Physical Therapist Pelvic Floor Exercises for Beginners

Pelvic Floor Exercises Tips and Techniques for Beginners

Pelvic floor exercises can help some women :
*Strengthen weak pelvic floor muscles
*Decrease prolapse symptoms
*Improve prolapse support
*Decrease incontinence problems
*Improve sexual sensation
*Improve pelvic floor tone
*Learn how to relax pelvic floor muscles

How to Find Your Pelvic Floor Muscles

Your pelvic floor muscles sling from your pubic bone at the front to your tailbone at the back of your pelvis forming trampoline-like support at the base of your pelvis.

Feel the position of your sit bones when you sit. Your pelvic floor muscles are located between your sit bones inside (not outside) your pelvis. They sit like a mini trampoline at the base or lower part of your pelvis.

Pelvic floor exercises do not involve your buttocks or the muscles inside your thighs. Your buttocks and thigh muscles should stay relaxed during your pelvic floor exercises.

How to Feel Your Pelvic Floor Exercises

Sitting Technique- Sitting on a Rolled Towel (or exercise ball)
*Roll up a towel to a diameter that your hand can wrap around.
*Sit on the towel as you would sit on a saddle.
*Feel your 3 pelvic openings against the towel; your urethra (urine tube), vagina and anus.
*Squeeze and lift inside in and around each of your 3 pelvic openings using your pelvic floor muscles trying to isolate the muscles around each of these openings one at a time.
*Relax your pelvic floor muscles back to resting level and take some time to rest briefly.

Correct Technique for Pelvic Floor Exercises

1. Set your posture by lengthening your spine
2. Ensure that you have the inward curve in your lower back when sitting or standing
3. Squeeze and lift inside in and around all 3 pelvic openings together
4. Keep lifting and squeezing your pelvic floor muscles for up to 10 seconds
5. Keep breathing throughout your pelvic floor exercises
5. Release your pelvic floor contraction and relax your pelvic floor muscles back to resting

Pelvic Floor Exercises Mistakes to Avoid

1. Squeezing your buttocks
2. Squeezing your inside thighs
3. Over bracing your abdominal muscles
4. Holding your breath

Summary Tips: Pelvic Floor Exercises for Beginners

1. Find your pelvic floor muscles at the base of your pelvis
2. Feel your pelvic floor exercises sitting on a firm surface such as a rolled towel
3. List and squeeze inside in and around your 3 pelvic openings
4. Relax your pelvic floor muscles back to resting
5. Avoid the commonly made mistakes for successful pelvic floor exercises

[catherinemclean]

I just want to say... that before watching this video, I have been going to physical therapy for almost 5 months now and was wondering why I wasn't seeing results and NOW I KNOW WHY! I was squeezing in the wrong place- this is so fundamental!!! This is LIFE CHANGING and I CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH for sharing this with everyone because I believe this just saved me hundreds to thousands of dollars on more therapy/products that I don't need! THANK YOU SO MUCH <3

[janiebobanie]

You explain this so gently with sensitivity and understanding. I loved how easy it was to comprehend what you were saying. Thank you!

[lisad.]

Thank you so much for posting this incredibly helpful video! I've been battling low back pain for almost 5 years and have done physical therapy at 2 different "clinics", had numerous epidurals and injections, nerve ablation, etc, none of which resulted in any significant relief. I started physical therapy about 2 weeks ago at a "clinic" I'd never tried before. During my first visit, they said my back is very unstable because my core is weak. They explained the importance of engaging my core while doing the strengthening exercises. In the last 5 years, not even one doctor or physical therapist ever mentioned that! That explains why therapy never helped in the past. Getting the pelvic floor muscles to engage has been challenging, but it's getting a little bit easier every day. I watched your video to confirm I'm doing it correctly, which I am. The physical therapist I'm going to is excellent, but I must say that your explanation of how to engage the pelvic floor muscles is MUCH easier to understand than her explanation was. For the first time in 5 years, I finally feel like I'm headed in the right direction!

[monikawest]

Girl I🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾this video should be given to every woman after childbirth this essential to retraining those muscle that has been stretched or weakened due to pregnancy....how has this not went viral

[WouldbeRenaissanceLady]

Hardest part is breathing (I stop🙄) and not pulling a weird face!

For women post-menopausal, this is absolutely essential and invaluable exercise.

Many of my friends have had prolapse issues, like me.
Thank you.😁👍

[matthewjoseph]

EXCELLENT Intro to Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy. All KUDOS to Michelle Kenway - You have a REAL KNACK for explaining something as "complicated" as activating Pelvic Floor Muscles. God Bless You Michelle....Wishing You well :-)

[CuriosityRover]

Kudos to you for explaining that it's technically 3 areas. When you "stop the stream of urine" to find it, I ONLY feel the front and thought feeling the rest was wrong. For some reason this is the first time I'm hearing the 3 openings part.

[cassiekay]

Thank you so much .For me the hardest thing is to keep breathing through the exercises ! I really appreciate your video and will keep trying

[DEKAYOGA]

So funny when you're watching, look like nothing happening from outside, but actually we are using a lot of muscles here!!

[tarotwiser]

Thank you so much for the best explanation of this exercise. Have subscribed.

[BumpandBeyond]

Thanks for sharing these well-explained exercises and for explaining the structure of the pelvis and showing where the muscles are... love the way you explain how they are like a trampoline.

[jamesseo]

Great explanation with nice and gentle voice tone which is paramount for patients!!! ;)

[Dustyy]

Thank you, I wanted to confirm that I was doing my exercises correctly and you explained it perfectly. Will continue on to your other videos :)

[svetlanas]

Thank you very much for explaining thoroughly and calmly. Your help is very much appreciated.
Would you advice. any additional videos to watch to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles thanks in advance.🙏❤️

[marthasanchez]

So helpful! Very detailed instructions! Thank you. I’m recovering from an acute pelvic issue

[HeatherBDentureDiVa]

I'm just saying it being a woman is freaking hard!!!! I've had two c-sections and a bunch of autoimmune diseases and my pelvic floor has been more painful lately than ever before. And I got to keep remembering to do my kegels because that helps dramatically

[muoimuoifernandez]

Thank you for your explanation, it still a long way to practice without instruction and practice.

[ceciliaalmanza]

Wow ! You did amazing explaining and I just realized how much help I truly need I struggled feeling in need to get my muscles stronger

[gretchencovino]

Helpful. 6 week wait list for the PT for these. Want to see more.

[theamorgan]

I very much appreciate your videos. As a Stott Pilates instructor of 18 years and a Physical Therapist Aide, I like your approach and accessibility with with personal yet clinical teaching. I am happy to have found you!