Pelvic Floor Strengthening
The postpartum phase introduces substantial changes to your body, particularly to the pelvic floor
These muscles undergo significant stress during pregnancy and childbirth, necessitating thoughtful attention to their rehabilitation.
Entering the postpartum phase introduces a barrage of fresh discomforts for mothers, such as rounded shoulders and tightness in the upper back and neck due to breastfeeding, wrist pain from holding a newborn, and lower back and hip pain.
Prioritizing pelvic floor exercises in your routine can help re-engage your core after a long hiatus from planks, sit-ups and other traditional ab moves you skipped during the last half of your pregnancy.
Strengthening your pelvic floor can play a crucial role in averting and addressing these muscle imbalances and compensations.
Your pelvic floor muscles not only play a large role in preventing incontinence, they also are important in breathing, improving sexual function and blood flow, and creating a stable lower back, core, and hips, which is pelvic floor strengthening is essential to postpartum recovery.
The pelvic floor is the diamond-shaped group of muscles that run from your pubic bone which creates a hammock under your rectum, bladder, and uterus.
Consider your core as a box, with the pelvic floor serving as its foundation, making a strong and flexible pelvic floor a crucial aspect in creating a sturdy core.
Additionally, the pelvic floor works together with the transverse abdominis, the deep corset-like abdominal muscles. Strengthening both the pelvic floor and the surrounding muscles aids in the recovery of the transverse abdominis, which undergoes stretching during pregnancy.
It’s not just about rebuilding your pelvic floor after giving birth.
These muscles also require some relaxation. During pregnancy, the pelvic floor muscles worked hard to bear the weight of your growing baby, possibly causing them to become tense.
Allowing your pelvic floor muscles to unwind and elongate ensures their functionality across their complete range of motion, enabling effective contractions.
The 5 best pelvic floor exercises
Puppy Pose (Uttana Shishosana)
In the Puppy Pose, your heart melts towards the ground, creating a stretch in the shoulders, upper back, and arms. It’s a gentle pose that helps release tension and open up the chest.
- Start on your hands and knees in a tabletop position.
- Walk your hands forward, keeping your hips over your knees.
- Lower your chest towards the floor, extending your arms in front of you.
- Allow your forehead to rest on the mat and keep your hips elevated above your knees.
- Keep your arms active, pressing your palms into the mat.
- Relax your neck and gaze towards the floor.
Diaphragmatic Breathing (Dirga Pranayama):
Your diaphragm — the muscle that sits at the base of your chest and controls breathing — and pelvic floor mirror each other’s motions when you take deep breaths, Darmanin said. Doing this exercise helps you get into the rhythm of contracting and relaxing your pelvic floor muscles.
- Lie down on your back or sit comfortably.
- Inhale deeply through your nose, allowing your diaphragm to expand and your abdomen to rise.
- Exhale slowly and completely, drawing the navel toward the spine.
- Focus on the expansion and contraction of the diaphragm with each breath.
Cat-Cow with Arm Reach:
- Starting Position:
- Begin on your hands and knees in a tabletop position, with wrists under shoulders and knees under hips.
- Maintain a neutral spine, engaging your core.
- Cat Pose:
- Inhale and arch your back, dropping your belly towards the mat.
- Lift your head and tailbone towards the ceiling, creating a gentle curve in your spine.
- Cow Pose with Arm Reach:
- Exhale and round your back, tucking your chin to your chest.
- As you inhale, return to a neutral spine and extend one arm forward at shoulder height while maintaining a stable core.
- Focus on engaging the muscles around your shoulder blades.
- Return to Starting Position:
- Exhale and bring the extended arm back to the mat.
- Continue alternating arms with each repetition.
- Starting Position:
Tips:
- Perform this exercise slowly and mindfully, paying attention to your breath and maintaining a connection with your core muscles.
- Modify the range of motion based on your comfort level and gradually increase intensity as strength improves.
- Ensure that your wrists are comfortable, and use a folded blanket or cushion for additional support if needed.
Tips:
- Keep your core engaged to maintain stability during the movement.
- Perform the exercise in a controlled manner, avoiding any sudden or jerky motions.
- Aim for a comfortable range of motion, gradually increasing intensity as your strength improves.
Reverse clamshell:
The reverse clamshell exercise targets the gluteus medius and helps in strengthening the hips. is effective in targeting the hip muscles and promoting hip stability.
- Starting Position:
- Lie on your side with your hips and knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Your head should rest comfortably on your lower arm, and your upper arm can be used for support.
- Ensure that your body forms a straight line from your head to your knees.
- Execution:
- Instead of lifting the top knee (as in the traditional clamshell), lift the bottom leg towards the ceiling.
- Keep your feet together and lift your bottom leg as high as you can without rotating your hips or pelvis.
- Focus on engaging the muscles on the side of your hip (gluteus medius).
- Return to Starting Position:
- Lower your leg back down with control, returning to the starting position.
- Repeat on Both Sides:
- Perform the exercise on both sides, lifting the bottom leg while lying on your left side and then switching to your right side.
- Starting Position:
Sit-to-Stand Yoga Transition:
This sit-to-stand yoga transition helps to improve mobility in the spine, engage the core, and promote a sense of grounding as you move from a seated to a standing position. Great for new moms getting out of a chair while holding their newborn.
- Starting Position:
- Begin in a comfortable seated position on a yoga mat or a firm surface, with your legs crossed or extended in front of you.
- Align your spine, engage your core, and relax your shoulders.
- Transition:
- Inhale, shift your weight forward and come to the hands and knees, forming a tabletop position.
- From the tabletop position, tuck your toes and lift your hips into Downward-Facing Dog.
- Walk or Step Forward:
- Walk or step your feet towards your hands, bringing yourself into a forward fold position.
- Allow your knees to bend as needed to make the transition smooth.
- Standing Position:
- On an inhale, slowly roll up through your spine, stacking each vertebra, until you reach a standing position.
- Lift your head and shoulders last as you stand tall.
- Mountain Pose (Tadasana):
- Once in a standing position, find stability by grounding your feet, lifting your chest, and reaching your arms alongside your body.
- Take a moment to center yourself, focusing on your breath.
- Starting Position:
Tips:
- Move mindfully and with awareness, paying attention to each part of the transition.
- Modify the movement based on your flexibility and comfort level.
- Use your breath to guide the flow of the transition.