The best pelvic floor exercises for the home

What is the pelvic floor?

The pelvic floor refers to the lower part of the pelvis, which closes the pelvis, supports the internal organs and keeps the body upright. He keeps the sphincter muscles of the bladder and intestine in motion.

contents

• What is the pelvic floor?
• Muscles and tissues
• What is the pelvic floor for??
• We work the muscles together?
• Good sex
• Good breathing
• When does the pelvic floor become weak??
• Pelvic floor exercises in the overview
• Provision in everyday life

These three muscle layers above the pelvic outlet are only fist-sized and yet enormously important: they connect the legs and trunk and keep the body upright. Without this body part we could not stand on the ground, not coordinate our walk and not hold our body.

The pelvic floor needs training to be more powerful. Image: wosczynamathias - fotolia

This also means that the better we train this body region, the more supple we move. As we move out of these muscles, we provide a flat stomach, slender thighs, and a protruding chest.

Conversely, if we tense the pelvis in the long run, then the weight transfers insufficiently to the legs; so we overload the joints and hips and knees as well as the spine. Our movements seem "like we have a stick in the butt".

Muscles and tissues

The pelvic floor consists of connective tissue and muscles and divides into the posterior pelvic floor, which is broken by the rectum, the front part, in which the urethra passes through and in the woman's vagina - in addition corpora cavernosum and sphincters.

What is the pelvic floor for??

The connective tissue and muscles serve to tense muscles, relax them and relieve pressure in the abdomen.

These functions can be disturbed by: overweight, overwork, surgeries and medications. Births often weaken the muscles in the lower part of the pelvis, and this can lead to vaginal discharge and a lowering of the uterus. Special training counteracts this. In addition, women with such exercises can control their orgasms and enjoy more.

If the muscles at the end of the pelvis in women are permanently tense, then this can trigger a vaginal spasm. Sex causes them pain.

Normally the pelvic floor works without us controlling it at will. But this control can be trained. The muscles of the pelvic floor are connected to the abdominal, back and respiratory muscles.

We work the muscles together?

Because the pelvic floor works together with the abdominal muscles, a trained abdomen relieves him. The back muscles support the spine and hold the pelvis. If the back muscles are weak, then this affects directly on the pelvic floor.

The pelvic floor holds the abdominal space together because it carries its organs. Between these organs is connective tissue that absorbs pressure. The better the abdominals and back muscles are in shape, the more upright the abdomen is, the better it can withstand pressure - which in turn relieves the pelvis.

The bottom of the pool is also closely related to the bladder. When the urine collects there, the muscles of the pelvic floor close the urethra. If the bladder empties, the floor of the pelvic cavity relaxes first. If it works, then the muscles will automatically tighten again afterwards. The pelvic floor muscle fibers keep the bladder tight, even when exposed to stress.

The muscles in the lower part of the pelvis support the rectum. They straighten up as the chair gathers and relax to release him.

The upper muscles of the pelvic floor enclose the cervix and vagina. For pregnant women, these muscles are necessary to support the embryo and uterus. The muscles must be flexible at the same time, so that the child can get through the vagina into the world. Therefore, muscle training is useful for pregnant women.

Caution: Women should not start training immediately after birth. The dam must first heal and the overstretching go back.

Good sex

The lower part of the pelvis plays an important role in sex. If the muscles here in form, so well supplied with blood, which promotes sensitivity. These muscles regulate the width of the vagina, and exercise enhances the ability to consciously tense or relax. A trained pelvic floor helps men maintain an erection. Frequent mastrubation can also exercise the pelvic floor muscles.

Good breathing

A trained pelvis helps to exhale. The diaphragm lowers as you breathe in and lifts up as you exhale - the muscles of the pelvic floor move into the abdomen. When the muscles are in shape, the lungs can slowly release the air.

Last but not least, professional speakers also benefit from the training. If the corresponding muscles are in shape, this supports the speech apparatus.

When does the pelvic floor become weak??

- As you age, the strength of the pelvic floor muscles diminishes

- Overweight claims the muscles; the heavier a person is, the more the muscles have to work

- Births burden the body area, the more children give birth to a woman, the more the retention capacity decreases

- Anyone who often carries heavy loads, this body part to the extent to complete

- Decreases in estrogen in menopausal women, which weakens the muscles in the lower pelvic area

Pelvic floor exercises in the overview

To train the pelvic floor, we start with breathing exercises. To do this we lie down on the bridges, straddle our legs and keep our feet flat on the ground. This is how the abdominal wall relaxes. 

Then we put our hands on our stomach and breathe in and out. When the abdominal wall lifts and lowers when exhaling, we do it right.

We take a deep breath and "pump" up our abdomen. So we move the pelvic floor down.

Raise buttocks

As we exhale, we release the air from the abdomen, the abdominal wall contracts, and the pelvic floor returns to its old place.

We repeat this inhalation and exhalation several times until we are familiar, because the other exercises for the pelvic floor build on the breathing.

Next, we develop a feel for the muscles of the pelvic floor

For this we approach vagina, or penis and anus together. This serves to pull the pelvic floor into the abdomen. Then we bring together pubis and tailbone. We then try to pull together only the anus and behave as if we would stop the urine.

So we are preparing to tense the pelvic floor at will and relax. If we succeed, we can start with the exercises.

We're just tensing the pelvic floor muscles as hard as we can, all the other muscles stay relaxed. We hold the tension for about eight seconds. We repeat this exercise ten times and three times a day.

In the next exercise we stand upright and put our hands on our behinds. Then we try to pull the muscles in the lower part of the pelvis up and in at the same time. We repeat the exercise several times.

Then we kneel on the ground, open our legs so that their feet touch. We lay our heads on our hands, we push the buttocks upwards, close the knees and pull together the muscles on the pelvic floor. We repeat the process six times.

Another exercise is done cross-legged. We keep our back straight and support our hands on both sides. Then we lift the muscles up and in. We perform this training eight times.

Then we lie on our backs and pull our knees, while we breathe out and lift the buttocks. We take the belly briefly. We repeat this exercise eight times.

At the end we sit down on a chair with our feet firmly on the ground. We lift our legs so they do not touch the ground, keeping our knees closed and our back straight. Then we tighten the muscles on the abdomen and buttocks and exhale. When we breathe again, we put our feet on the floor. We repeat that ten times.

Provision in everyday life

However, we can not only train the pelvic floor, but also take care in everyday life not to burden it unnecessarily by:

- Tense him while coughing

- When lifting heavy things, keep your back straight and tense the muscles in your stomach and pelvis

- Do not stand too long if it can be avoided

- put us on our backs and lift our legs

A strengthened pelvic floor keeps all internal organs in place, thus improving our body perception, our attitude and our sexual experiences. (Dr. Utz Anhalt) 

Pictures: Vector mouse - fotolia