Category: Core + Pelvic Floor

Are You Breathing The Right Way? (How breath impacts our body)

Are You Breathing The Right Way? (How breath impacts our body)

Posted on by Monica

Did you know we use our muscles to breathe? I mean we don’t really have to think about using them, but our muscles are working to pull air into our lungs and push air out. Several muscle groups surrounding our chest and core are all contracting and relaxing in beautiful synchrony to allow breath in and out of our lungs. Pretty cool stuff. But sometimes we are not breathing the “right” way. We might hold our breath or take small shallow breaths without even noticing we are doing it. And these little breath changes can have big impact on our body.

Why Breathing The Right Way Matters

breathing the right way

The main muscle we use for breath is our diaphragm. The diaphragm is a dome shaped muscle that lies just below the lungs. It contracts and relaxes rhythmically, and normally subconsciously. But often, due to physical changes (such as pregnancy), posture, stress, or other factors we stop breathing deep into our diaphragm. Instead we might start chest breathing using the accessory respiratory muscles of our chest and neck. No bueno.

Breathing deep into the diaphragm helps with proper physical function, especially core stability and health. The diaphragm is one of the deep core muscles contracts and relaxes in harmony with the pelvic floor, the transverse abdominis (core), and multifidi muscles. Read my Pop Can Core post to learn how the diaphragm is connected to our other deep core muscles.

How To Breath the Right Way

how to breath the right way

Ok, so how do you make sure you are breathing the “right way”? First let’s visualize the diaphragm. Like I mentioned earlier, the diaphragm is a muscle that sits just under the lungs at the bottom of the rib cage. When we inhale the diaphragm contracts downward creating a vacuum that allows air to be pulled into the lungs. We we exhale the diaphragm relaxes and rises back up to force air out of lungs.

Unfortunately due to any of the aforementioned reasons, sometimes we stop breathing deeply into our diaphragm. Instead our breath stays “shallow” and we no longer allow the diaphragm to contract all the way down. Just like with any muscle when it’s not contracting and relaxing appropriately problems tend to arise. So let’s make sure we are fully activating our diaphragm by following this exercise below.

Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercise (belly breath):

Step 1: Lie on your back with your knees flexed and your hands on your stomach near lower ribs.

Step 2: Take a deep breath in through your nose. Feel your belly and lower ribs expand out into your hands. The diaphragm is contracting downwards.

Step 3: Slowly let the breath out through pursued lips (like you are blowing out a candle). As you blow out feel your a deep abdominal muscles (your TA) activate and your belly contracts inward. The diaphragm relaxes upward.

Repeat for 5-10 breaths.

diaphragmatic breathing

Laying down is the best way to stay relaxed and really tune into your breath and muscle activation but this can be done in any position including sitting or standing.

Benefits of Proper Breathing

There are numerous benefits to breathing the right way. Some of the main benefits include:

  1. Improves core muscle stability
  2. Improves exercise tolerance
  3. Promotes relaxation/reduces stress
  4. Lowers heart rate/blood pressure
  5. Less work of breathing
  6. Improved oxygenation to the body

Practicing Your Diaphragmatic Breathing

exercises for diaphragmatic breathing

There are several other parts of the body that dictate how you breath. Your rib mobility, posture, chest wall flexibility, and core strength can all play a roll. And when you are not breathing properly one or more of these elements may be negatively affected. Improper breathing patterns can be related to neck pain, shoulder pain, low back and incontinence.

So once you nail down the diaphragmatic breathing exercise described above try working on your belly breath during other daily activities or exercise. Some other ways to work on your breathing include:

  • Try belly breathing while sitting at your desk. Assume an upright posture and practice breathing deep into your belly. As you slowly exhale, activate your abdominal muscles.
  • Work on deep diaphragmatic breathing during core stability exercises. Blowing out is a great way to activate your deep transverse abdominis muscle.
  • Practice diaphragmatic breathing and pelvic floor contractions. As the diaphragm contracts downward on an inhale the pelvic floor also lengthens downward. During the exhale the diaphragm relaxes upwards and the pelvic floor muscles should also contract or stretch back upwards.
  • Try diaphragmatic breathing while on your hands and knees, sitting on an exercise ball, or while laying on your side. Every position will work the muscles in a slightly different way so it’s good to mix it up.

