as the glutes, hips, adductors, core, and back muscles). A healthy pelvic floor is so much more than just doing your daily kegels!
✨Glutes
The glute muscles can be a great window into the state of the pelvic floor. For most people, glute max is often underused which will result in other muscles compensating, including the pelvic floor. Tight or weak glutes may indicate a tight pelvic floor. A “flat butt” may mean there’s a lot of laxity in those muscles.
Squats are a great way to build glute strength and lengthen the pelvic floor muscles!
✨Hips
The deep hip rotators (glute medius, glute minimus, piriformis and obturator) serve to both mobilize and stabilize. Muscles like the obturators directly support the pelvic floor and therefore have a LOT of work to do! They move the hips, stabilize the pelvis and support the pelvic organs; lots of jobs!
To strengthen the deep hip rotators, try the reverse clam shell. This pose also provides some internal rotation, which is great for creating a bit of length in the pelvic floor muscles.
✨360 Breathing
Practice diaphragmatic breathing by focusing on expanding all 360 degrees of the ribcage (like an umbrella opening). This way, we access the side and back ribs which often get forgotten about. Correct diaphragm expansion can be incredibly beneficial for the body since it can help evenly stretch and release the pelvic floor. I love that simply breathing properly can help relax the pelvic floor.
Try these out and tell me what you think! You can drop me an email or pop into one of our in person or online classes to let me know your favorite pose!
