Did you know that you can improve the elasticity of your pelvic floor using a few easy at-home exercises? It’s true, but it might not be as straightforward as you’d expect.
Sexercise has blown up in recent years, especially in regard to Kegels and vaginal strength. Hype aside, improving the strength and resilience of these muscles can provide your body with a wide range of health benefits. But, there’s a right way to do it.
Read on to learn about the truth (and some popular myths) surrounding this revolutionary fitness method.
What is Pelvic Floor Fitness?
The Kegel craze can be misguided at times by prompting its “more is better” narrative, but this trendy movement is rooted in truth. Flexing “down there” can provide you with a variety of health benefits, and you only need to spend a few minutes at a time.
Essentially, your pelvic floor is made up of the muscles you use to keep yourself from going to the bathroom when you feel urgency. Intentionally flexing and working these muscles provide a wide range of benefits, when done the right way.
Both men and women can take advantage of pelvic muscle toning and strengthening to improve their overall health and wellness.
Pelvic floor fitness can help individuals who are suffering with:
Obesity
Incontinence
Erectile dysfunction
Vaginal pain and discomfort during sex
Risk of prolapse
Understanding the benefits of this innovative but delicate therapy method is the key to ensuring that you’re using each movement correctly. This will also prevent injury and strain caused by improver form or overexertion.
What are the Benefits of Pelvic Floor Strengthening?
Expecting mothers have been told time and time again that they can speed up labor (or at least get the process going) by flexing a specific set of muscles. It might seem counter-intuitive, but pelvic floor strengthening exercises can help pregnant women give birth and snapback during postnatal healing.
This method can help you throughout the day in ways you might not have known were possible.
Not only are pelvic floor exercises beneficial for reproductive health, but this fitness technique can also improve:
Circulation
Digestive health
Weight loss
Incontinence
Painful or uncomfortable intercourse
Using strategic strength training and property muscle alignment is a quick and easy way to improve your wellbeing from the inside out.
Are Pelvic Floor Exercises Really Effective?
There are a ton of myths surrounding the efficacy of Kegels and how to perform them properly. In general, information that promotes Kegels as a mindless exercise that can be done while walking, driving, or sitting should be avoided.
Like any muscle-toning exercise, pelvic floor strengthening requires focus and patience to see actual results. You should be spending your exercise session giving your full attention to every movement and isolation.
Performing Kegels leisurely, such as in the car or at your work desk, will limit their efficiency and overall effectiveness. To make the most out of every flex, make sure you’re treating pelvic exercises like any other part of your fitness plan.
Give your body the attention it deserves by treating pelvic fitness as an integral piece of your health puzzle.
Dedicate a set time and location to practice for at least 5-10 minutes of exercise during each session. For even more guidance, register for a pelvic floor exercise session with an experienced professional.
Which Advice Should You Avoid?
There are hundreds of articles and how-to blogs on the internet that outline the benefits of sexual wellness exercises, from fertility to libido to easier childbirth. But, the internet is full of misleading claims and pseudoscience that can do more harm than good.
Whether you’re working out at home or at the gym, take a look at the top routines and regimens to stay away from for good pelvic health:
Aerobics Without Strengthening
Just like weight loss gurus stress the importance of lifting for fat-burning power, your muscular framework is essential if you want to build your aerobic stamina.
Running, swimming, or jumping with a weak pelvic floor can leave you vulnerable to bladder instability, pain while urinating, bowel pain, and more.
This is also a sure way to keep leaks from allowing you to enjoy your sports sessions…
Drinking Too Much Water
Many health columns and advice articles stress the importance of staying hydrated during physical activity, throughout pregnancy, and just to get through your day-to-day life. But, there is such a thing as overhydrating, and it can be detrimental to your fitness goals.
Not only can too much water disrupt your sodium levels as you sweat, but exercising with a full bladder is a recipe for disaster.
As a general rule of thumb, the average adult should drink approximately 10 ounces of water for every half hour of exercise.
Maintaining a proper hydration balance during your fitness session is key, every time you hit the mat, gym, or weights.
Ignoring Your Regularity
How often you cleanse your bowels can have a significant impact on the efficacy of your pelvic floor exercise. Although many people believe this can be an effective treatment for constipation, exercising your pelvic floor without enough moisture in your system can actually make the problem worse.
This particular issue can also make incontinence problems worse, which will only be magnified by the contraction or expansion of the muscles in the vaginal and bowel area.
Using your pelvic muscles to support your bowel, urinary, and reproductive health can contribute to your other wellness goals. Learn how to apply the correct exercises at the right intervals for your unique needs and body rhythm.
Learn to safely and effectively enjoy your sexual health journey with our Pelvic Floor & Sexercise session. Click here to register or for more information!