If you can’t make it to the gym or your physical therapist’s office, these 8 exercises and stretches can be done at home or outdoors using our Pelvic Floor Exercises App. It offers guided routines, helpful reminders, and progress tracking to help you stay consistent and ensure you’re performing the exercises correctly.
Keep This in Mind About Pelvic Floor Exercises!
Your pelvic floor muscles are part of a larger team of muscles, including your diaphragm, abdominal muscles, and lower back muscles. Focusing only on your pelvic floor might not solve all your problems. So, here’s the first big “DON’T” – Don’t give up on pelvic floor exercises (like Kegels) if you’ve tried them before and didn’t see results. Maybe the technique wasn’t right, or you weren’t working out the entire muscle group.
This guide includes easy-to-follow exercises to strengthen and relax your pelvic floor muscles, massage techniques, and some useful tips. So, Let’s dive in!
How to Exercise Your Pelvic Floor?
Wondering how to get those pelvic floor muscles in shape? It’s simpler than you might think. Here’s how to do it:
Side view of the pelvic floor muscles supporting the bladder, uterus, and rectum.
Activating Your Pelvic Floor Muscles
To engage your pelvic floor muscles, tighten around both your front and back passages as if you’re trying to stop yourself from passing gas and urine at the same time. To make sure you’re using the right muscles, you can gently press a finger on your back passage while you tighten. You should feel a gentle squeeze.
After childbirth, pelvic surgery, or if you’re new to these exercises, it’s normal to have a reduced sensation. Don’t worry—time and practice will help improve your awareness and control of these muscles.
Here are the 8 Pelvic Floor Exercises You Can Do At Home:
1. Glute Stretch
Instructions: Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet firmly planted on the ground. Carefully lift your knees towards your chest and position your hands behind them. Gently pull your knees closer to your chest while keeping them separated.
Duration: Maintain this position for 30 seconds.
Repetitions: Repeat this stretch twice.
2. Butterfly Stretch
Instructions: Sit comfortably with the soles of your feet together. Hold onto your feet or behind your knees, allowing your knees to drop towards the floor. Inhale deeply and relax your pelvic floor muscles. This stretch is beneficial for the inner thighs and hips.
Duration: Maintain this position for 2-3 minutes.
3. Figure-Four Stretch
Instructions: Recline on your backside with your knees bent. Place the ankle of one leg over the knee of the opposite leg. Use your hand to grasp the thigh of the bent leg and slowly draw it towards your chest. You should feel a stretch in your buttocks.
Duration: Maintain this position for 30 seconds.
Repetitions: Perform this stretch twice on each side.
4. Abdominal Stretch
Instructions: Lie face down with your hands positioned level with your shoulders. Straighten your arms and lift your upper body until you feel a gentle stretch in your abdominal area. Keep your pelvis and legs relaxed throughout the stretch.
Duration: Hold for 10 seconds.
Repetitions: Perform this stretch three times.
5. Child’s Pose
Instructions: Start on all fours. Push your hips back towards your feet while stretching your arms forward and lowering your head. Breathe deeply to stretch your pelvic floor muscles. This pose is excellent for relaxation and stretching the back.
Duration: Maintain this position for 2-3 minutes.
6. Single Leg Stretch
Instructions: Lie on a firm surface, such as a table or bed. Pull one knee towards your chest with your hands, while extending the opposite leg towards the floor. This stretch targets the hamstrings and lower back.
Duration: Hold for 30 seconds.
Repetitions: Repeat twice on each side.
2. Cross Knee Glute Stretch
Instructions: Start by sitting down and bending one leg towards your chest, crossing it over the opposite leg. Use your arm to pull the bent knee towards your opposite shoulder while ensuring your back stays straight. This stretch will target the area behind your thigh and your buttocks.
Duration: Hold for 30 seconds.
Repetitions: Perform this stretch three times on each side.
8. Inner Thigh Stretch
Instructions: Stand with your legs apart. Bend one knee and place your hands on it. Lean into the bent leg to stretch the inner thigh of the straight leg.
Duration: Hold for 30 seconds.
Repetitions: Perform this stretch twice on each leg.
