Let’s Talk About Breathing

Did you know that your breath is a huge part of your pelvic floor health and function?

Let’s Break It Down

Your diaphragm is your main respiratory muscle and moves with the pelvic floor. When you take a breath in, your diaphragm contracts and descends, causing your pelvic floor to lengthen and relax. When you breathe out, the diaphragm lifts back up to its resting state while the pelvic floor contracts and lifts to support your pelvic organs.

All of this to say, your breathing mechanics can greatly impact your pelvic floor function! This is especially true with breathing mechanics during lifting and exercising. It is also important, when performing exercises, to specifically work on lengthening or strengthening the pelvic floor to help your body work cohesively.

A great place to start working on the breath-to-pelvic floor connection is through diaphragmatic breathing. This exercise allows us to become more aware of our breathing patterns and is also a great way to invite calm and safety into our bodies. Take 2-3 minutes and practice this exercise using the handy guide below!

Allow yourself to connect to your breath and soothe your nervous system. Your pelvic floor will thank you.

Your diaphragm and pelvic floor in action.