Breathe into the pelvic floor

Anatomy

The Pelvic Floor is very similar in men and women and is a combination of different muscles between the hip bones:

• Frontal muscles end at the pubis area;

• Back muscles end at the the tail bone;

• Lateral muscles end at the Ischial Spines. 

The Pelvic Floor is made up of 3 different layers:

• External: triangle around the sphincter, anus and vagina. Between the 2 ischial spines -> Superficial problems: pain in the local areas

• Medium: from the ischials to the pubis area -> Urination Issues

• Internal: pubis area to ileo - coccygeal (X) -> Prolapsed Uterus, bladder and rectum.

Let’s wake it up

First exercise: we are going to do 3 breath cycles, as you try to feel if there is any movement in your pelvic region.

You need a Ball or Chair and an empty bladder 

Sit on the ball

Feet flat, knees in line with your hips 

Feel the Pelvic floor and the Ischial Spines on the ball

When you Inhale ---- try to release your pelvic floor. You should feel your muscles closer to the ball, down (relax). 

Then Exhale ---- activate your pelvic floor. You should feel your muscles going away from the ball, up (squeezed)

Did you feel anything? If the answer is yes, great! If not, don’t worry!We’ll work on it together

Let’s try to feel our pelvic floor doing some visualizations:

Visualization: Think about your pelvic muscles as a circle tent. When you inhale, the tent is flattened. When you exhale, the tent is fully upright and high. 

On the floor supine: 

- move your hips

- press belly button to the floor

- pelvic floor squeezed 

- feel the Ischial Spines

Exhale ---squeeze, pull the pelvic floor

Exercises

Let’s incorporate these movements into some Giorgia fitMindset exercises. 

1. Elastic Band (GfM stretching exercise):

• Supine

• Elastic band under 1 foot

• Leg open to the side

• Activate your pelvic floor, first

• Exhale 

• Pull the leg up and close it with your pelvic muscles

  2. Sit Up/Small Crunch:

  Exhale --- Sit Up --- squeeze pelvic floor

  Inhale --- back down --- realize pelvic floor

These are simple stretching or basic exercises that we do daily in our active routine. We should work toward the goal of activating our pelvic floor while jumping. But as usual, we will start with baby steps. So, try to follow your breathing cycles, inhale for 4 and exhale for 6. When you inhale, try to relax your pelvic floor and when you exhale, squeeze.