How to Relax Tight Pelvic Floor Muscles
If you’re experiencing pain, tension, or unusual pressure in your pelvic area, there’s a chance you have tight pelvic floor muscles. When the muscles in this area are overworked because of stress or other factors, it can result in a wide range of symptoms that interfere with your daily routine. Pelvic floor muscle relaxation techniques are the key to alleviating and managing these symptoms to loosen the affected muscle group.
Keep reading as we discuss some of the most common causes of this condition and how to relax tight pelvic floor muscles naturally. A combination of exercises, breathing techniques, and tools like zero gravity chairs can deepen your relaxation and allow these muscles to decompress more effectively.
What Causes Tight Pelvic Floor Muscles?
Tight pelvic floor muscles can be indicative of a wide array of potential causes. It’s important to identify what’s causing your symptoms so you can find the right solution and start pelvic floor muscle relaxation techniques that will work best for you.
One of the most common causes of tight pelvic floor muscles is stress and anxiety. Like any other muscles in your body, the ones in this area tighten in response to stress. It highlights the importance of stress and anxiety relief as well as the potential consequences of how stress affects your health long-term. Left unchecked, heightened stress levels will result in pain from tight pelvic floor muscles that can range from moderate discomfort to benign debilitating.
Another root cause of tight pelvic floor muscles is overuse. The strain you experience doing activities that put excess pressure on this area can result in tension that requires relaxing pelvic floor muscles to manage. Common activities that can lead to this condition include heavy lifting, high-impact sports, and even sitting for extended periods of time in the wrong kind of chair.
Not all causes of tight pelvic floor muscles are due to stress or overuse. Sometimes this condition is a byproduct of other medical scenarios like surgery, injuries, or pregnancy. Poor posture can also play a role in the need for relaxing pelvic floor muscles due to muscle imbalances or misalignments.
How to Relax Tight Pelvic Floor Muscles Naturally
If you develop these symptoms, chances are you’re wondering how to relax tight pelvic floor muscles. Fortunately, there are natural methods you can integrate into your routine for pelvic floor muscle relaxation that will also positively contribute to a healthier lifestyle. These techniques are meant to be gentle, helping with relaxing pelvic floor muscles and getting them back in balance moving forward.
These techniques and tools include:
- Targeted exercises for pelvic floor muscle relaxation
- Diaphragmatic breathing techniques
- Zero gravity chairs for a relaxing space
- Meditation routines
1. Targeted Exercises for Pelvic Floor Muscle Relaxation
One of the most effective methods for how to relax tight pelvic floor muscles naturally is through the use of targeted exercises. Types of exercises like reverse kegels, adductor stretches, and certain yoga poses are simple to do and have a big impact on that muscle group.
The pelvic floor drop exercise also referred to as "reverse Kegels," is meant to lengthen and relax your muscles in this area. As opposed to traditional Kegel exercises, during which you’re contracting your pelvic floor muscles to strengthen them, reverse Kegels help tight pelvic floor muscles unwind. Start on your back or sit in a deep squat, and then imagine a balloon filling up inside your abdomen area as you breathe in. As you start exhaling, try to relax everything in your pelvic area. Doing this a few times a day is easy and immensely helpful.
Adductor stretches are great for how to relax tight pelvic floor muscles, as well. For these, you’ll start by lying on your back with the bottoms of your feet together and your knees spread wide apart. Breathe in, then try to push your knees a little further on the exhale without overdoing it. You should feel a gentle stretch but not have any muscles pulling too tightly. Allow your legs to stay in this position. If you’re struggling, you can also use a pillow to support underneath each knee.
Last on our list of exercises for tight pelvic floor muscles is yoga. Certain poses like child’s pose and happy baby aim to open up your hips and relax your pelvic floor when paired with proper breathing.
2. Diaphragmatic Breathing Techniques
Special breathing techniques are excellent to pair with exercises like yoga as they help with relaxing pelvic floor muscles even further. Diaphragmatic breathing, also called belly breathing, engages your diaphragm and lets the pelvic floor muscles relax as you breathe in and out.
Start by putting one hand on your chest and the other near your abdomen area. Take a deep breath in through your nose while focusing on the air expanding your abdomen. Your stomach should expand similar to a balloon during this. As you exhale, your stomach should flatten out and you should be focused on allowing your entire body to relax. This will loosen tight pelvic floor muscles and help them get back into balance.
Diaphragmatic breathing is one of the best calming breathing exercises you can do for pelvic floor muscle relaxation. While many people choose to do it lying flat on the floor, you can also pair it with yoga poses and tools like zero gravity chairs to increase the effectiveness of each.
3. Zero Gravity Chairs for a Relaxing Space
While you might have heard of using a zero gravity chair for sciatica self-care or back pain relief, it’s also a great tool for how to relax tight pelvic floor muscles. They’re designed to evenly distribute your body’s weight and remove excess pressure on your lower back and pelvic region when reclined into the zero gravity position.
Beyond their design being ideal for relaxing pelvic floor muscles, additional features of luxury models like heat therapy and massage functions increase their usefulness in managing symptoms of this condition. Heated zero gravity chairs help your entire body relax more deeply, giving you a space to unwind anytime you need. Massage functions also help you sit back and enjoy your time in a zero gravity chair, alleviating stress and muscle tension throughout the body. Sittingfor prolonged periods of time in regular recliners could exacerbate your symptoms, but relaxing in zero gravity chairs offers you a space to sit while your body is supported properly.
4. Meditation Routines
Last but not least on our list of techniques for how to relax tight pelvic floor muscles naturally is meditation. There are many different ways to meditate, but one of the best is visualization meditation. This form of practice helps your mind become at ease, which reduces muscle tension and helps your entire body relax.
Close your eyes and envision yourself somewhere peaceful. Focus on your breathing with each inhale and exhale. Notice how your body reacts to the air and feel the pelvic floor muscle relaxation happening. Take a deep breath in, hold it for a few seconds, then let it out over and over.
Meditation is a very simple practice that can be done anywhere. Even just a few minutes a day can have a noticeable difference and help manage symptoms of this condition.
Find Your Method for Pelvic Floor Relaxation
Relaxing tight pelvic floor muscles naturally alleviates discomfort and gets you back on your feet so you can go about your daily routine. This guide has given you simple techniques you can integrate into your existing lifestyle with ease. Try stretching in the morning and evenings before bed, practicing diaphragmatic breathing, and use a zero gravity chair to give your mind and body the support it needs to unwind. Each of these techniques may work to restore balance to your body and help you feel better in no time.
Disclaimer: This content is not medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare professional when considering implementing changes to your health or workout routines to ensure it’s compatible with your needs.