Misty cannot be in Seattle to teach in person, but she continues to teach online and will regularly share articles and moments of insight she has on this Bria Blog!
Pelvic Floor
When you are in class and your teacher says “lift your pelvic floor” do you know what she is saying? For Pilates to be effective we all need to learn, use and appreciate our pelvic floor muscles. Your pelvic floor is about the size of your own outstretched palm, including your fingers. The muscles stretch in a big diamond shape from your sit bone to sit bone and from your tail bone to your pubic bone.
The muscles of the pelvic floor also function as part of our “core” muscles. The pelvic diaphragm, the floor of the pelvis, is the lower support of the abdominal cavity and assists in respiration as well as spine support. These muscles connect to the pubic bone in front and attach to the tailbone in back so they are extremely important for low back health. Contraction of the deep pelvic floor muscles will also help to fire the transversus abdominis, which is an extremely important stabilizer for the low back and spine.
In order to feel the muscles of the pelvic floor, inhale and as you exhale try to lift and tighten the muscles that would normally stop the flow of urine. Try not to use your abdominals and don’t squeeze your buttocks, legs or hold your breath. Try to hold for 5-10 seconds. As you inhale, relax the muscles and lift them again on the exhale. Do 10 contractions, trying to hold each for 5-10 seconds, with a 4 second rest in between. Try this exercise in seated and standing positions as well as lying on your belly and on your back. Tune in and see if you are able to evenly contract these deep and subtle pelvic floor muscles in all positions equally. Try to build strength so you can maintain a gentle hold on these muscles while performing your Pilates movements. You will need less effort during your basic exercises and more effort during more advanced equipment work that requires more balance and support from your core.
The activation of the pelvic floor muscles should not only be practiced in Pilates class. As with all Pilates principles, this awareness should become part of your daily life; however do not clench your pelvic floor continually all day. Like all healthy muscles, your pelvic floor should be able to relax and stretch as comprehensively as it can contract and strengthen.