Hello friends! Most of us don’t take much time to stretch throughout the day or the week. Stretching can be a great exercise for the pelvic floor! The muscles of the hips, back, and the core all need to work together to optimize how our bodies move and work. This helps us live our lives without pain, leakage, or other symptoms. So let’s talk about four stretches that are often great for the pelvic floor.
This blog is not intended to be medical advice and should not replacement evaluation and treatment by a licensed healthcare provider.
Frog Stretch
The frog stretch is great for the pelvic floor muscles and the hips, but it can be one of the hardest stretches to do!
Start on your hands and knees and slowly reach your arms out in front of you. Lower the head and slowly bring the knees apart. Let your torso stretch as close to the ground as you can comfortably. Let the anus soften and open. Breathe deeply and lower the chest to the floor. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds.
Cat/Camel
Cat camel is great for mobility of the spine, pelvis, and tailbone.
Start on your hands and knees on the floor. Keep your hips stacked over the knees and your shoulders stacked over the wrists. Slowly press the hands and legs away from the floor and round the back into the cat pose. Then alternate and bring the belly button towards the ground while arching the back for the camel pose. When your butt sticks out/up in the camel pose, consciously think about lengthening the pelvic floor muscles that attach to your tailbone while taking a deep breath in. Then as you return to the cat pose, exhale and release to soften. Repeat the movement 10 times.
Happy Baby
Happy baby is a great stretch to open up the pelvic floor.
Lay on a flat surface. Pull your knees to your chest and separate your knees. Then grab your ankles (or feet) and gently pull your legs towards the floor. Take deep breaths to help your muscles length. For a deeper stretch, use your elbows to separate your knees. Hold the stretch for 30 to 60 seconds.
Wag the Tail
Wag the tail helps to improve lumbopelvic mobility.
Start on your hands and knees for this stretch. Then slowly move your hips side-to-side, imagining you had a tail and you were wagging it back and forth. Move back and forth 10 times.
If you are experiencing any signs of pelvic floor dysfunction, theses stretches can be helpful, but you would likely benefit from seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist or occupational therapist. A skilled physical therapist will perform a throughout evaluation, looking at the pelvic floor and beyond, to address pelvic floor tightness, improve posture and body mechanics, and improve any areas of tightness or weakness. A therapist will develop a treatment plan individualized to you and your specific needs for the most success. You can ask your provider for a referral to one near your, or find one at www.mypfm.com/find-a-pt.
Ready to learn more about pelvic health? Here are some helpful resources:
Subscribe to Pelvic Flicks for pelvic floor weekly workouts
Watch our YouTube playlist on Pelvic Physical Therapy
Learn more about the pelvic floor muscles with our book: My Pelvic Floor Muscles The Basics
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Visit our Instagram page for more on pelvic health.
For providers, check out myPFM Academy to learn more so you can better help your clients. With two membership options, you have access to courses, a growing library of patient handouts, hundreds of custom sharable images and infographics, and multilingual resources. At myPFM Academy you’ll find courses like:
Pelvic Health Foundations: Intersection of Orthopedics and the Pelvic Floor with Dr. Stephanie Lewis, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT
Pelvic Health Foundations Module 3: Pelvic Floor Anatomical Review with Dr. Stephanie Lewis, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT
Written by Emily Reul, PT, DPT