When you think about strengthening your pelvic floor, you may immediately think “kegels”, but really the pelvic floor is more than a single isolated muscle. The muscles, ligaments, connective tissue and tendons that support the pelvic organs and control the contracting and releasing of the urethra need to work together along with all of the core muscles that surround them. What this means is that pelvic floor recovery is likely more than just doing kegels.
Practitioner Eleanor Fitzgerald is a Neuromuscular Therapist & Pilates Instructor who works with women to help make their pelvic floors more resilient. A resilient pelvic floor can work in harmony with all of the surrounding core muscles to respond to the task at hand – standing, sitting, running, jumping, etc. Ms. Fitzgerald has researched extensively and brings together the best information and practice from Pilates, corrective exercise, Yoga and the science of biomechanics.
Simple recommendations to start include:
- to determine your pelvic floor responsiveness, lie on the floor, knees bent. With hands resting on belly, gently breath and notice your breath while paying attention to your pelvic floor. You’re trying to find awareness of inhalation expanding the pelvic floor, and pelvic floor assisting to gently return breath up through the body
- A simple bridge movement, lifting the hips from the floor, can help train the glute muscles to assist the pelvic floor without putting pressure on it
For more, read Fit Girls Sneeze Pee Too