Exercise is important for maintaining health. There are different kinds of exercises to strengthen different parts of the body. The pelvic floor exercise is one such set of exercises recommended to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. The pelvic floor contains the muscles that support the organs in the lower abdomen, like the uterus, bladder and intestines. These are recommended by medical practitioners, specifically during pregnancy, as pelvic floor muscles stretch during that time. Go through this informational blog to learn more about the various techniques involved in pelvic floor exercises and their benefits.
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Medical practitioners recommend pelvic floor exercises for expecting moms. This is because the pelvic muscles need to be strong during pregnancy. There is a need to strengthen the pelvic muscles, as these support the reproductive organs. During the pregnancy term, the baby keeps growing, and the muscles need to be strong to support the weight of the baby. Strengthening of the pelvic muscles also prevents health issues or inconveniences like urinary incontinence, prolapse and overactive bladder. This helps during labour and delivery as the muscles support the baby to move down the birth canal. Strong pelvic muscles help the perineum heal quickly after delivery. Hence, maintaining pelvic floor health during pregnancy by strengthening the pelvic muscles through regular exercises is important.
Pelvic floor exercises are meant to prevent more stretching of the pelvic muscles and thereby strengthen them. This helps in maintaining good health of the reproductive organs. These unique exercises include pelvic floor muscle identification, contracting the pelvic muscles exclusively, and doing a squeeze as well as lift motion while breathing properly. Hence, the important techniques involved in pelvic floor exercise include:
● Muscle identification: To identify the pelvic muscles, one needs to try contracting the muscles to stop urine flow.
● Isolate the pelvic muscles: While contracting the pelvic muscles, one should not contract the back, thighs or stomach.
● Gradual contractions: One needs to practice squeezing muscles and slowly relaxing them.
These pelvic floor exercises for labour involve slow contractions of the pelvic muscles, which strengthen them. If you have any doubts or experience any other discomfort while exercising, it is good to seek medical advice.
The pelvic muscles need to be strong during pregnancy. Hence, pelvic floor exercises are recommended so that the muscles contract well, relax and lengthen. There are different types of exercises to strengthen the pelvic muscles, such as:
Dr. Arnold Kegel developed the Kegel exercises for pregnancy. These are also used to treat issues with incontinence and other disorders of the reproductive system. The foremost step in pelvic floor exercise is to identify the pelvic floor muscles by lying flat with knees bent up. Then, try tightening the muscles and relaxing them for 3 seconds each. Keep repeating these simple steps to strengthen the pelvic muscles.
It is a simple exercise of doing a standard squat by engaging the pelvic muscles by pulling them up. The procedure includes:
● Stand with shoulders apart, back straight and chest in an upright position.
● Keep the position as if one is sitting on a chair.
● Engage the pelvic muscles while raising and lowering your body.
Make sure one does not engage in sudden movements and also to keep breathing normally.
Another simple way to relax the tight pelvic muscle is through the diaphragmatic breathing exercise. Otherwise known as belly breathing exercise, it can be done either in a sitting or lying-down position, maintaining good posture. The procedure includes:
● Keep a hand below the ribs.
● Keep the other hand on the chest.
● Breathe in slowly so that one can feel the pelvic muscles releasing as the belly expands.
● Exhale slowly through the mouth, letting the pelvic muscles lift.
This is a simple breathing exercise that can be done even when one is at work. It relaxes the pelvic muscles, as with each breath, the muscles slowly lift and release.
A standing pelvic tilt exercise is another gentle way to stretch the lower back muscles. Follow the steps to do the exercise:
● Stand straight with your back and shoulder touching the wall.
● Make sure one is standing straight with shoulders apart.
● Gently push the wall so that the back flattens against it.
Repeat this a few times after resetting to the original position.
Bridge exercise is to be done in a lying-down position. Hence, it is considered a comfortable exercise for pregnant women. In this:
● One needs to lie down on a mat.
● Keep legs apart and arms parallel to the body.
● Raise your back and hips slowly without lifting your shoulders.
● While doing so, take a deep breath.
● After a few seconds, bring your body back into position.
Repeat these steps a couple of times; that will help strengthen the pelvic muscles.
Follow the instructions to do these simple sets of exercises. A few of the exercises, like breathing, can be done even while at work. Hence, a few of the techniques should be incorporated to ensure a healthy pregnancy and easy delivery. It is also important to note that in case of any discomfort while following these techniques, check with one’s medical practitioner.
Pelvic floor exercises help in making the pelvic muscles stronger. These can be done regularly and not only during pregnancy time. During pregnancy, it is important as the pelvic muscles stretch with the baby’s growth, resulting in the weakening of these muscles. Hence, the pelvic floor exercises are important as one may get many benefits out of it like:
● Alleviates pelvic pain
● Smooth labour and delivery
● Quick recovery after childbirth
● Improved bladder and bowel control
● Reduces the risk of prolapse.
It is generally difficult when one’s medical practitioner recommends pelvic floor exercises during pregnancy. Naturally, when one is new to pregnancy, one might feel worried about following the instructions to perform exercises. On the contrary, the different pelvic floor exercises are not hard but simple and easy to do. Follow the simple instructions to do pelvic floor exercises to make pregnancy, delivery, and recovery after delivery a smoother process.
