Pelvic floor exercises don’t need to be complex to be effective. Have you heard the phrase KISS – Keep It Simple Silly? I love a good acronym. This one makes me smile, and I think it’s particularly pertinent this time of year as we are surrounded by goal setting, intention setting, new year resolution pressures at every turn. It can all feel a bit overwhelming!
To avoid the frustrations that can be accompanied by trying to keep up and not achieving these grandiose goals, I thought this week I would share some efficient, practical ways you can integrate some simple pelvic floor exercises into your everyday life.
You don’t need more time, another to do on your list, or something that doesn’t reflect your current lifestyle, but rather simple, integrative steps that seamlessly blend into your daily routine.
It’s recommended that you spend at least 20 seconds washing your hands after you go to the loo, and it’s suggested that, on average, you go to the loo 6 times in a 24 hour period. Now, if you go more than that, we need to have a separate conversation. Anyway, in that 2 minutes per day that you could be doing something towards your pelvic floor health.
Here’s my very own acronym suggestion.
PASS – Yes, let’s PASS on pelvic floor dysfunction, pass on unrealistic goals and pass on societal pressure and biases and integrate easy pelvic health exercises into our routines.
Pelvic floor exercises you can try
P IS FOR PELVIC CLOCK
Set-up: Bend your knees slightly
Action: Circle your pelvis in both directions
Cue: Imagine your tailbone is drawing a circle on the floor underneath you
Success Tip: Your lower back may want to lead the movement. Let it be a follower not a leader this time
A IS FOR ACTIVATE YOUR MAGNETIC TAILBONE
Set-up: Bend your knees slightly
Action: Move your tailbone towards your pubic bone
Cue: This is an internal feeling as if your pubic bone or your tailbone is a magnet pulling the other towards it
Success Tip: It’s not a glute clenching, ab squeezing or pelvic floor lifting exercise. It’s small and deep
S IS OF GOOD OLD FUNCTIONAL SQUATS
Set-up: Feet slightly apart, feet flat
Action: Bend your knees slightly forward and let your bottom go back
Cue: Imagine you are going to sit down
Success Tip: Press the floor down to stand back up
S IS FOR YOUR ACTIVE SSSSSS BREATH
Set-up: Standing tall, feet together
Action: Long exhale making an ssssss sound
Cure: Imagine the ssss coming out of the crown of your head
Success Tip: Send your feet down and your crown up
Embracing a holistic approach to pelvic floor health goes beyond just physical exercises; it’s about nurturing your entire well-being. While the PASS exercises provide a great foundation, consider integrating mindfulness and relaxation techniques into your routine.
Stress and tension can adversely affect the pelvic floor, making it crucial to cultivate a practice of stress relief and mental relaxation. Simple activities like deep breathing, guided meditation, or gentle pilates can complement your pelvic floor exercises, enhancing their effectiveness. Remember, pelvic health is not just a physical journey but a balance of mind, body, and spirit.
As you explore these additional dimensions of care, feel free to share your experiences and insights with our community on social media. Let’s continue this journey together, supporting and learning from each other every step of the way.
I would love to hear how you get on with these pelvic floor exercises so drop me a reply and check out my Facebook group and instagram for videos of these exercises.