LOOK at my bump
Awwwww there it is.
My Little bump, growing slowly, We’re so excited for our 20 week scan
on Thursday.
We’ll finally find out if we’re having a little boy or girl.
Can’t wait
………..Anyway, I just thought I’d share a little bit of what I shared in my TaransforMums group
earlier this week.
(You can join in here https://www.facebook.com/groups/TARAnsformums/)
It’s about working your pelvic floor.
Of course, this isn’t just for ladies that are expecting, it’s for anyone that doesn’t
want an accident everytime they sneeze, laugh or cough
Or jump rope like one or two ladies I’ve had in the gym.
I’ve got 3 quick exercises you can do to keep your pelvic floor
stronger and more flexible.
Just below all about The Long One, The Quickie, The Half & Half
Keeping Your Pelvic Floor In Check?
You’ve heard of Kegel exercises yeah?
Uh, maybe?
How about your pelvic floor?
Ah – ha, you’re with me now!
Well, the pelvic floor muscles are what your Kegel exercises work.
Kegel exercises are simple clench and release exercises performed to strengthen a woman’s pelvic floor muscles. They’re important to perform at any time, especially if you don’t want to pee your pants everytime you sneeze or cough as a weak pelvic floor may lead to issues such as the inability to control your bowels or bladder…oh, and just as importantly – they’re great if you want to enhance your sex life 😉
Many factors can weaken the pelvic floor in women, such as pregnancy, childbirth, aging, and weight gain.
Whilst pregnancy is a magical time, the need to constantly pee isn’t!
Your body goes through A LOT of changes during pregnancy and after. The baby can place a lot of stress on your pelvic floor muscles and can have a weakening effect as early as 12 weeks into pregnancy.
Hormonal changes, pressure on the bladder from an expanding womb, and childbirth can weaken the pelvic floor muscles and can result in life-long issues with urinary leaks.
YIKES!
I hear you
OMG, How can I prevent a totally embarrassing leakage????
Ok, let me help you get started with some EASY exercises.
First…how do you find your pelvic floor muscles?
Your pelvic floor muscles are like a sling, which start at your pubic bone and attach at your tailbone. To identify your pelvic floor muscles, imagine that you’re trying to stop yourself from breaking wind and trying to stop the flow of urine midstream at the same time. The feeling is one of “squeeze and lift” – a closing and drawing up of the front and back passages.
Make sure that you’re squeezing and lifting without pulling in your tummy, squeezing your legs together, tightening your buttocks, or holding your breath. In other words, only your pelvic floor muscles should be working.
How do you do them?
Focus on contracting AND relaxing. You don’t want a super tight and strong pelvic floor, you want a flexible one.
When you first start doing Kegel exercises, tense the muscles in your pelvic floor for a count of three, then relax them for a count of three. This may feel quite challenging if you haven’t done them before, but it will get easier. Keep doing each contraction until you have done 10 repetitions. Your goal should be to do three sets of 10 repetitions every day.
Try these three versions of the exercise and create your own daily workout
With each exercise, sit on your tailbone, sit upright and breathe naturally throughout. Aim for 10 repetitions of each and spread out three times during each day and do them daily.
#1 The Endurance One
Sit nice n tall, pull through front and back passage, like you’re getting the two points together & up like a volume switch – keep drawing up up up up to the top for about 4-5 secs until you totally reach the top and completely relax. Make sure you pull your muscles right up as high as you can go inside you and you relax completely too.
May not be as strong as to begin with but keep going, do as many as you can and you’ll progress.
#2 The Quickie
Next one is like flicking a light switch. Quickly pull up then, up up, back to front and quickly relax and come back down.
#3 The Half n Half
With this exercise, you just contract those muscles up half way.. Breathe in and breathe out then feel drop down. If cant feel it, need to lift up a bit more next time. You’ll only come up half way, but this time – you hold it longer. Breathe in and out twice and as out breathe out let those muscles drop down.
When can you do them?
Anytime: in work, each time you hit a red traffic light or do them as part of a workout routine.
How often?
If you can do these daily, and aim for up to three times per day you’ll have a stronger, more flexible pelvic floor and the thought of jumping on the bouncy castle at a childrens party in a few years wont fill you with dread.
So what you gonna go for today?
– A quickie
– A long one
– Half & half
or go all in and get them all done <<<< GO FOR IT GIRLY!!
Each workout should take about 4 mins, so you could do just one or……in typical TARAnsformer fashion, get your 12mins done daily!
For more info on Tara’s programmes, how to have a healthy pregnancy or how to get in shape and LOVE your life and your body, you can visit www.tarahammett.com
Keep fit & fab
Tara xx
P.S Webinar tonight at 7pm all about how to stay motivated.
P.P.S 20 week scan tomozza…place your bets…BOY OR GIRL????
XXXX