When you think about working out, pelvic floor yoga isn’t the first exercise that comes to mind. We often exercise to look and feel better externally, while we leave modern medicine to all the “internal stuff.”
But while exercising your pelvic floor isn’t the foremost agenda item on your to-do list, it probably should be. A strong pelvis is linked to a functioning, healthy bladder, which can lead to better sex, more confidence and less leakage. Not to mention a stronger core, better balance, less lower back pain, and countless other benefits.
Let’s rewind for a second to examine how the pelvic floor works. The pelvic floor consists of muscles, ligaments and nerves that act like a hammock to support your organs.
“The pelvis is the center of your body’s universe,” says Dr. Cindy Neville. “It connects your upper and lower body, so it’s literally the center and the core of your body. Babies are conceived there and your bowel and bladder function is there. The pelvic floor even affects the way we breathe. When those things are working fine, you don't even think about them. But if they’re not, it can cause a lot of problems.”
If your pelvic floor is weak, then the surrounding ligaments and other tissue can lead to loss of bladder control and stress urinary incontinence, which is that feeling of leaking during sudden movements or stresses to the bladder like coughing, sneezing and laughing. Many women even develop bladder or uterine prolapse, which occurs when the uterus loses support and can slip down or bulge out of the vagina. Whereas a strong pelvic floor protects against uterine prolapse as well as SUI.
Most women think they can maintain a strong pelvic floor through kegel exercises, but nearly 50% of women don’t do kegels correctly. Therefore, pelvic floor yoga can play an integral role in maintaining pelvic floor health in tandem with kegel exercises. Here are our five favorite poses for a powerful pelvic floor.
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Mountain Pose (Tadasana): Start by standing, with your feet hip distance apart and your hands resting at your sides. Place a yoga block (or a thick book or pillow) between your thighs. Engage your inner thighs and try to lift the block upwards
- Chair Pose (Utkatasana): Start in Mountain Pose (the posture above), with your arms stretched upwards, and the tips of your fingers lengthened towards the ceiling. Bend your knees, keeping your back as straight as possible, and push your hips back into a squat, as though you’re sitting down into a chair. Keep your heels connected to the floor, without your hips dipping any lower than your knees. Hold the posture for a couple of breaths. Try to lift your pelvic floor upwards, as though you were trying to hold in a wee. Straighten up again slowly. Repeat as many times as you feel comfortable.
- Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II): Starting in Mountain Pose, step your right foot forwards (with your front & back foot about 1 metre apart). Lift your arms straight out to the sides so they are parallel to the floor. Keep your right foot straight, but turn your left foot out slightly so that your toes are pointing away from your body. Bend the right knee over the right ankle, keeping your left leg straight. Tighten your tummy as though you are pressing your belly button to your spine, and pull up the pelvic floor as we did in chair pose. Hold for about 30 seconds, then straighten the right leg. Hold and repeat as many times as you feel comfortable, and then try on the other side.
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Happy Baby ( Ananda Balasana): Place a yoga matt or thick towel down flat on the floor. Lie on the matt on your back, and draw your knees in to your chest. Hold on to your knees, inhale deeply & exhale. Grab the outside edges of your feet, or wrap your index and middle around your big toes, and pull your knees (bent) out to the side, trying to pull the knees as closely to the floor as you can without causing any discomfort. Pull your feet back with your hands. Tighten your tummy as though you are pressing your belly button to your spine, and pull up the pelvic floor as we did in chair pose. You can rock from side to side to give your back a lovely massage. Hold for as long as you feel comfortable, then release your legs straight to the floor gently, with your arms at your side to relax.
- Locust Pose (Salabhasana): Lie on your matt or towel flat on your tummy, with your legs together and your arms at your sides. Rest your nose & forehead gently on your matt. Inhale and lift your head, chest, arms, knees and feet off the floor. Squeeze your tummy muscles, glutes & buttocks to help lift everything up off the floor. Keep your legs straight out, hold for about 30 seconds, and then gently release back down. Repeat as desired.
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