Hit the Floor

I'm talking about hitting the workout routine for your pelvic floor! When you hear about strengthening your core, most often the first thing that comes to mind is doing crunches and sit-ups. Then, maybe you think about working your back muscles. Maybe . . . you even think about doing planks.

I think (and this is my personal opinion, not backed up be scientific study) that a strong core begins with a strong pelvic floor. Think of these muscles as a sling in the pelvis that holds all of your guts in. Think of them as sort of a figure 8 that has an opening for your urethra (to pee) and your anal canal (to poop). They attach to the pubic bone in the front, and to the base of your spine in the back.

Ladies, especially ones who've had a baby, know how to strengthen the pelvic floor. We call the exercises "Kegels." First, you need to figure out what muscles they are. Try this: while urinating, try to stop; if you can, then you've found the right muscles! You can also find these muscles by imagining that you are trying to stop the passage of gas. It's all the same muscles.

So, "How do you "exercise" your pelvic floor?" you ask. I do reps of 10 (tighten and relax 10 times). Sometimes I do the reps rapid-fire quick. Sometimes I do them slow, like tighten gradually for the count of five and then release slowly for another count of five. Be sure to not hold your breath while your are contracting the muscles. You may notice that you also tighten muscles in your abdomen, and I was told that is okay but keep in mind that the stomach muscles are not the focus of this exercise. If you are just starting out, you may find it easier to do this exercise while laying down since the pelvic floor is not carrying a load in the horizontal position. You should progress to standing eventually. Note: don't regularly do your exercises while you are peeing, you will develop issues with not being able to pee!

You can do pelvic floor muscles pretty much anytime and anywhere. I have read that you should do them three times a day. I think I would develop an obsessive-compulsive disorder if I tried to do it three times a day! I could see myself secretly doing Kegels all of the time and not being able to stop myself. So, I just do them once a day in the shower. It is part of my shower routine: shampoo, stretch, self breast exam, and Kegels. It's an easy exercise to do, you just have to remember to do them!