Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy at Home
With a busy schedule, you may be wondering if you can do pelvic floor physical therapy at home to treat your urinary incontinence.
Heard that pelvic floor yoga poses can help with your bladder or sex? Many of us think poor pelvic health, specifically incontinence, is something we have to live with. Some women have even been told by their mothers, sisters, or friends that leaking pee is just part of aging.
Most women who talk to their doctor about or lack of bladder control are told to do pelvic floor exercises or daily Kegels to build their pelvic floor strength. But there is more we can do for our pelvic health and incontinence than just Kegels! Read on to learn how to do the best pelvic floor yoga poses.
Can yoga help with the pelvic floor? Yes, research has shown that pelvic floor yoga can help tone your pelvic floor with consistent practice. Incontinence comes from weakened pelvic floor muscles (the group of muscles that support your bladder, bowel, and reproductive organs).
Pelvic floor yoga poses can strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, which in turn can support your bladder and provide better control over your leaks.
If you want to stop your bladder leakage naturally, practicing pelvic floor yoga poses for pelvic health can be a good place to start.
Women with stress urinary incontinence may benefit from regular pelvic floor yoga practice with a focus on yoga asanas that target the pelvic floor.
Our pelvic floor muscles, like all muscles, need time to be relaxed. These muscles, though, often hold onto tension, which can cause fatigue. When these muscles are overworked, they can’t always do their job of holding in urine well, and we can leak.
Want to try pelvic floor yoga to strengthen your pelvic floor and have fewer leaks?
1. Chair Pose – Utkatasana:
Stand up straight with your shoulders relaxed and your feet parallel to your hips. Reach your arms up above your head and gently bend your knees and push your hips and glutes backward like you’re sitting in an invisible chair.
As you do this pelvic floor yoga pose, try to imagine you need to pass gas but are holding it in. This will start to engage your pelvic floor and lift it upwards.
2. Legs Up the Wall Pose – Viparita Karani Variation:
This pelvic floor yoga pose has you lie on your back and uses the wall to support your legs.
Sit down on your yoga mat facing a wall.
Gently lay down on your floor or yoga mat with your back to the ground, perpendicular to the wall. Scoot or adjust so your glutes rest against the wall. Then, lift your legs and rest them on the wall for support. Place your hands behind your hips.
As you hold the pelvic floor yoga pose, gently arch and curve your back while breathing. Take a deep breath in through the nose, and then as you exhale, draw your pelvic floor up to engage it.
3. Mountain Pose – Tadasana:
This is a simple pelvic floor yoga pose that gently stretches and lengthens your body.
Stand up straight and relaxed with your arms down each side of your body, palms facing forward. Make sure your feet are hip-distance apart.
While you stand here, relax and practice lifting and relaxing your pelvic floor. Think about flexing your inner thighs and imagine lifting your belly button.
4. Triangle Pose- Trikonasana:
For this pelvic floor yoga posture, stand facing forward with your feet about 3 feet apart or wider than your shoulders.
Now keep your left foot facing forward and rotate the front foot outward to the side. With your feet spread apart, slowly bend down to the front foot.
Bring your right hand down and rest it either on your right shin bone, yoga mat, or supported by a yoga block. Turn your torso and your gaze to the side following your right foot. Then reach your left arm up into the air. Gently turn your head and look up at your arm.
This pelvic floor yoga pose opens your hips and stretches your lower back. With time, it can create more flexibility and tone in the pelvic floor.
5. Corpse Pose- Savasana:
Any exercise routine needs to include rest for muscles to recover. The corpse pose is perfect for giving your pelvic floor muscles a chance to relax.
This pelvic floor yoga pose begins by lying flat on your back. Make sure your feet are shoulder-width apart with the toes up.
Extend your hands at 45 degrees with your palms open and facing up toward the ceiling. Just rest here, release all muscle tension, and practice deep breathing.
Yoga is a healthy, simple, and free way to help resolve incontinence. As with any new exercise, Remember to always consult with a qualified instructor before starting any new program, listen to your body and adjust your practice accordingly.
If you prefer to follow along with a guide, you can find free yoga sessions for the pelvic floor on YouTube or pay for instruction from expert yoga courses like Pelvic Floor Yoga or PelvicYoga that focus on helping women reduce their leaks through a consistent yoga practice.
You can practice yoga poses easily at home to relieve stress, connect with your body, and strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.
For faster results of toned pelvic floor muscles, consider using Elitone after your yoga.
Ready to stop spending money on incontinence pads every month? Want to leak less with a strong pelvic floor? Elitone is a first-of-its-kind, automatic pelvic floor exerciser that’s worn under your clothes and rebuilds your muscle tone for you. After 20 minutes a day for 6 weeks, you’ll be jumping for joy (and staying dry while you do it)!
Goodbye leaks, hello confidence.
With Elitone, you can exercise your pelvic muscles while you go about your day. No need to stop and sit for 20 minutes. You can comfortably, and discreetly treat your incontinence while you unload the dishes, go on a walk, or put on your makeup. Elitone helps you take back control of your health and conveniently reduce your leaks and tone your pelvic floor.
Whether you’re leaking due to childbirth, post-partum, active exercise, menopause, or aging, you can feel drier every day, with Elitone.
Take back control of your health.
TRY Elitone.