Mobility: Cat/Cow and Childs Pose

Anterior and posterior pelvic tilts place the pelvic floor muscles in positions where one side may be facilitated and the other side inhibited. For example, tucking your hips underneath you allows the back side of the pelvic floor to contract well, while the front side can't contract as well. It is important to maintain mobility and control in both of these positions for climbing, however. Practicing them off the wall can help you get comfortable controlling and sensing your pelvic floor when you're on the wall. These exercises can assist in improving spinal mobility, or maintaining what you already have. They are also excellent positions to practice diaphragmatic breathing and pelvic floor contract/relax coordination.

Cat/Cow (3-5 Breaths)
1. Get in hands and knees position
2. Take a deep breath in and allow belly to sink to the floor (if practicing pelvic floor contraction, you would contract at the end of this breath)
3. Exhale as you press the ground away and round your spine (if practicing pelvic floor contraction, you would relax fully at the end of the exhale)

Childs Pose w/Hip Internal Rotation (3-5 breaths)
1. Get in hands and knees position
2. Keeping knees under hips, move ankles away from each other
3. Take a deep breath in and let your hips go back towards your heels (add pelvic floor contraction at the end of this if practicing)
4. Exhale as you return back to all 4's (relax pelvic floor contraction at the end of the exhale)