How to Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor Without Kegels
Kegel exercises can be tricky to master. Despite watching tutorials and looking at diagrams, many people struggle to know if they’re doing them right. If kegels aren’t your thing, try the clamshell and side-step exercises. These moves involve hip abduction, which helps strengthen the pelvic floor effectively.
- The Clamshell: Lie on your side with your legs bent at the knee and stacked on top of each other. Rest your head on your lower arm and place your top hand on the floor for support. Tighten your abdominal muscles and raise your top knee while keeping your feet together. Lower your knee back down and repeat. Start with 20 reps on each side.
- The Side Step: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and squat down. Step to the side with one foot, then bring it back to the starting position. Repeat with the other foot. This exercise helps build strength and can be done anywhere.
Benefits of Yoga
Yoga is another great way to strengthen your pelvic floor without doing kegels. Poses like Happy Baby, Child’s Pose, and Knees to Chest can all help. These exercises encourage relaxation and flexibility in the pelvic area.
Is Kegels Right for You?
Kegels can be beneficial if your pelvic floor muscles are weak or hypotonic. These exercises help strengthen the muscles, which can improve bladder control and support your pelvic organs. However, it’s important to consult with a healthcare professional before starting Kegels to make sure they’re appropriate for you.
If your pelvic floor muscles are in spasm, contracted, or too tight (hypertonic), Kegels might not be the right exercise for you. Doing Kegels in these cases can worsen issues such as pain, leaking, constipation, or sexual dysfunction. A healthcare professional can help determine if Kegels are suitable for your specific situation and guide you on the best course of action.
Why Relaxing Your Pelvic Floor is Just as Important as Strengthening It
Did you know it’s equally important to learn how to relax these muscles?
You can manage pelvic floor tension with some simple exercises. These can be done at home, quietly, and without any special equipment.
- Deep breathing can help your pelvic floor muscles relax.
Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly. Breathe in deeply for three seconds and exhale for four. Feel your belly rise as you inhale and fall as you exhale. Try this for 5-10 minutes each day.
- Incorporate gentle stretches to help ease tension in your pelvic area.
Happy Baby Pose: Lie on your back, grab your feet, and pull your knees towards your armpits. Rock side to side if you want.
Adductor Stretch: Lie on your back, put the soles of your feet together, and let your knees fall to the sides. If it’s too intense, put pillows under your knees.
How to Perform Pelvic Floor Massage at Home
Dealing with pelvic floor dysfunction or chronic pelvic pain can be tough, but there are ways to help manage it at home with pelvic floor massage. While it’s always best to consult a pelvic floor physical therapist first, here’s a step-by-step pelvic floor massage to help you get started if that’s not an option.
Preparing for Your Massage
Clean Up: Wash your hands thoroughly. It’s all about keeping things hygienic.
Find Your Zen: Choose a quiet, private spot where you won’t be interrupted. Think calm vibes.
Grab Some Lubricant: Use a water-based lubricant that’s gentle on your skin.
Get Cozy: Use blankets or pillows to find a comfortable and relaxed position.
Warming Up
Stretch It Out: Lie on your back and pull your knees towards your chest.
Breathe Deep: Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth. Do knee circles three times in each direction.
Settle In: Find a comfy position—on your back with knees bent or on your side supported by pillows.
Getting Started with the Massage
Relax and Breathe: Focus on your breathing, letting your tummy rise and fall naturally.
External Massage: Apply some lubricant to the perineum (that’s the area between the vagina and anus). Use your first two fingers to gently circle and press the area for about a minute.
Moving to Internal Massage
Lubricate: Apply a bit of lubricant to your vaginal opening.
Insert Finger: Gently insert your thumb or index finger about an inch inside the vagina, with the other fingers resting on your thigh. Using both the thumb and index finger can be more comfortable.
Visualize and Massage
Imagine a Clock: Picture the vaginal canal as a clock—anus at 6:00, pubic bone at 12:00.
Gentle Pressure: Start at the 6:00 position, moving counterclockwise with gentle pressure. Avoid the area between 11:00 and 1:00 to steer clear of the urethra and bladder.
Find Tender Spots: Look for tender spots or trigger points. Press gently for 30 to 90 seconds, breathing deeply.
Massage: If it feels good, move your finger in a circular motion against the tender spot.
Changing Direction
Switch It Up: After massaging counterclockwise, go clockwise to find more tender spots.
