Lots of the women I speak to are very concerned about pelvic floor weakness, very few people know or understand about pelvic floor tightness or “hypertonicity”, whilst for the majority of the ladies I treat, especially those in pain, this is the problem.

Lets think about the pelvic floor simply, it is just like every other muscle in the body. It can be weak or strong, it can be flexible or tight, or it can be any combination. Ideally we want a strong but flexible pelvic floor- just like we would want that of any other muscle.

So, hopefully, when you exercise other parts of your body whether it be with weights or going for a run, you do stretches before and after…yes? But have you ever thought about stretching your pelvic floor? No? Most people haven’t, as we have been taught to just squeeze, squeeze and squeeze some more.

So these exercises aren’t just for those having problems, this should be routine, perhaps not every day but maybe once a week or whatever you have time for, try to put this gentle series into day.

But how do I relax my pelvic floor?

When doing these exercises, I always recommend taking time out of the day, just 10 minutes, to fully concentrate on yourself. You do not want “mummy, mummy, mummy” whilst trying to do these, nor do you want to feel conscious that your husband is wondering what the hell you are doing. So wait until the children are in bed or being looked after, and take yourself to a calm area of the house. This needs your full attention. YOU need your full attention.

**You do not need to do all of these poses, I would recommend trying them all initially and seeing which ones you feel most comfortable and relaxed in, and sticking with those. As you might be able to tell from the picture, I am not so keen on the happy baby stretch- to me it just feels awkward but everybody is different and some people love it!

Relaxation Techniques

These exercises work well combined with some relaxation which might just be listening to some music you enjoy but something I recommend to many of my clients is an app called “head space”. I struggle with lots of fluffy stuff but this app is brilliant, it takes just 5 minutes and is very “normal”, not airy fairy, just simple- I find it hard to explain so just trust me and try it! Many of us, myself included, are so busy juggling kids/work/home life that we become very tense. Think again of your pelvic floor like the muscles in your shoulders…do you they get tight and need a warm bath and a stretch out from time to time? Well your pelvic floor is another area that can suffer from these “trigger points” of tight muscle which in turn can lead to pain.

Simply by giving yourself some “head space” and reducing you stress you can help relax your pelvic floor.

Physio

If you have specific concerns about your pelvic floor, suffer with incontinence and/or pain it is always advisable to see a Women’s Health Physiotherapist. If you are unsure whether Physiotherapy could help you contact Laura on 07738224861 or by using the contact form.