Zip it up for Pelvic Floor Strength

Check Your Head Alignment

To strengthen your pelvic floor be sure your head is back in line with your body. Those with forward head posture are more likely to have pelvic floor issues. (Crazy to think your head alignment can have an effect on incontinence and prolapse.) When you tuck your chin, it aligns your entire spine, this includes your pelvic floor since it's the base of your spine. Proper alignment promotes strength! I'm not even going to get started about how tucking your chin can alleviate neck, shoulder, midback and lower back pain. For every inch that your head goes forward, you add 10 pounds of pressure to the pelvic floor. (Your head weighs about 9 pounds)

Do wall angels, stand against a wall, with your head, shoulders and buttocks or heels touching the wall. Bring your hands overhead touching the wall, thumbs are up.

Alignment Check: Get someone to take a picture of you from the side. If you hang a plumb line down from your ear, does it hit your ankle or toes? Your head should be in line with your ankles. Tuck your chin to help take stress away from your pelvic floor

Alignment: Perfect Posture for the Pelvic Floor

Great alignment places the pelvis at the best angle to support the entire abdominal wall and pelvic floor. This angle makes it easier for the pelvic floor to fire naturally and thus get stronger.

A strong Glute Max is important for everything, but in order to be strong it cannot be clenched all day. Clenching the glutes can make them weaker and harder for your pelvic floor to respond when you really need it!

You know when you are in an elevator and oh no, you had beans last night for dinner and you squeeze your bottom to hold in gas? For a short elevator ride holding those glutes clenched is ok but holding them clenched all day creates a real problem, especially for stress incontinence. (Leaking upon sneezing or laughing) When you clench, it tucks your butt under. This makes it hard for the front of the pelvic floor to contract and it's the front of the pelvic floor that we need to stop the leak of urine or lift front prolapse! Clenching your glutes will often make you clench your pelvic floor as well, which makes it ineffective at dealing with stresses, such as sneezing, it forces the pelvic floor muscles into a shortened, tightened position.

Usually, glute clenching is unconscious and you don't even realize you are doing it.

Good Posture is the Best Exercise to Strengthen the Pelvic Floor All Day Long! So, they can be effective all night long.

Make Breathing Part of Your Pelvic Floor

To make breathing a pelvic floor exercise, make sure the diaphragm and pelvic floor are coordinating with each other. The biggest issue I see is flared ribs that don't move with each breath.

For a simple quick check, have a seat, preferably on an exercise ball. Now take a deep breath in and let it relax out. Repeat until you feel pressure in your pelvic floor created by your diaphragm functioning properly. The more you expand your ribcage on each deep breath, the more likely you are to have a fully functioning diaphragm.

As you exhale, lift from the pelvic floor. Imagine lifting as an elevator is lifting. Imagine a zipper lifting up. Don’t pull in, lift up! Practice everyday. It really works! I have clients that have testimonials about how things have changed.