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Having a strong pelvic floor helps reduce pain during penetration, optimizes the blood flow during sex to promote orgasm, and helps to increase vaginal lubrication.
What is the pelvic floor?
The pelvic floor consists of muscles and connective tissues that support the pelvis, bladder, and bowel. Weakness of these muscles can lead to incontinence, prolapse, and pain during sex. If pelvic floor dysfunction is left untreated, serious issues can occur, such as permanent impairment of function or severe prolapse requiring surgery. Pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause can contribute to the weakening of the pelvic floor.
How pelvic floor exercises improve sex
Pelvic floor dysfunction can impact our sexual experiences by reducing sexual arousal, decreasing lubrication, and causing pain during sex and infrequent orgasms.
Pelvic floor exercises help improve our sex life because the stronger our pelvic floor is, the more comfortable sex can be and the easier it is to feel pleasure and reach orgasm during sex. Remember, always use a personal lubricant before and during sex to reduce tearing and maximize comfort.
Pelvic floor exercises
Like any other muscle in the body, pelvic floor muscles benefit from routine exercises. The pelvic floor muscles work under both automatic and intentional control.
Kegels
This exercise is performed by contracting the muscles that stop or slow the flow of urine. It’s perhaps easiest to learn Kegels in a lying down position, but once you get the hang of it, they can be performed while sitting or standing. And Kegels can also improve your sex life. According to a 2019 meta-review, Kegels were shown to improve sexual function in post-partum women.
Heel slides
This is a great exercise for activating and strengthening the pelvic floor and deep abdominal muscles. Start while lying on your back with legs extended; bend one knee and slowly slide that heel toward your buttock, then reverse and repeat with the other leg. Heel slides can also be done seated, which adds the challenge of working against gravity.
Toe taps
This exercise is a more intense version of heel slides that strengthens core and pelvic floor muscles. While lying on your back with your knees bent, contract your pelvic floor muscles, press your low back flat to engage your core muscles, then slowly raise one leg to a tabletop position, lower that leg, and raise the other leg. Repeat, alternating sides.
Happy Baby
As fun as it sounds, this exercise soothes the lower back, lengthens the inner thigh, hip, and groin muscles, and strengthens the pelvic floor muscles. While lying on your back, bend your knees toward your chest with your feet flexed, then reach forward and hold onto the outsides of your feet. Holding your knees wide apart, slowly rock your legs from side to side.
Pelvic floor dysfunction can happen to any woman at any age, but as we age, pelvic floor dysfunction becomes more common. Including pelvic floor exercise in your daily routine will help to keep the pelvic floor strong to allow for better sex. If you are uncertain about how to begin a regimen of pelvic floor exercises, consider working with a physical therapist specializing in pelvic floor physical therapy.
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