What’s Next?

Proper breath technique is one of the main building blocks for proper body function. But besides helping with your deep core activation good diaphragmatic breathing can be calming and relaxing. Personally I love some good belly breathing after a hectic day with my kids. Keep following along for more helpful hints for taking care of your body. Follow me on Instagram @movinglikeamother for quick tips and tricks.

Keep calm and breath on.

-Monica

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6 Pelvic Stability Exercises You Should Be Doing

6 Pelvic Stability Exercises You Should Be Doing

Posted on by Monica

I love my kids dearly.

But handing my two little dumplings off to their daddy so I can go out for a solo run is what gives me life some days. So after each of my respective pregnancies I was eager to get back to running. You can read my post about my return to running journey here.

Unfortunately, I was surprised by my ability to run and some other unexpected “experiences” which you can read about here. Pre pregnancy (and even at some points during pregnancy) I was able to run 5, 6, 7, miles no problem. However postpartum was a different story. Once I started getting up to that 3-4 mile range I really began to struggle. My hips would start to ache after just 3 miles. My knees would have little twinges of pain and my low back would hurt. 

Um, not ok. 

Why Pelvic Stability is Important

Running After Baby

 

The number one culprit for back pain, pelvic pain, hip pain and knee pain is often core weakness and pelvic instability, especially postpartum. In order to be successful with running it is imperative to have a strong core and sufficient strength in the muscles that stabilize your pelvis. These muscles include your abdominals, obliques, and especially your glutes. 

To be completely honest I have not always practiced what I preached and pelvic stability exercises weren’t high on my priority list in my workout repertoire. Butttt  I knew it was what I needed in order to improve my running endurance and to feel generally better. (And spoiler alert, stability strengthening has really grown on me). 

How To Improve Your Pelvic Stability

So below are 6 great, no equipment, strengthening exercises to improve core and pelvic stability. These exercises are good for anybody… especially postpartum, and especially if you plan on resuming regular exercise. I started with these exercises below and noticed an improvement after just a few weeks. 

Back pain, byeee.

Aint nobody got time for that.  

For each exercise focus on quality. Perform slow and with good form. Keep core tight. Perform 2-3 sets of each exercise. Plan on doing this exercises regularly for 4-6 weeks to notice an improvement in your pelvic stability strength.

  1. Clamshells

Lay on one side with your knees slightly bent. While keeping your feet together, slowly lift your top knee up. Keep your core tight and your trunk stable. Aim for 10-15 reps each side.

  1. Bridges

Lay on your back with your knees bent. Squeeze your glutes and press through your heels to lift your hips upward. Keep your pelvis even and your core braced. Aim for 10-15 reps.

  1. Plank

Support yourself on your elbows and the balls of your feet. Activate your core and squeeze your glutes to prevent your back from dipping down or hiking up. Hold for as long as you can maintain good form. Aim for 30-60 seconds

  1. Side plank

Lay on your side. Lift your hips off the ground so you’re supported on your elbow and your foot. Try to keep your body in a straight line with core activated. Hold for as long as you can maintain good form. Aim for 30-60 seconds each side.

  1. Bird dog

Start on your hands and knees. Extend one arm forward and raise the opposite leg backwards. Brace with your core. Aim for good form. Hold for 10 seconds and switch arms and legs. Perform 6 reps.

  1. Fire hydrants

Start on your hands and knees. Keeping your core braced raise one knee up to the side while the knee remains flexed at 90 degrees. (Like a dog using the bathroom on a fire hydrant…get it? hehe) Raise leg so that it becomes parallel to the ground. Slowly return to the starting position. Repeat for 10 reps each leg.

View the full routine below:

 

Have fun and happy stabilizing.

You can read more about the changes our body goes through during pregnancy in my post about the pelvic floor and the “Pop Can Core“. If you are looking for more core exercises be sure to check out these 5 great core moves.  And you can continue to work on pelvic stabilization with these 4 band exercises. 

