Pelvic Floor Relaxation Exercises To Reduce Pain Before Penetration

Deep Diaphragmatic Breathing

  1. With your hands on each side of your lower ribcage, take a deep breath and focus on bringing air all the way down to your hands. Feel your ribs expand as you breathe in (not your chest/belly).
  2. As you breathe deeply, you will begin to relax which will encourage your pelvic floor muscles to relax. Feel your breath all the way down into your pelvis.
  3. After you breathe in, hold the breath for a count of 5 then breathe all the air out. Repeat 5x. 

A helpful exercise for those struggling with pain with intimacy.

Lower Abdomen Stretch

  1. Place the palms of both hands in the middle of your abdomen, just below your belly button.
  2. Scoop in and lift up on your belly with your fingers, like you are trying to pull your belly button up and out. It should not hurt! If you have an IUD, be gentle.
  3. You are stretching tissues all the way down into your pelvis, encouraging the urethra (carries the urine out), the bladder (holds the urine), and the pelvic floor muscles to let go.
  4. Scoop in and hold for a count of 10. Repeat 3X.

Lower abdomen stretch

Hips Stretch

  1. Pull your right knee up toward your left shoulder. Hold it there for a count of 20.
  2. Pull your right knee up toward your right shoulder. Hold it there for a count of 20.
  3. Pull your right knee up toward your right armpit. Hold it there for a count of 20.
  4. As you do this, you stretch hip muscles that lie very close to the muscles on the inside of the pelvis. This stretching encourages all the pelvic floor muscles to relax.
  5. Repeat left knee stretches to each shoulder and left armpit, holding each for a count of 20.

Hips stretch

Pelvic Floor Muscle Contract & Relax

  1. Tighten and hold inside like you are trying to hold back urine or gas. Let go all the way. You should feel both the squeeze and the release. Do this several times until you feel the movement inside.
  2. Pelvic floor exercises (1 set = 5-count hold and quick squeezes)
    1. 5-count hold: Once you can feel the muscles move, squeeze and hold for a count of 5. Release all the way and feel the inside relax.
    2. Quick squeezes: Then, perform 5 quick squeezes, starting small and getting larger, like climbing a ladder. Release and again feel the inside relax.
  3. Repeat each set 3X, feeling the muscles squeeze and relax more each time.

*If you are having trouble or pain while performing this exercise, go back and repeat the first 4 activities before trying again

An exercise for those struggling with painful intimacy.

Active Bridging

  1. While lying on your back, lift your knees up toward the ceiling while placing both feet flat on the bed. Let your knees and feet be apart.
  2. Squeeze your buttocks while lifting your hips up toward the ceiling, making your body straight from your knees to your shoulders. Weight is balanced between your shoulders and your feet.
  3. While lying on your back, lift your knees up toward the ceiling while placing both feet flat on the bed. Let your knees and feet be apart.
  4. Lift and hold 3-4X for a count of 10 with each hold.

active bridging

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