The pelvic floor is vital to the functioning of your body and mind. Many people choose to take a back seat when exercising their pelvic floor muscles despite its importance. While neglecting these muscles may cause some discomfort, there are also many benefits associated with strengthening the PFM if you do so correctly. This article looks at five exercises that will help you strengthen your body’s core to decrease the likelihood of developing any neuropathy or hernia.
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What is The Pelvic Floor?
A pelvic floor is a group of muscles located within the pelvis that help control the amount of urine that you pass out through your urinary tract. The pelvic floor, also known as the pubococcygeus muscle, can be found along the back wall of your pelvis. When you sneeze or cough, it is what allows your intestines and bladder to move.
The pelvic floor muscles also help prevent incontinence, which happens when you pass urine from the bladder into your underwear or skin. The pelvic floor muscles ensure that the bladder’s outlet is closed off during continence by either stopping it from emptying or holding it in.
Stool or urine.
Both genders possess the same pelvic floor muscles, with slight changes to accommodate their gender. Women tend to have stronger pelvic floors than men because of childbirth,
How Do You Find The Pelvic Floor Muscles?
One of the simplest ways to find the pelvic floor muscles is to engage in a squat without bending your knees. Try to keep your abs tight and stomach in. When you stand up from a squat, it should take a long time to stand back up on your feet; if this does not happen, try again until it does.
Another way to find the pelvic muscle while standing is by bending your knees. Tighten only one leg at a time. After this, try to stand up. If you can do this, you have found one of the pelvic floor muscles.
Exercises To Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor
Now that you know how to find your pelvic floor muscles, it is time for you to learn a few exercises that will help you improve your strength. Many pelvic exercises are recommended for male individuals suffering from ED. Below are five pelvic floor strengthening exercises.
1. Kegel Squats
The first exercise is a variation of doing a squat while at the same time focusing on engaging your PFM muscles. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, and knees slightly bent. When you bring your knees up, you must keep your abs tight and stomach in. When you sit down, do it very slowly. Once you are sitting down and coming back up, maintain the same strength for the entire exercise. Be sure not to let anything but your legs hit the ground with each repetition; this will help ensure that your muscle is being engaged instead of any part of your body that may accidentally be pushing on it.
2. Heel slides
Since your pelvic floor muscles are located at all parts of your pelvis, doing this exercise will help strengthen them.
For this exercise;
- Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. When you stand up, you should feel some tension in your pelvic floor muscles. This is the sensation you are trying to get while doing the exercise – if they do not feel like this, then continue until they do.
- Next, while lying on the floor with your knees bent and abs tight, slide your feet apart until you had achieved the same sensation of being tight as when you started. Once you have done this, could you bring them back together and repeat them?
- Once you can do this for at least five repetitions in a row, increase the distance between your legs and add resistance by using weight to hold a barbell across your midsection.
3. Diaphragmatic breathing
While many people focus solely on their lower abdominal region, it is also necessary to include your back as it will help with your diaphragmatic breathing.
To do this exercise properly:
- Place one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest. It will help you improve your abdominal breathing and ensure that you are doing it correctly.
- Next, inhale through the nose using the diaphragm, which is located in the lower abdomen.
- Hold your breath for around five seconds, and then exhale through your mouth using the diaphragm.
Once you have completed this exercise, do it as many times as possible.
4. Happy Baby Pose
For the Happy Baby Pose exercise,
- Start by lying down on your back with your legs bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Next, lift your heels towards the ceiling while keeping your legs straight.
- Once you have achieved this position, squeeze your pelvic muscles by contracting them as tightly as possible.
- Hold for about five seconds and then relax.
5 . Marches (also called toe taps)
For the Marches exercise,
- Toe taps are a simple exercise that helps strengthen your pelvic floor muscles by squeezing them when you lift your feet and moving them apart when you lift your legs.
- The theory is that when you lift your feet, your pelvic floor gets tighter. This exercise aims to contract the pelvic floor muscles as much as possible.
