Postpartum Pelvic Floor Strengthening Exercises


I wanted to round up some beginner exercises to use for pelvic floor strength. Strengthening your pelvic floor can help reduce the risk for organ prolapse, Diastasis Recti, pain during sex, peeing when you jump/sneeze/cough etc. all which is NOT normal and something you DO NOT have to live with! You can try to start connecting with your Pelvic Floor and TVA pretty soon after delivery before cleared for physical activity but again check with your dr or PT. Things like TVA breaths on your back or side are some ways to try to regain that muscle mind connection. 

💗💗To connect to your pelvic floor—Try any of these cues

💗 Hold a Blueberry in your vaginal

💗stopping the flow of urine

💗holding in gas (tends to be the most helpful cue and most of the time results in a more accurate pelvic floor contraction)

–if you are clenching your cheeks, you are over tense and not recruiting the right muscles.  If you notice this happening, try to focus on relaxing the glute muscles and focus on just the “openings” actively closing.

✨also important to be able to release those muscles. Over active pelvic floor can also lead to a slue of issues as well. Do not try to actually stop the flow of urine when you are peeing, this is the time those muscles should fully relax and you should be able to completely empty your bladder.

✨✨✨As with all these moves the BREATH is the most important thing. 💗Inhale-release Pelvic Floor (think of a flower opening), belly gently rises with air, air moves into your back and low belly. 💗Exhale- in this order, contract/lift pelvic floor (flower closes, the 3openings are closing), and then contract your TVA starting with the lower abdominals, slowly working your way up to knitting your ribs together(no flared rib boobs), if you Hiss or make noise as you exhale this helps engage the TVA, your deepest core muscles. 💗Eccentric movement is the inhale (easier part of the move) and concentric is the exhale (hardest part of the move).

🐆TVA breath with adduction (pillow squeeze)

🐆Heel lifts

🐆Rolling Glute Bride with Adduction

🐆Wall March 

Try to do 30-45 seconds of each exercise, 3 times each…this helps focus on the breath and engagement rather than the repetitions.

These exercises are also safe for C-section and Diastasis Recti

As always, this is not medical advice, I am not a DR and you should always consult yours before starting any workout program especially postpartum.

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