-Monica

Pelvic Stability Exercise

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8 Moves For Your Inner Thighs (A 20 min HIIT workout)

8 Moves For Your Inner Thighs (A 20 min HIIT workout)

Posted on by Monica

In the past I have I talked about how important the glutes were for the prevention of back, hip, and knee pain. And working the back and side gluteal muscles is great for having a nice toned booty. But we also need to acknowledge the inner thigh muscles when we workout.

The inner thighs is an area I frequently hear women wanting to “get rid of”. But sadly the coveted “thigh gap” is actually more associated with your boney alignment (aka how wide your pelvis is and the way your hip bones are aligned in your hip sockets) than with how toned and skinny your thighs are.

Don’t get me wrong, the inner thighs should definitely be a muscle group you want to pay some attention to. Strong inner thigh muscles (also known as your adductors) are very important muscles for stabilizing the pelvis during standing and walking. Also, if you are an athlete or a runner having strong adductors can prevent injuries such as a “groin” strain.

8 moves to work your inner thighs

So let’s show those inner thighs some love and work the bejesus out of them with this quick 20 minute inner thigh workout. This routine could also be considered a HIIT (high intensity interval training) inner thigh workout because it incorporates several high level jumping moves mixed with some balance/stability exercises. If you have knee pain I suggest taking out the jumping component and not going as deep into the squats.

8 moves to work your inner thighs

Before starting this HIIT inner thigh workout I suggest warming up with running in place, jumping jacks, or dynamic stretching. This routine alternates between a high intensity exercise and then a stability move to allow you to catch your breath. I suggest performing the exercises in the order below without allowing a formal rest break. Repeat the circuit three times.

Inner Thigh HIIT Workout:

1. Squat In & Out Jumps

Quickly jump in and out of a wide leg squat to a standard shoulder width squat. Keep weight back on your heels and toes pointing forward or outwards. Repeat for 30 total reps. (Bad knees modification: Step in and out of the two squat positions instead of jumping and don’t go as deep into the squat)

2. Sidelying Leg Lifts

Lie on your side with your core braced. Bend the top knee and place your foot either inside or outside your bottom leg. Keep your bottom leg locked straight and lift it up off the ground. Repeat for 15-20 reps each leg.

3. Curtsey Squat to Kick

Step your mobile leg back behind your stationary leg and lower into a squat position (like a curtsey). Press back up to standing and lightly kick your moving like out to the side. Repeat 10-15 reps each leg.

4. Leg Hugs

Lie on your back and lift both legs up in the air. Brace your core. (Place hands under your buttocks if you feel your lower back arching up off the floor). Slowly and with control let both legs fall out to the sides and then bring them back to meet in middle. Repeat for 20 reps.

5. Pliae Hops

Assume a wide stance squat position with toes pointing outwards. Keep your hips tucked and core braced. Lightly jump up and focus on a soft controlled landing. Repeat for 20 reps. (Bad knees modification: Instead of hopping perform pulsed squats in this wide stance position)

6. Frog Bridges

Lie on your back and place the bottom of your feet together with your knees bending outwards. Press through your feet to lift your hips off the ground. Slowly lower back to the starting position. Repeat for 20 reps.

7. Cross Jacks

Similar to a jumping jack; jump spread your feet and arms apart keeping shoulders at chest height. Jump back crossing arms and legs across midline. Repeat alternating the arm/leg that crosses in front. Repeat for 30 reps total. (Bad knees modification: Instead of jumping quickly step into and out in a similar fashion)

8. Standing Fire Hydrant

Stand on one leg. While maintaining good balance and keeping hips in a neutral position slowly lift one knee up to the side. Avoid dropping or dipping at the hips or waist. Perform slowly and with good control. Repeat x 15 each leg.

Looking for more hip/butt strengthening?

If you’re looking for more great at home workouts that use little to no-equipment be sure to check out:

4 for 4 (Four Resistance Band Exercises for 4 Muscle Groups)

HIIT The Stairs (A Total Body Stair Workout)

Working Out at Home (with your kids)

Have fun!

–Monica

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Is it Normal to Pee When You Sneeze?

Is it Normal to Pee When You Sneeze?

