How To Relax Pelvic Floor Muscles?

Relaxation is crucial, not just for your mind but also for your body. When it comes to pelvic health, understanding how to relax your pelvic floor muscles is essential. These muscles support several critical functions, from urinary control to sexual health. 

Yet, many struggle with pelvic floor dysfunction, which can lead to issues like urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, and pelvic pain. Our article will guide you through the simple steps to achieve relaxation of these muscles, enhancing your overall well-being.

Proremedy Mississauga Physiotherapy Clinic is our personal recommendation for the people living in Mississauga City. They specialize in providing expert care for pelvic health & physiotherapy services. Their team of dedicated professionals uses the latest techniques to ensure you receive personalized treatment. 

Whether you’re dealing with discomfort or seeking to improve your pelvic function, you can consider Proremedy Physio as your partner in your Mississauga Pelvic health.

What Signs Indicate I Might Have Pelvic Floor Dysfunction?

Below are the common types of pelvic floor disorders:

• Frequent Urinary or Fecal Incontinence: If you notice unexpected leaks or bowel control issues, your pelvic muscles may be tight.
• Discomfort or Pain During Sex: Experiencing pain during intimate moments can be a sign of pelvic floor issues.
• Chronic Pelvic Pain: Ongoing discomfort in the pelvic region is often linked to the tension in pelvic muscles.
• Difficulty with Urine or Bowel Movements: Struggling with the flow of urine or bowel movements can indicate dysfunction.
• Feeling of Heaviness in the Pelvic Area: A sensation of pressure or heaviness could be caused by weak pelvic muscles.

 

How Can I Relax My Pelvic Floor Muscles Effectively?

• Understand Your Pelvic Floor

Before procedures to relax these muscles, it is important to note their function and area of location. These muscles undergird the bladder, the bowel, and, for the female organism, the uterus and create a bowl of muscles that lie across your pelvic bones like a hammock.

• Practice Deep Breathing

Some of the things that can cause tension in the pelvic floor muscles include; Wrong posture, stress, constipation and all sorts of breathing exercises can assist in the relaxation of these muscles. Through the use of deep diaphragmatic breath, the abdominal muscles are then exercising and at the same time the pelvic muscles let go, diminishing overall pelvic pain.

• Perform Reverse Kegels

Contrary to the regular Kegel exercises that involves squeezing and contracting of the pelvic floor muscles, Reverse kegels on the other hand involves the stretching and elongating of the pelvic floor muscles and ligaments. This is significant for patients with PFD because it assists in reducing symptoms, such as involuntary loss of pee and pain that occurs around the pelvic region.

• Adopt Relaxation Techniques

Try getting a feel of the general relaxation practice to include in your practice, this may be practicing yoga or meditation. Such practices decrease the overall level of stress and tension in muscles and in particular tone the pelvic floor muscles leading to enhanced sexual satisfaction and bladder control.

• Schedule Regular Physical Therapy

Seek an appointment with a physiotherapist near you with focus on pelvic floor disorders. They can give you specific stenches and involve yourselves with methods like electrical impartation, so as to make you teach you how to decide which muscles to relax and when, thereby increasing your bowel control and minimizing pain.

• Modify Your Diet

Gradually make dietary changes to ensure you and your baby are taking foods rich in fiber and adequate fluids that can ease bowel movement and lessen the pressure on overall pelvic muscles. This assists in helping to regain bowel control and fully avoid fecal incontinence.

• Use Biofeedback Therapy

Biofeedback therapy is aimed at increasing the level of awareness of the status of the pelvic floor muscles and the ability to influence them. That is why the visualization will help strengthen control of the pelvic floor and its dysfunction.

• Avoid Trigger Activities

Determine aspects of your day-to-day life that trigger your illness and avoid them. Abdominal weight gain and pressure through activities like heavy lifting, high-impact exercises and hysterical laughing and coughing can directly affect the tentorium of the pelvic shelf, looking like urinary incontinence and making the pelvic pain worse.

What Role Does Lifestyle Play in Managing Pelvic Floor Health?

• Regular Physical Activity: Engaging in low-impact exercises like swimming or walking can strengthen core muscles and pelvic floor structures, helping maintain proper bladder and bowel function.