Adjust Pressure: If it hurts, ease up on the pressure and be gentler.
Going Deeper
Progress Gradually: As you get comfortable, you can insert your finger or thumb up to four inches, continuing to rotate and find areas that need relief.
Stay Gentle: Always move slowly and gently.
Cooling Down
Stretch Again: Finish with the same warm-up stretch to cool down, helping your pelvic muscles relax before getting up.
Important Tips for Pelvic Floor Exercises When Doing At Home
Here are the Do’s and Don’ts of Pelvic Floor Exercises:
- Keep Breathing
When you squeeze your pelvic floor muscles, keep breathing! Don’t hold your breath. Ideally, squeeze on an out breath. Also, avoid tightening your buttocks or inner thighs. It’s okay if you feel a light contraction in your tummy muscles, just make sure you start with your pelvic floor muscles and keep breathing through the contractions without pulling too hard.
- Relax Between Contractions
After each contraction, fully relax your pelvic floor muscles. They need to be able to move up and down in response to changes in pressure when you breathe, cough, or laugh. A lot of women worry about muscle weakness and think they need to keep squeezing all the time, but that’s not true. Only tightening without relaxing can lead to dysfunction and pain. Make sure to let your muscles fully relax between each contraction and during your daily activities.
- Dealing with Pain
If you feel pain while squeezing your pelvic floor muscles, stop immediately. Pain is a sign that something isn’t right, and you should see a women’s health physio for an assessment. These exercises shouldn’t hurt.
- Go for Short and Long Squeezes
There are two types of contractions you can do: short squeezes and long squeezes. Each has a unique purpose:
- Short Squeezes: These quick contractions are essential for when you need to tighten your muscles quickly, like when you laugh, cough, sneeze, or lift something heavy. They help prevent leaks by rapidly closing the sphincters.
- Long Squeezes: These slower, sustained contractions build the endurance of your pelvic floor muscles. They help keep your pelvic organs stable and support you while you move, walk, run, or stand. Long squeezes are also useful when you need to hold it a bit longer before reaching the bathroom.
A healthy pelvic floor should manage 10 short squeezes and 10 long squeezes, each held for 10 seconds. You should maintain the same strength and coordination throughout and be able to relax in between. This is what a women’s health physiotherapist will check during an assessment.
- Using “The Knack” Technique
One great way to protect your pelvic floor is to squeeze your pelvic floor muscles before and during sneezing, coughing, laughing, or lifting weights, then relax. This exercise is known as “the Knack.” It’s a voluntary, timed contraction of your pelvic floor muscles before and during any activity that increases downward pressure. If you’re struggling with urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse, you might notice improvements right away with this technique!
- Incorporating Exercises Into Your Daily Routine
Life can be incredibly busy, especially if you’re juggling roles as a mom, grandmother, wife, and/or working woman. To make things easier, try linking your pelvic floor exercises to your daily routine. You can do these exercises in any position, even while driving or commuting to work. Walking can also help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Walking not only benefits your overall health but also supports the muscles in your pelvic area.
Some people notice improvements within a few weeks, especially if they exercise regularly. For instance, significant progress can be seen with two daily 20-minute sessions over several weeks. However, everyone’s journey is different.
- Post-Baby Recovery
If you’ve recently had a baby, remember that hormones will keep your muscles more flexible and stretchy for up to 3 months after you finish breastfeeding. Be kind to your body and give it time to return to normal.
- Maintaining Muscle Strength
After about 6 months and once you’ve achieved your goals, it’s important to continue your exercise program to keep your muscles strong and prevent future problems.
The Bottom Line!
Adding pelvic floor exercises to your daily routine can improve your overall health and well-being. Focus on doing the exercises correctly and consistently at home. If you’re unsure where to start or need additional support, consider seeing a pelvic floor therapist. They can provide personalized guidance and ensure you’re on the right track.
If you experience symptoms that disrupt your daily life or worsen over time, it’s important to consult a healthcare professional.
To support your journey, try our new pelvic floor exercises app. This app offers guided exercises, helpful reminders, and progress tracking, making it easier to stay consistent and perform the exercises correctly. Enhance your pelvic floor health and overall wellness with the help of our app!
