You know that uncomfortable feeling when you really need to
pee and think you can't take it much longer? If you want to prevent an
accident, it's crucial to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, which run
horizontally between the sit bones (the ones at the bottom of each buttock) and
vertically between the pubic bone and tailbone. Finally, your pelvic muscles
support your bladder, bowel, and uterus. read more. webcomputerworldPregnancy, childbirth, and old age can cause the pelvic
floor muscles to weaken, which can lead to incontinence and painful sex. Your
pelvic muscles also play an important role in sexual function, that is, in
achieving orgasm.
Why is it important to train the pelvic floor?
"If your pelvic floor muscles are too weak, or
conversely, if they're too tight, you're more likely to have painful
intercourse and not have an orgasm," explains Karly Treacy, a Los
Angeles-based yoga teacher. "Orgasm is a response to muscle contraction,
and the stronger and more flexible a muscle is, the more likely it is to 'fire'
or contract," says Treacy.
A weak pelvic floor can also lead to stress urinary
incontinence (leaky urine when coughing, sneezing, or laughing), urge urinary incontinence
(frequent strong urges), or fecal incontinence (leaky stools). "There is
an intimate relationship between the inner thighs, or adductors, and the pelvic
floor muscles," says Treacy. "When the adductors are tight, the
pelvic floor muscles become much less elastic."
The good news is that strengthening your pelvic floor is
easy and can be done through a variety of exercises and stretches, including
at-home Kegels, yoga stretches, breathing techniques, and more. These exercises
teach your muscles to contract and relax properly. They are also very
restorative, helping you to breathe more fully and relax deeply. These are the
best Treacy exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor.
To do Kegels correctly, Treacy says, you have to think
beyond stopping the flow of urine. "This action doesn't engage all of the
pelvic floor muscles, which is necessary to strengthen them," she says.
Starting in Supta Baddha Konasana while doing Kegels will soften your pelvic
floor muscles by stretching your inner thighs.
How to do Kegel exercises: Lie on your back on a yoga mat
with the soles of your feet together. Place a brace under the outer thighs,
e.g. B. Yoga blocks or rolled towels. Relax here for three to five deep
breaths. Then visualize the muscles of your pelvic floor. Take a deep breath
and as you exhale, contract the muscles between the seat bones as if they were
two elevator doors closing to meet in the middle. Once the doors are closed,
pick up the elevator and then drop it.
Next, imagine the pelvic floor muscles between your pubic
bone and tailbone as two elevator doors, and as you exhale, contract those
muscles so they meet in the middle, lift the elevator up, and then release it.
Finally, snap all four elevator doors together at once, meeting them at a point
in the middle, then lift them up. Do five repetitions.
It may sound simple, but finding a comfortable seat and
taking deep breaths through your side ribs can stimulate a stretch in your
diaphragm and pelvic floor muscles, says Treacy.
To breathe while sitting: As you inhale, imagine the gills
of a fish and how they expand laterally as you inhale. This stretches the
diaphragm and pelvic floor. As you fully exhale, you will feel your ribs return
to center and your pelvic floor rise slightly. Continue for eight to ten
breaths.
Treacy says this stretch lengthens all the muscles in the
front of the back leg, all the way down to the deep muscles in the lower
abdomen, which are found in the pelvic bowl.
How to do a lunge: Step forward with one foot, bring your knee
over your ankle, and let your back knee rest on the ground. Frame your front
foot with both hands. If your hands don't reach the floor easily, place them on
two yoga blocks, standing on their long sides. If you don't have yoga blocks,
you can stack books on top of each other until you reach a comfortable height.
Let your hips slide forward to open up the front thigh of
the back leg. Make sure your front knee is directly over your ankle. Hold 12 to
15 deep breaths. read more. healthnutritionhints