Pilates – it’s a fantastic workout regimen for those looking to develop lean muscle, a stronger core, and a deeper mind-body connection. But did you know that it’s also wonderful for strengthening and improving pelvic floor health? Through a blend of movements and breath exercises designed to enhance the functioning of deep core muscles, we’re able to work more closely to our pelvic floor – ultimately boosting our sexual health and experience. Let’s dive in.
What is the Pelvic Floor?
First, let’s quickly go over the pelvic floor structure and its function. It’s made up of tendons, ligaments, and muscles that are interwoven to create a basket-like structure while attaching to the hip bones and coccyx (a.k.a. our tailbone) at various places. Another useful piece of imagery for the pelvic floor is to think of a sling within a bowl. Within this pelvic bowl region sits our bladder, uterus, rectum, and openings to the vagina and anus. Major roles of the pelvic floor include its involvement in the childbirth process, control of our urinary and bowel functions, posture and stability, mobility and movement, and, as we’ll cover in just a minute, sexual function.
Deep Breathing & the Pelvic Floor
One of the key focuses of Pilates is the practice of deep breathing, which has a response – effect with the pelvic floor. When we breathe deeply, our diaphragm – a dome-shaped muscle attached to the ribs, sternum, and back – responds to the process. During our inhalation, it expands and moves downwards, and as a result, leads to the pelvic floor muscles (PFM) also moving downwards. As we exhale, the opposite happens, with the diaphragm moving upwards, returning to its dome shape and the PFM also moving in and upwards.
Deep breathing also causes for our transverse abdominis (TA) – the deepest layer of our core – to become activated. Our TA functions similarly to a corset, playing a major role in our posture, stability, and core function. The TA co-contracts with our pelvic floor muscles – helping to prevent any urinary leakage from occurring while also encouraging anal canal closure. Along with deep breathing, being attuned to our TA can help us to develop a better pelvic floor response. We want to know how to both engage and relax our PFM so that there is a natural balance in how they function.
Try this: Place your hands at the sides of the waist, near the ribcage. Take a deep breath in and think of breathing into your hands for greater expansion. Imagine your hands moving slightly away from each other. As you exhale, pull your lower abs in and up – think of a zipping up action or tightening that imaginary corset. Notice how your hands begin to move in closer towards each other.
The Connection Between Pilates & Sexual Function
As mentioned early, the health of our pelvic floor muscles adds to sexual function – this includes arousal, orgasm, and sexual enjoyment to list a few. When there is an imbalance or weakness of the PFM this can show up as discomfort or pain before, during, or after sex, low levels of natural lubrication, difficulty experiencing orgasms, among other occurrences. Outside of the physical impact, the effects of pelvic floor dysfunction can also influence us psychologically, leading to feelings of embarrassment, lack of confidence, disconnection from our partners, or an overall disinterest in sex.
Regularly working and connecting to these muscles helps us to build an awareness of the pelvic floor and can ultimately enhance our sexual experience. To go even further, knowing how to use the breath to assist with pelvic floor engagement can be brought into the bedroom – giving you an added layer of control in your experience and heightening your pleasure.
Sexual well-being factors in to our overall health and wellness. Pilates can be a wonderful tool to improve this area of our lives along with physical fitness. Give it a try to see how it impacts your life!
Note: Tnis blog is for educational and informational purposes only and is intended to support general wellness, body awareness, and movement exploration. The author is not a licensed physical therapist or medical provider, and the content in this article does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you think you may be experiencing pelvic floor dysfunction, speak with a physical therapist trained in pelvic floor health.