1. Get off your sacrum
Sitting on your sacrum compresses that bone forward shortening the length and reducing it’s tone. No good! Getting off your sacrum and sitting on your sits bones -right on top of your pelvic floor allows your pelvic floor to do it’s job. And it WANTS to do it’s job! This is an easy way to bring more awareness and circulation to your pelvic floor.
How to do it: Sitting on a chair or yoga ball, place your feet flat on the floor. Begin by tucking and untucking your pelvis. Feel your body roll on and off of your sits bones and bring your awareness to the area between the left and right side. When you are on your sits bones, pause there and feel your pelvic floor beneath you. It may help to reach behind you and pull back the flesh from your glutes. Your pelvic floor is now in a lengthened position. A position that is much underutilized in our culture! Lengthening your pelvic floor everyday will help increase its tone.
2. Squat
A proper squat strengthens the glutes, stretches the achilles and opens up the hips. It also pulls the sacrum back, which in our culture is pushed forward by us sitting on it all day! Spending time in a deep squat position is so beneficial for multiple functions in the body including the pelvic floor.
How to do it: Don’t worry about having flat feet. Use yoga bricks or rolled up towels under your heels. Use the wall or back of the couch to lean against to help with balance. The purpose here is to open the hips, pull back your sacrum and….Lengthen your pelvic floor!
*If getting all the way down into a deep squat hurts your knees, you can modify by supporting your body weight on a low stool.
3. Stop doing Kegels!
I know you have all been told to do like 100 kegels a day and in theory it makes sense. Contracting muscles = stronger muscles. But it’s not quite that simple. If your pelvic floor muscles aren’t engaging fully, then you could be exacerbating the imbalance already going on. It may work initially by shortening the pelvic floor. But it does not produce true strength. It’s best to start engaging your pelvic floor muscles slowly. 2-3 kegels at a time. I often recommend that mamas try them on the toilet after (never during) emptying their bladder.
How to do it:
Sitting on the toilet, empty your bladder fully without stopping the flow. When your bladder is completely empty, begin a kegel from the relaxed position. Squeeze all the way up and in, as much as you can, without straining. Pause at the top and then be sure to relax again completely. Do this no more than 3 times in 1 session. ]You can repeat it the next time you pee. This is a gentle, holistic approach to regaining strength in the pelvic floor following vaginal and cesarean birth.
For further assessment of your pelvic floor, please contact Kelley to schedule a session.