The pelvic floor are the muscles and ligaments that are responsible for supporting the organs found in the lower part of the abdominal cavity, both in women and men. We could imagine them as a small hammock in the part of the pelvis, in charge of rocking, with strength and gentleness at the same time, all these organs, keeping them healthy and in place.

Read on, we will tell you everything you need to know about the pelvic floor, how to take care of it, how to strengthen it and what importance it has in the physical and psychological body.

What is the pelvic floor?

The pelvic floor is made up of the set of muscles and ligaments found in the lower abdomen, responsible for holding and keeping in place the bladder, urethra, uterus, vagina and rectum, in the case of women.

The pelvic floor is dynamic, and adapts to the body movements we make, from sports to pregnancy and childbirth. Having a strong and flexible pelvic floor will help us to have a healthy sex life, as well as avoiding muscular discomfort in the lower back or urinary incontinence.

Sometimes, we forget the importance of this part of the body. Many people strengthen other more visible muscles, such as the abdominals, biceps or triceps, and forget about this important part of the body.

Pelvic floor muscles

 

 The pelvic floor is made up of the following muscles:

 

• Piriformis muscle
• Coccygeus muscle.
• Levator ani muscle (formed by the pubocococcygeus, iliococcygeus and puborectalis muscle).
• obturator internus muscle
• external anal sphincter muscle
• Muscles of the perineum (superficial transverse and deep transverse).
• Bulbospongiosus muscle.
• Ischiocaversus muscle.
• External urethral sphincter muscle.

They all work together to keep the viscera and organs in their proper place, especially in times of pressure or tension. 

 

The pelvic floor and its importance for women's wellbeing

A weak or damaged pelvic floor can not only have physical symptoms, but can also affect the psychological level. For example, if there is urinary incontinence due to the weakening of these muscles, the person can embarrassment and low moods. Also, the loss of pleasure caused by the lack of toning of these muscles can lead to low self-esteem or rejection of sex.

Sex is really important in every woman's life and is closely linked to health. If there is a rejection of sex or a lack of libido, the consequences, both physical and psychological in the short and long term, will be palpable. It has been proven that sex helps reduce stress, prevents heart disease, improves mood, helps you sleep better and also helps to exercise the pelvic floor.

What about the male pelvic floor?

 

Yes, men also have pelvic floor muscles, which are responsible for holding the sexual and excretory organs in place. There are several differences between the male and female pelvic floor, as the sexual organs of the two are almost the opposite of each other.

Like women, having a weak pelvic floor can lead to health problems such as urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction, chronic pelvic pain, and even discomfort or pain during intercourse. 

Factors that can damage the pelvic floor

The pelvic floor can be damaged following:

• Natural childbirth
• Prolonged, high-impact sports over a long period of time
• Chronic constipation
• Respiratory diseases
• Having undergone aggressive gynaecological treatment
• The passage of time and age
• Being overweight or obese
• Poor posture over long periods of time
• Injuries to this part of the body
• Sexual intercourse with penetration without being prepared and lubricated.

 

 

How do I know if my pelvic floor is weak?

There are several symptoms that may give you some clues that your pelvic floor may be damaged or weak, and you should focus on working on it to regain its full strength. Here are some of them:

• Leakage of urine or faeces (these can be small when coughing or sneezing, or total incontinence).
• Uncontrollable flatulence
• genital prolapse between the labia minora of the vagina
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Vagina unable to hold a vaginal cup or tampon in place
• Chronic lower back pain
• Loss of sensation in the vaginal area, decreasing sexual pleasure

 

 

Weakened pelvic floor: what do I do?

A weak pelvic floor can lead to urinary or faecal incontinence problems, and can even cause discomfort or pain in this part of the body. There are several ways to work on restoring the strength and elasticity of these muscles.

Contraction and yoni egg exercises to work on the pelvic floor

 

One of the ways to work the pelvic floor is through contraction exercises combined with the use of yoni eggs. Thanks to this ancestral tool, this part of a woman's body can be strengthened and, in addition to maintaining good sexual health, you can achieve incredible orgasms and have a strong and healthy body connection.


Kegel exercises require you to concentrate and contract your pelvic muscles, as if you were holding the urge to go to the bathroom, and then release and relax. There are several ways to get started with the exercises, although the best way is to visualise your vagina wanting to grasp an object and release it.

To perform the contraction exercises with the yoni egg, it is important that the egg is perforated, so that you can use it with thread and consciously work the muscles. In order to learn more about yoni egg practices, Yonisamsara has designed an online course on Yoni Eggs so that you can learn and integrate this ancient practice into your daily life.

Yoni Yoga

 

This variety of yoga has been specially designed to work on the pelvic floor muscles, as well as combining all the benefits that yoga has for the mind and body.

Carol Arnelas has created a special programme of Yoni Yoga classes, working with the combination of yoni eggs and pleasure sticks with the aim of restoring female sexual health, reconnecting with the pleasure and pure essence that every woman has within. If you feel that your pelvic muscles are weak, doing this practice two to three times a week will help you and you will notice an improvement, both physically and psychologically.

Hypopressive gymnastics

Conventional crunches can make your situation worse if you already have a weakened pelvic floor and in this case, it is better to focus on gymnastic exercises or hypopressive crunches.

These are highly recommended during the postpartum period; they involve performing a series of exercises statically, working the muscle through tension and pressure, rather than body movement. There are several types of exercises that you can do at home: stay tuned, we will soon publish a guide to exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor.

Now you know a little more about a very important part of your female anatomy. It's time to start taking care of it and loving it as we should love and take care of ourselves. Stay tuned to our social networks and our blog to learn more about sexual health, yoni eggs and pleasure sticks!