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.