Are you looking to strengthen your pelvic floor? Well you're
in the right place! Hey, everybody it's Doctor Jo and
sweet sleepy Bear. And today I'm going to show you some
strengthening exercises for the pelvic floor. So let's get
started. So before we get started, you're going to need
some equipment, just a big rolled up towel, or maybe a
small foam roll. I'm gonna use my bolster, you don't need
something this big. But I'm just going to kind of exaggerate the
movement, because it's a little hard to see when you're just
using a rolled up towel, but you can use that I'm going to use
this. So the first exercise is going to be a super simple mini
squat. But the big thing to help work the pelvic floor when
you're doing many squats, is concentrating on your breathing,
and imagining or feeling those pelvic floor muscles engaging.
And that's kind of tough, because when you're doing
exercises, you can't really see the pelvic floor muscles
working, so you really have to kind of get in tune with that.
So sometimes, that's why it's great to go see a pelvic floor
specialist to find out how to do that properly. So with the mini
squat, when you go down, you're going to inhale and imagine that
pelvic floor opening up and then when you come back up, exhale
and and kind of imagine it closing. So it doesn't have to
be a big squat. Again, just minis, feet kind of spread out
hip width apart, shoulder width apart, toes forward. And so I'm
going down, inhaling, and then exhaling, coming back up. So
really give yourself a visual, even if you have to make the
motion with your hands, you know, opening up. Exhaling,
closing.
I know that looks weird. But a lot of times getting that visual
helps because again, those those muscles, sometimes you can't
feel them, you definitely can't see them. So you really have to
kind of imagine those muscles working. As far as reps,
sometimes I like just doing for time, like 30 seconds, and just
do as many as you comfortably can. You don't have to go fast
like me just go slow and really focus on your breathing while
you're doing it. So the next one is going to be sitting down. So
go ahead and grab your rolled up towel, or I'm going to use the
bolster, we're going to work both sides. This is some people
call them like a pelvis pull up, I like to almost call this just
like a modified or a seated hip height. So if you've ever seen
the standing hip hikes, working those glute muscles, this is
just kind of it in a modified position. So you're working that
pelvic floor as well. So when you take the roll up tower or
the bolster, you're just going to sit on it half of it. So I'm
just going to put one butt cheek on the side so the other side
can drop down. So see, it doesn't have to be this high, I
just really want you to be able to see that I'm dropping down,
and then I'm hiking that hip up or pulling that whole pelvis up.
So that's why I'm just making it a little higher, so you can see
it. Now if you've worked up to it, and you've done a lot, you
can do a little bit higher, but you're definitely working
harder, the higher the height is. So you coming up, really
kind of pull up with that pelvic floor, and then back down. So
these again, are a little tougher than they look. So maybe
just start off with a few of them and then work your way up.
This is my weaker hip. So sometimes I have to kind of get
it in place. And really let it drop down, and then come up. So
you can see my foots just kind of sitting there, I'm dropping
down and coming up with my hip. And I'm working a lot harder on
this side. So you might not see quite as much movement,
definitely need to work on these. But I'm not pushing off
on my leg, my leg is just there to support it. So the next one
is going to be kind of a modified cat cow or cat dog is
like what I like to call it. So you're going to be on all fours.
And the biggest thing when you're working the pelvic floor
with this, it's not going to be that full motion, that's why
it's modified. You're really just going to work your lower
back or the lumbar region. So it's not the big arches it's
kind of being here and more just tucking in or sucking in your
tummy and then dropping it back down. So kind of coming in like
this. It's not all the way up, but is that modified movement,
I'm dropping down. And I'm pulling that tummy in working
those pelvic floor muscles versus the bigger muscles. So
I'm coming in, kind of like trying to just straighten
everything out. But working those core muscles and then
dropping back down. So again, you can do this for time,
because you want to make sure you're doing it right. It's not
a big movement, but you should be feeling it in that pelvic
area while you're doing it. So down. And then just pulling in.
It's almost like a pelvic tilt when you're lying on your back,
except now you're doing it this way. So you have to work a
little bit harder because you're working against gravity. So the
next one is going to be in long sitting and that's just when
both of your legs are straight out in front of you. Make sure
again, you're comfortable. Sometimes it's an uncomfortable
position for someone so maybe if you're in bed you can prop up
and against the wall or the pillows or something. But with
this one, now we're going to work our internal and external
rotators in the hip and pelvic area. So it's a really simple
movement, you're going to be doing the external and internal
rotation with your foot, your knee and your hip. So it's the
whole leg moving with it. So you're just rotating out into
external rotation, and then rotating in into that internal
rotation. So just kind of rotating back and forth. And
that's working those smaller internal muscles in there in
that pelvic area. Make sure you're going nice and slow, my
knee's bending just a little bit, because this is a little
bit squishy area. Sometimes, if you can comfortably get on the
floor where it's a little bit firmer, this is a better, that's
a better place to do it. But just nice and gentle. Rotating
back and forth. It's a great stretch to work everything out.
And it's really good to get those strengthening muscles with
those internal and external rotators. After you've done
those, if those feel good, then you can progress it into
actually now moving the leg and adding in some breathing with
that because the diaphragmatic breathing that belly breathing
is great for the pelvic floor. So when you are doing the
movements, you want to inhale as you go out and exhale as you
come in. So when you go out, you're going to lead with your
heel. And so you're just going to slide it out, breathing in,
then turn it, point your toes out, and then exhale coming in.
So
heel out, breathing in, toes out, breathing out. So again, if
you just want to do this for time, you can or if you just
want to do a few of them, but make sure you're really focusing
on that breathing too, because that's really going to help
relax those pelvic floor muscles so you can strengthen those
muscles. So there you have it. Those were some pelvic floor
strengthening exercises. If you're interested in checking
out some of my other videos, including some more pelvic floor
strengthening exercises, click on the link up there. And don't
forget to subscribe by clicking down there. I know! And
remember, be safe, have fun, and I hope you feel better soon.