If you’ve been with the Get Mom Strong community for a minute, you know pelvic health is important. But how do you know if your pelvic floor is tight or weak?
A strong pelvic floor can lengthen and relax, as well as contract. Like any set of muscles, weak or tight pelvic floors aren’t going to function optimally. In fact, it will probably lead to health issues that may impact your daily life.
Is My Pelvic Floor Weak or Tight?
Pelvic floor dysfunction is the official term for pelvic floor muscles that don’t work as they should, and there are differences between a weak pelvic floor and a tight pelvic floor.
A tight, over-active, or hypertonic pelvic floor refers to when the pelvic floor muscles become too tight and are unable to relax. Under-active pelvic floor muscles are weak or too overly-lengthened to function properly.
While I always recommend seeing a pelvic health professional for a diagnosis, you can do some self-assessment by looking for the following signs and symptoms.
Tight pelvic floor symptoms:
- Painful sex
- Urinary incontinence or difficulty starting or stopping the flow of urination
- Chronic lower back, tailbone, or hip pain
- Pelvic pain
- Chronic constipation
Weak pelvic floor symptoms:
- Urinary or bowel leakage
- A feeling of heaviness in your pelvis
- Pelvic prolapse
- Low back, pelvic, or tailbone pain
How to Relax Tight Pelvic Floor Muscles
Research shows one in 10 people with pelvic floor dysfunction have hypertonic (tight) pelvic floor muscles. So if you fall into this category, you’re not alone. And you can perform relaxation techniques to help release a tight pelvic floor.
Start by adjusting the way you breathe. Functional movement, like yoga and mobility exercises, will help relax the pelvic floor and surrounding muscles.
Check out this blog post for more pelvic floor relaxation exercises.
How to Tighten Pelvic Floor Muscles Quickly
Unfortunately, there’s no quick fix to strengthen a weak pelvic floor.
You can do 9,293 kegels a day… but that’s not the whole answer. A Kegel squeezes the muscle one way. But to build true strength, you need to learn to take the pelvic floor through its full range of motion, lengthening and releasing it.
Picture this: your diaphragm and pelvic floor are like a piston. They work together. As you inhale, the diaphragm pushes air down into the body. When you exhale, the pelvic floor relaxes and releases.
Deep abdominal breathing promotes optimal muscle function and can help decrease pain.
1. Practice Full Belly Breathing Daily:
o Sit comfortably in a chair or lay on the floor with your knees bent and feet up on a chair. Place a hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen.
o Inhale down into your body, expanding your rib cage like an umbrella. Overflow air will flow gently into your tummy. You should feel abdominal muscles move, while the hand on your chest remains still.
o As you exhale, your pelvic floor will naturally recoil and release.
2. Strengthen Your Core With These Exercises:
Work on strengthening your deep core and glutes with functional exercises that target those muscle groups, including:
- Bodyweight Squats
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- Inhale as you squat down, thighs parallel to the ground.
- Exhale, lift pelvic floor as you stand, and squeeze glutes at the top.
- Bridges
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- Lie on your back, with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Inhale through your nose down into your body while your back is on the ground.
- Exhale out your mouth as you rise, lifting your butt off the ground and squeezing your glutes at the top. (Don’t overextend at the top or arch your back!)
- As you relax down, inhale and reset.
- Bird Dogs
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- Get on all fours, with your hands under your shoulders, hips and knees aligned.
- Inhale down into the body as you gently let your tummy relax. Lift your left leg and right arm away from your body center.
- Exhale out your mouth as you extend the opposite arm and opposite leg. Be sure to keep a neutral spine. Alternate arms and legs.
Final Thoughts
Get Mom Strong was created with a focus on total body workouts to heal your core and pelvic floor. SLAM programs are not just for moms (and not just for women). They help all people with pelvic floors at all stages.
Check out our foundational program, Core Basics, on the SLAM app to learn proper breathing and how to manage your pelvic floor. The app offers a continuum of strength and fitness programs, challenges, and tips designed for every stage – from pregnancy to newly postpartum to advanced athletes.