Regular physical activity is crucial for maintaining your overall health and well-being. It is essential to understand that all muscles in your body, including the pelvic floor muscles, benefit from regular exercise. In just 5 minutes a day, you can help improve the health of your intimate muscles. Let's get started!
One effective exercise for strengthening the pelvic floor muscles is Kegel exercises.
Kegel Exercises:- Take a deep breath through your nose, allowing your abdominal muscles to contract and fill with air. It's important to note that during inhalation, the pelvic floor muscles should be relaxed.
- Slowly exhale through pursed lips, as if you're blowing through a straw, gently tensing the pelvic floor muscles while doing so. It is recommended to keep the pelvic floor muscles tense for 3-6 seconds during exhalation.
- Inhale again and release the muscle contraction.
- Completely relax the pelvic floor muscles for 6-10 seconds. It's crucial to fully relax the muscles between each contraction and avoid holding your breath while performing the exercises. If you find yourself holding your breath, try counting out loud while doing the exercises.
Another exercise to focus on is diaphragmatic breathing. This exercise helps strengthen the diaphragm, which is located above the pelvic floor.
Diaphragmatic Breathing:- Lie on your back with your knees bent.
- Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen, just below the chest.
- Slowly inhale through your nose, allowing your abdomen to protrude. Notice that the hand on your chest remains still, while the hand on your abdomen should rise.
- Exhale through pursed lips, and observe as the hand on your abdomen returns to its original position.
In addition to these exercises, it is important to work on exercises that open up your chest muscles. The chest muscles impact intra-abdominal pressure and, therefore, the load on the pelvic diaphragm.
Chest Opening Exercises:- Stretching: Perform various stretching exercises that involve your chest, such as reaching your arms overhead and extending them as far back as comfortably possible.
- Shoulder blade retraction and protraction: Start by standing tall with your arms by your sides. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and then push them forward, repeating this movement several times.
- Arching the back in a "cat" position on all fours: Get down on all fours and gently arch your back upwards, like a cat stretching. Then, slowly lower your back down and repeat the movement.
- Leg flexion with hands holding them and pulling toward the chest: Lie on your back and hold your legs with your hands, pulling them gently towards your chest. Hold this position for 4-5 seconds and then release.
- Alternately touching the elbow to the knee of the opposite side while lying on your back: Lie on your back with your knees bent. Bring your left elbow towards your right knee, then switch sides and repeat the movement.
- Alternately touching the fingers of your hand to the toes of the opposite foot while lying on your back: Lie on your back with your legs extended. Reach your right hand towards your left foot, and then switch sides, repeating the movement.
Remember to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new exercise routine, especially if you have any medical conditions or concerns. Incorporating these exercises into your daily routine can greatly benefit the health of your intimate muscles and overall well-being. Start today and take just a few minutes each day for the health of your pelvic floor muscles.