Are Pelvic Floor Exercises Safe During Pregnancy?

Yes, exercises targeting the pelvic floor can help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, which are put through significant stress during pregnancy and childbirth. Regardless of what age you are or if you do not have bladder leaks, you should be doing your Kegels (this is the name given to pelvic floor exercises).

The pelvic floor comprises several layers of muscles that extend in a supporting hammock-like fashion from the pubic bone to the end of the backbone (spine) and from your hip bones. Do check out our Where is my pelvic floor and what are Kegels?

When you cough, sneeze, or strain, you may find that some pee leaks out of your body because the muscles in your pelvic floor are weak. So many women suffer with this, so please do not feel ashamed about it. This condition, also known as stress incontinence, may persist after a woman has given birth.

Performing workouts targeted at the pelvic floor can help you strengthen these muscles. After pregnancy, this helps to lessen the severity of stress incontinence or prevent its occurrence altogether.

All pregnant women should perform exercises for the pelvic floor, even if the woman is young and does not already experience stress incontinence. If you want to improve your pelvic floor with exercise, we have a great 4-week pelvic floor workout programme that is simple to follow and you can just download and follow the videos anywhere and at any time.

How to Exercise Pelvic Floor Muscles During Pregnancy?

Simply, imagine that you are holding in wind and wee at the same time. This is the area that you want to focus on. You want to hold your pelvic floor up as strongly as you can for up to 10 seconds. This is known as the Slow Kegel Technique.

Tip – If you count to 10 out loud, you can’t hold your breath.

Then you want to slowly relax your pelvic floor (don’t push down) for 5 seconds and then repeat this process 10 times. Follow at the end with 10 Fast Kegels. These are quick fast pelvic floor pull ups.

Make it a goal to perform three sets daily; if it helps you remember, you can perform one set before each meal.

In addition to these exercises, you should also practice contracting the pelvic floor muscles before and while coughing and sneezing. Always do this when you are lifting anything heavy - including children.

This is not only which is 98% effective in stopping you from weeing yourself but it also helps protect your pelvic floor. This is known as The Knack technique

How to Strengthen Pelvic Floor Postpartum?

Let's first talk about the workouts that target the pelvic floor muscles. If you struggle to find where your pelvic floor muscles are our Pelvic Floor Kegel Training Kit will help you to engage the correct muscles while exercising your pelvic floor.

Kegels

I do not doubt that you are already familiar with the term "Kegels" at this point. Kegel exercises are essential exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.

To do it:

• Place yourself on your back and bend your knees.
• From this position, imagine holding in wind and wee at the same time.
• Now squeeze up and as hard as you can
• You must avoid squeezing other muscles, such as those in your buttocks or legs. Concentrate on working only the muscles in the pelvic region.
• After holding each contraction for up to ten seconds, you release it for 5 seconds.
• Perform ten repetitions, and repeat this activity three times a day.

Squats

It's safe to say that the squats is the most effective exercise ever created.

It is vital for strengthening many of the muscles in your lower body and the muscles in your pelvis, and it is one of the reasons you should do it.

1. INHALE and Squat Down - relax your pelvic floor on the way down (don’t push)

ALL FOURS - CAT COW YOGA STRETCH

➡️Place your hands and knees on a yoga mat (you can also just use a folded towel instead too), directing under your shoulders and hips,

➡️then EXHALE into Cat pose by tilting the pelvis forward and arching your spine up like a cat. Focus on PULLING UP Your Pelvic Floor for up to 10 seconds

➡️ On the INHALE, move into Cow pose by first dropping the tailbone and curving your back in the opposite direction RELAX Your pelvic floor here

👉REPEAT this 10 times

👉Follow with 10 FAST Kegels at the end

The Butterfly Stretch

This is so good for your inner thighs, hips, groin & lower back

Step 1: While sitting in an upright position on the ground, bend both knees outward until the soles of your feet touch. Pull your feet in toward your center until you feel a stretch in your hips.

Step 2: Drawing your belly in, fold forward as far as you can safely go while pressing your elbows on your legs to deepen the stretch. Be sure to lengthen your spine as you hinge forward. Your back should be straight, not curved.

Step 3: Hold for 15 to 30 seconds. For a deeper stretch, pull your feet in closer or extend your arms out in front of you while continuing to fold forward. Do your Slow Kegels - on an outward breath with this position.

Step 4: Release, return to the starting position . Do 10 X Fast Kegels

and repeat 10 times .....

Fancy a freebie? Download our FREE guide to  The easy way to get a stronger pelvic floor