5 Exercises to Help Strengthen Your Pelvic Muscles

Women often think about pregnancy and its after effects only after they get pregnant. This is not wise. It is best to be educated about the changes that happen in your body before you get pregnant. It is also a great idea to be physically and mentally ready to face the challenges posed by pregnancy. Pelvic floor muscles have an important role to play not just in childbirth but also in routine daily activities like bowel movements and urination. If these muscles grow weak, they may eventually affect your control during these functions too. So, don’t wait until pregnancy and childbirth to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Here are five exercises that will help you do so right away. Go ahead and do it daily to see the benefits.

Kegel Exercises

The Kegel exercises are pretty popular and often recommended for people suffering from urinary incontinence. You can do these exercises while you are on a 5-minute break between work or just whiling your time away. Just contract the muscles you relax while urinating. You must do this for a few seconds and then release them. Repeat this act 5-10 times. You can do the Kegel exercises three times each day to strengthen your pelvic muscles.

Wall Squat Exercise

If you have a wall where you are positioned now, go ahead and try this one. You need to choose a wall and stand up straight against the wall. You need to make sure that your hips and your feet are in the same line. After that, engage your pelvic muscles as you slowly lower yourself as if positioning yourself to sit on a chair. Stay in this position for about 10 seconds and then return to the standing position. Repeat this exercise about 10 times each day. You will see the benefits on your pelvic muscles with time.

Reclined Bound Angle Exercise

Another suitable exercise to strengthen the pelvic muscles is the reclined bound angle exercise. For this exercise, you need to lie down on your back. You need to face up while your knees are bent against the floor. This is a yoga pose where you must drop your knees to the floor and allow the bottoms of your feet to meet each other. You need to then stretch out your arms by the side and the palms should open to the sky.  You must then take a deep breath with your eyes closed. Initially, you may do this pose just for about a minute. Later, you may increase the duration of the pose as per your convenience.

Bridge Exercise

Another pose suggested in women’s health posts to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles is the bridge exercise. In this exercise, you must lie on your back and make sure your feet are flat on the ground. You must then inhale and take a deep breath while you squeeze your pelvic muscles for 10 seconds. Now, release these muscles. You can repeat this exercise 5-10 times daily to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.

Child’s Pose Exercise

Spread out your yoga mat on the floor. Now do the child’s pose where there is room for the lower back to open and allow your pelvic muscles to stretch when you breathe in. You need to retain the position for a minute before you breathe out. Repeat the pose for enhanced strength of pelvic floor muscles.

What is the Impact of Pregnancy on the Pelvic Floor Muscles?

Most women consider strengthening their pelvic floor muscles after their first or second pregnancy. It is important to know how exactly pelvic floor muscles are affected because of pregnancy. We are all aware that there are several changes in a woman’s body during pregnancy. The pelvic floor muscles stretch to provide room for the baby in the womb. This process happens gradually throughout the pregnancy. By the last trimester, the pelvic muscles may stretch so much that they fail to return to their original position after delivery. When the pelvic floor muscles aren’t back to their original shape or form, it could result in several issues such as urinary incontinence. It is clear that it is important to keep the pelvic floor muscles in good condition.

How Pelvic Floor Exercises Can Benefit Women’s Health?

The pelvic floor muscle exercises help to maintain the strength of these muscles. It is recommended for women’s health to regularly exercise the pelvic floor muscles. The exercises can help women to go through a healthier pregnancy if they do the exercises prior to their first pregnancy. The exercises can help women regain their pelvic muscle strength after pregnancy. The multiple benefits in women’s health offered by these exercises make them ideal for women of all ages.

What Other Measures Should You Take to Maintain the Strength of the Pelvic Floor Muscles?

Exercises only do part of the work. You need to understand other measures for better pelvic floor muscles as well as overall women’s health. Here we have shared a few measures you can take:

• Each time you exercise or exert yourself, take some time to relax your body and mind.
• During pregnancy, avoid exercises or poses that put pressure on the pelvic muscles.
• Maintain a healthy body weight. You can do this by regulating your diet.
• Consume healthy foods and avoid junk foods. Highly processed foods tend to harm your health.
• When you experience any changes in the usual functioning of your pelvic floor muscles, be alert. Don’t hesitate to ask for help and seek guidance.

It is never easy to maintain perfect women’s health. You need to put consistent efforts, regulate your diet, exercise and eat healthy to stay fit. Another very significant factor is to maintain a cool mind. Stress and tension often bring along several health problems. You must make sure you are free from stress so that your body and mind function optimally. Meditation and yoga can help relieve your mind from unnecessary stress. You may also undergo behavioral therapy to communicate better and thus reduce stress.