3 Reasons To Exercise Your Pelvic Floor Every Day (Plus How To Do A Kegel!)
You’ve probably heard of pelvic floor exercises before – especially if you’ve spent time on the Baby2Body app – and that’s because they’re something you should be doing every day! The good news is they’re easy to do when you’re busy and on the go.
Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles that surround your bladder, bowel, and uterus, basically holding everything up and in place. Strengthening them should be on every woman's to-do list because they naturally weaken with age and strengthening them can help prevent issues before, during, and after pregnancy — like pain and urinary incontinence and even pelvic organ prolapse.
There are a lot of ways you can strengthen your pelvic floor -- like core workouts – but we recommend doing Kegels every day as well, as this mini-workout directly targets your pelvic floor muscles. Today we’re sharing just how to do kegel exercises plus 3 reasons why you should do them for at least 3 minutes every single day! Let’s get into it.
3 reasons to spend 3 minutes a day on your pelvic floor:
1. A strong pelvic floor can prevent incontinence issues before, during, and after pregnancy
Your pelvic floor muscles are responsible for stopping you from unexpectedly having a pee every time you laugh or sneeze – so a weak pelvic floor can lead to incontinence issues. Your pelvic muscles naturally weaken with age & during pregnancy, baby will put a lot of pressure on your pelvic floor muscles, leading to a weaker pelvic floor. Doing your pelvic floor exercises every day can strengthen them and help prevent issues with incontinence before, during, and after pregnancy.
2. A strong pelvic floor can help with pregnancy, labor & recovery after birth
The stronger your pelvic floor muscles are the less damage they are likely to sustain during pregnancy and birth — and the faster they will spring back to shape afterward as well. Working on pelvic floor strength can also reduce the risk of vaginal birth complications. Basically, a strong pelvic floor is an essential component of supporting your body during pregnancy & postpartum — and doing a few minutes a day will build into a strong pelvic floor over time.
3. Strong pelvic floor muscles can lead to better sex
Yes, really! Having a stronger pelvic floor might lead to better sex before, during, and after pregnancy too! Stronger pelvic floor muscles can lead to stronger muscle contractions during orgasm and they'll also help increase blood flow to your pelvic region, which can help increase your pleasure too!
So, how do you do a pelvic floor exercise a.k.a. a kegel?
First, get familiar with your pelvic floor:
Go sit on the toilet and start to pee, then squeeze your inner muscles and try to hold it in. Feel those muscles lift up? Those are your pelvic floor muscles and you just did one kegel! Relax your muscles and try again when you’re not going to the bathroom - as doing them often while you pee can lead to bladder issues.
Then, doing your Kegels is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Here's what to do:
Isolate your pelvic floor muscles - just like you did on the toilet!
Use your breath as a guide. Your breath – in and out – is a great way to set your pace.
Squeeze, release, repeat! Squeeze your kegel muscles with each inhalation, release with each exhalation and repeat 10 or more times.
Don't miss your 3 minute daily pelvic floor exercises in the Baby2Body app to help you further strengthen your pelvic floor!
Once you’ve nailed doing this for 3 minutes a day, try to do your pelvic floor exercises every time you sit down for a meal (ideally 3) because keeping those pelvic floor muscles strong will pay off in the long run! Just remember to make sure you’re engaging your pelvic floor muscles and avoid tightening any muscles in the stomach, legs, or butt areas.
Have a question about pelvic floor exercises? Let us know in the comments!