• Balanced Diet: Consuming a diet rich in fiber supports regular bowel movements and prevents strain on pelvic muscles, reducing risks of fecal incontinence and bowel dysfunction.

• Proper Hydration: Drinking adequate fluids daily helps maintain urinary tract health and prevents urinary infections, aiding in better bladder control and reducing urine leakage.

• Stress Management: Techniques such as mindfulness and meditation can alleviate overall stress levels, which in turn reduces the tension in skeletal muscles, including those in the pelvic floor.

• Avoid Heavy Lifting: Minimizing activities that strain the pelvic floor, like heavy lifting, helps prevent pelvic floor contraction and muscle weakening, safeguarding against pelvic floor dysfunction and pelvic pain.

7 Best Pelvic Floor Exercises for Relaxation

The best pelvic floor exercises for relaxation focus on gradually easing tension and strengthening muscles. Key exercises include:

Steps for Reverse Kegels

1. Find a Comfortable Position: Begin by sitting or lying down comfortably.
2. Relax and Breathe: Focus on breathing deeply and evenly to help relax your entire body.
3. Release the Muscles: Gently attempt to widen and relax the pelvic floor muscles as if you are trying to release a stream of urine or pass gas. Hold for 5-10 seconds, then relax.

Steps for Diaphragmatic Breathing

1. Lie Down: Lie on your back with the knees bent and feet flat on the floor, placing one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen.
2. Breathe Deeply: Inhale slowly through your nose, letting your abdomen push your hand out. Your chest should remain relatively still.
3. Exhale Slowly: Breathe out through pursed lips as if whistling, feeling the abdomen sink back down.

Steps for Yoga Poses

Child’s Pose:

1. Position Yourself: Kneel on the floor, touch your big toes together, and sit on your heels. Separate your knees about as wide as your hips.
2. Extend Forward: Lay your torso down between your thighs and extend your arms forward with palms facing down.
3. Relax: Hold this position, focusing on relaxing the pelvic floor as you breathe deeply.

 

Happy Baby Pose:

1. Lie Back: Start by lying on your back.
2. Grab Your Feet: Bend your knees into your belly, then grip the outsides of your feet with your hands.
3. Rock Gently: Open your knees slightly wider than your torso and gently rock back and forth, focusing on relaxing the pelvic muscles.

Steps for Pelvic Tilts

1. Lie on Your Back: Lie flat with your back on the floor, knees bent, and feet flat on the ground.
2. Engage Your Core: Tighten your abdominal muscles, pushing your lower back into the floor.
3. Tilt Your Pelvis: Gently arch your lower back and pelvis upwards, hold for a few seconds, and return to the starting position.

Steps for Visualization Techniques

1. Get Comfortable: Sit or lie down in a quiet, comfortable spot.
2. Visualize Relaxation: Close your eyes and imagine your pelvic floor muscles. Visualize them loosening and relaxing.
3. Breathe: Combine with deep breathing to enhance relaxation.

Steps for Gentle Stretching

1. Choose Your Stretch: Start with a basic stretch like the butterfly stretch where you sit, place the soles of your feet together, and gently push your knees towards the ground.
2. Hold Gently: Maintain each stretch for 20-30 seconds, avoiding any pain.
3. Breathe: Use deep breathing to help deepen the stretch and relax the muscles further.

Steps for Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)

1. Prepare: Lie down in a comfortable spot and close your eyes.
2. Tense Muscles: Focus on one muscle group at a time, deliberately tensing them as you inhale.
3. Relax Muscles: Exhale and fully release the tension in the focused muscle group, noticing the release of tension.

In Conclusion 

Understanding and nurturing the connective tissue and correct muscles within our pelvic floor is essential for overall health. By maintaining the layers of muscle that support our internal organs, we can enhance the passage of urine, reduce the risk of urinary tract infections, and address aspects of sexual dysfunction.

This holistic approach ensures that our body functions harmoniously, promoting both physical wellness and emotional well-being. Let’s commit to strengthening these foundational aspects to enjoy a healthier, more vibrant life. 

Video Credits - Michelle Kenway