4 Pelvic Floor Release Stretches for Tight Muscles
When it comes to pelvic floor exercises, you’ve probably heard a lot about Kegels, Kegel balls, and other exercises and devices that are designed to tighten the pelvic floor. However, sometimes your pain and discomfort are caused by the opposite problem: your pelvic floor is too tight and needs to relax. In this case, contracting the muscles won’t help and might actually make things worse. So what should you do when you need pelvic floor release? Here are four stretches to try in place of Kegel ball exercises:
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Stretches to Relax the Pelvic Floor
For all of these stretches except child’s pose, you should begin by lying on your back on a firm yet comfortable surface. An exercise mat laid down on the floor is a great choice.
- Happy baby pose: Bend your knees at a roughly 90-degree angle and raise them off the ground, bringing them as close to your chest as possible. Hold on to your thighs with your hands, or grab the calves or even the feet for a deeper stretch. No matter where you place your hands, make sure to keep your ankles aligned over your knees. Deepen the stretch by gently pulling on your legs and then releasing them. You can also deepen the stretch by gently rocking back and forth in a side-to-side motion.
- Adductor stretching: Bend your knees at an angle. While keeping your feet together, slowly open your thighs to the sides, as if you are doing a butterfly stretch while lying on your back. This pose is supposed to be relaxing, not difficult. If you aren’t flexible enough to rest your legs on the floor, then you can place pillows or folded blankets or towels underneath each leg. This will allow you to fully relax into the pose and really release that pelvic floor area.
- Piriformis stretching: Bend both of your knees at a roughly 90-degree angle. Lift your right leg and tilt it open until you can rest the ankle on top of your opposite knee. Grab on to your left thigh and slowly raise the bottom leg until you feel the stretch in your hips. Repeat on the other side.
- Child’s pose: Begin this pose by kneeling on your mat. Spread your knees as far apart as you comfortably can while still keeping your toes touching. Gently bow forward until you can rest your forehead on the mat. Reach your arms out as far as you can, away from your legs. Shift back and forward until you feel the stretch in your pelvic area and then take deep breaths as the muscles relax.
Just as with other pelvic floor exercises, you should only stretch your pelvic floor muscles once you’ve been cleared by your doctor to return to physical activity.
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Other Tips for Pelvic Floor Release
Stretching isn’t the only way to release your pelvic floor. Diaphragmatic breathing is another way to work on pelvic floor release, and it will also help relax the rest of your body as well. To practice diaphragmatic breathing, lie down and place one hand on your chest and the other on your body. Take a deep breath in for three slow counts and then exhale for three slow counts. Focus on breathing deeply from your belly instead of shallowly from your chest. If you’re doing it correctly, the hand on your stomach should move up and down, but the hand on your chest should mostly stay in place. Practice diaphragmatic breathing for five to 10 minutes a day. It can be especially beneficial to practice this kind of deep breathing before going into your pelvic stretches.
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Another type of pelvic floor release involves using your hands or a pelvic wand to apply pressure to release pressure points, similar to massaging your other muscles. Your doctor may recommend pelvic floor trigger point therapy when the muscles you need to release are deep in the pelvic floor, or when you have very specific areas that are tight. Make sure to clean your hands or wand thoroughly before beginning and also to coat them in lube so there won't be any friction. Insert your fingers or the wand into the vagina and gently move it around until you find a tight area. Press gently on the tight muscle until you feel it release and then move onto a different area. Wash your hands or the wand once you are finished.
To learn more about building and relaxing your pelvic floor, including what pelvic floor therapy is, be sure to check out the rest of our resource center.
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