Even though it’s one of the most important muscle groups in
the body, the pelvic floor doesn’t get a lot of attention. It is particularly
important for pregnant women, as it plays an instrumental role during labor.
For some women, they can feel pain from a weak pelvic floor
as early as 12 weeks into the pregnancy. This can cause other issues, like
constipation or causing a weak bladder and leakage. Dealing with this, along
with the other symptoms of pregnancy, can be overwhelming.
Luckily, you can practice strengthening your pelvic floor
with a few different exercises. In addition, you can see a physical therapist
(if you are in the Dallas area, come visit us!) that can provide the guidance
you need to strengthen your pelvic floor.
At home, you can do several different exercises to build
pelvic floor strength. Kegels are really good exercises that we recommend for women.
These can be done at any point in your day.
To do kegels, squeeze the muscles around your vagina and
anus by thinking about trying to pull the muscles up and in. These are the same
muscles you use to stop the flow of urine or prevent gas from passing.
You will know if you are doing these right if you don’t feel
any movement in your buttocks or abs. In addition, you should be able to
isolate your pelvic floor so if you someone look at you while you were doing
the exercises, they wouldn’t see you moving at all.
If you haven’t done any exercises like this before and if
you are feeling pain in this region, it may take a while to build up strength.
However, by focusing on these exercises, you can see great gains – and for
pregnant women, it can make labor and recovery much easier.
Check out our previous articles about pelvic floor:
- What is pelvic floor dysfunction?
- Stop the leak!
- Who should do kegels
- The two exercises every women should do
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