The pelvic floor plays a large role in our daily function, including our birth and postpartum recovery. There is a big emphasis on relaxing the pelvic floor and relieving pelvic floor tension, but most of the movements involve wide-legged positions, such as deep squats and butterfly poses. These exercises will definitely stretch portions of the pelvic floor, but it’s important to remember that there is NO one movement that will open the ENTIRE pelvic floor.
The pelvic floor attaches to our pelvis, and different hip movements will change the tension in the pelvis floor.
- External rotation at the hip or wide-legged positions = stretch more of the front half of the pelvic floor.
- Asymmetrical positions will stretch the pelvic floor more diagonally.
- Internal rotation at the hip will stretch more of the back half of the pelvic floor.
So, you want to incorporate exercises that involve a variety of hip positions if you want to stretch the ENTIRE pelvic floor and release tension in prep for birth and recovery postpartum. And as a bonus, you also want to incorporate some thoracic mobility if you are focusing on the pelvic floor!
Our rib cage position influences our pelvic position. And our pelvic position influences our pelvic floor tension! So, incorporating thoracic mobility can help you relax the pelvic floor too!
If you want to dive deeper into these concepts to really prepare for birth, join our online fitness programs! Our prenatal workout programs guide you week by week throughout your pregnancy to keep you strong, and comfortable, and prepare you to open your pelvis for birth! We do more than just squats for birth prep.
Check out this blog for just a sample of why our prenatal workout program is one of the best-designed programs for your fitness and birth prep!
4 Exercises to Relax the ENTIRE Pelvic Floor and Relieve Pelvic Floor Tension
When you scroll IG, the primary exercises you will see as a part of “pelvic floor relaxation” will likely include squats and butterfly pose. These are great to release tension in the front half of the pelvic floor, but won’t do much to release the back half (which is tighter for most of us).
In this blog, we will break down four exercises that utilize different type of hip movements AND thoracic mobility routines to incorporate to relax your pelvic floor in more a well-rounded approach.
- Deep Squats with Thoracic Rotation: Release the front part of the pelvic floor
- 90/90 with Side Body Opener: Release the pelvic floor diagonally
- Hip Shifted Pelvic Tilts: Release the back half of the pelvic floor
- Heroes Pose: Release the back half of the pelvic floor
1) Deep Squats with Thoracic Rotation: Release the front part of the pelvic floor
The first movement is the most common exercise you will see for pelvic floor relaxation: the deep squat. This movement is going to target more of the front half of the pelvic floor, which for many of us is already overstretched. So, this movement would not be a place I would overemphasize in my pelvic floor release routine!
If you have trouble finding a deep squat position, sit down to a yoga block or place something under your heels! It is important that you can relax in this position and not strain at the bottom, otherwise, it defeats the purpose of the relaxation exercise.
But to make this movement more useful, add in some thoracic rotation! Watch the video below for some extra tips while doing the squat exercises.
If you want more exercises like these and more, check out our prenatal fitness programs! Our prenatal fitness programs include pelvic floor release exercises and pelvic opening exercises to prepare you for birth! Our programs can be done both at home and in the gym setting, and include tons of modifications depending on your week of pregnancy. Plus, you can bundle our prenatal fitness programs with our childbirth education course to save 15%!
2) 90/90 with Side Body Opener: Release the pelvic floor diagonally
Next, you can begin to explore asymmetrical hip positions. Different hip movements will change the tension of the pelvic floor. In the 90/90 position, one leg is externally rotated in front of you and the other leg is internally rotated to your side. In this movement, the pelvic floor is being stretched diagonally–the externally rotated leg’s anterior portion and the internally rotated leg’s posterior portion are being stretched in this position.
You may find that the right leg in front and the left leg to the side are more difficult than the opposite. This is due to our common postural tendencies! For many of us, the left leg tends to be more externally rotated, while the right leg tends to be more internally rotated. So, pay attention to how this exercise feels on each side for you!
You can add in thoracic mobility by adding in a side body opener! Watch the video below for more of a breakdown of how to do this exercise.
3) Hip-Shifted Pelvic Tilts: Release the back half of the pelvic floor
Another asymmetrical movement is the all-fours hip shift with pelvic tilts. In this asymmetrical setup, place one knee up on an elevated surface such as a yoga block. Then shift your weight over the elevated knee to bring that hip into internal rotation. This exercise focuses more on the elevated hip’s posterior portion of that pelvic floor and is a part of our birth prep circuit.
In this position, you can add in thoracic mobility by including pelvic tilts! Watch the video below for more of a break down on how to do this exercise, plus some tips if you are having any issues.
4) Heroes Pose: Release the back half of the pelvic floor
The final exercise is the heroes pose. In this posture, both legs are internally rotated at the hip, so this will target the back half of the pelvic floor. You can sit to a yoga block if you need more support, or directly down on the floor if you have more flexibility.
The pelvic floor plays a large role in our daily function–it sits at the base of our pelvis and helps to stabilize our spine, supports our pelvic organs, supports our sphcinter control, sexual function/childbirth, and plays a role in sump-pump or lymphatic drainage. The pelvic floor needs to RELAX to move out of the way during birth to allow your baby to pass through–but many of us have a really tight pelvic floor! However, because the pelvic floor tension can adjust based on our hip position, maybe of us may have UNEVEN pelvic floor tension due to those common postural tendencies we briefly discussed in this blog. Incorporating all four of these exercises into your prenatal fitness routine can help to release tension throughout the entirety of your pelvic floor, as you prepare for birth!