Posted on by Monica
pee when you sneeze after babt
pee when you cough postpartum

So you had a baby… congrats! Isn’t it amazing what your body was able to do? You grew a child! You literally grew a few tiny cells to a full blown 6, 7, 8… maybe even 10lb sweet baby. How beautiful. But perhaps now you are experiencing some things that aren’t so beautiful? Maybe your friend says something hilarious; or your hay fever has you sneezing; or you cough after taking a sip of water and…oops…a little pee comes out. Yikes. But that’s normal after having a baby, right? FALSE! Peeing when you sneeze, cough or laugh is common, but it is NOT normal.

What is the pelvic floor?

So let’s start with a little anatomy lesson. Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles that hold the bladder and rectum in place. Think of your pelvic floor as a hammock. It lies on the bottom of your core supporting all your internal organs, and perhaps, a growing baby. The pelvic floor is made up of muscles, and therefore it can be stretched and/or strengthened.

Pelvic floor during pregnancy and postpartum

So now let’s think about pregnancy. For months you grow a baby in your uterus that sits on the pelvic floor. And the combined weight of the baby, the placenta, and extra fluid places quiet a bit of extra weight on these pelvic floor muscles. This causes the pelvic floor to stretch out and the muscles that close the urethra (where the pee comes out) to become weak.

What is normal?

As previously mentioned the pelvic floor is a group of muscles that supports our bladder and rectum. When they are strong and functioning properly we are able to contract and relax them in order to control when we go to the bathroom. Normal pelvic floor function means you should be able to run, jump, etc. without unexpected urine leakage.

What is not normal?

Urinary leakage in women (especially postpartum) is common, but not normal. You shouldn’t leak urine just like you shouldn’t need glasses for “normal” function. When we cough, laugh, sneeze, run, or jump there is increased pressure inside the core and excessive stress is placed on the pelvic floor. This can cause an involuntary leakage of urine and is referred to as stress incontinence.

Stress incontinence

Stress incontinence occurs when the muscles and connective tissue that surround the urethra become weak, which is common after pregnancy. When extra stress is placed upon the pelvic floor these muscles are unable to appropriately contract in order to keep the urethra closed. If left untreated the muscles can continue to get weaker making leakage more common.

Aging and weakness

New moms are not the only women to suffer from pelvic floor weakness and stress urinary incontinence. As we age our muscles and connective tissue can also get progressively weak. Again this can lead to unexpected urine leakage during times when the pelvic floor is unable to withstand extra pressure placed upon on it. Other signs of pelvic floor weakness or dysfunction include trouble having a bowl movement, low back pain, and pain with sex.

How can we fix it?

So what can be done if you believe you have pelvic floor problems? Start with talking to your doctor. Every pregnancy is different and every woman is different so you should always speak with the appropriate medical professional regarding your unique case.

Exercise:

Just like with any muscle, the best way to make it function properly is to make it strength and length. And one of the most common exercises for specifically strengthening the pelvic floor is a kegel. A kegel is a contraction of your pelvic floor muscles. Many describe a kegel as stopping the flow of urine while peeing. Personally my favorite cue for performing a kegel is to imagine drinking through a straw with your vagina. Go ahead and laugh but I bet you’re doing it right now.

But pelvic floor is not just about kegels. The body is a chain and the pelvic floor does not function solo. There are many other muscle groups that need to be considered if you are suffering from incontinence (refer to my “Pop- Can” core post). Some of these muscle groups include your core and your pelvic stabilizers.

Physical Therapy:

If you are peeing when you cough, sneeze, laugh etc. the best thing you can do is seek a referral for women’s health physical therapy. Depending on where you live in the U.S. you may need an script (order) from your doctor.

Physical therapists who specialize in the pelvic floor are are able to evaluate and treat your unique symptoms. No two pregnancies and no two women are the exact same. The muscles that are weak or too tight will not be the same for every woman.

Why do women in the U.S. think it is normal?

So why do so many women think it’s normal to pee after having a baby? The answer is because there is a significant lack of knowledge and discussion about pelvic floor function. Did you know in France women are required to go to a pelvic floor therapist at 6 weeks postpartum and each woman has on average 10 pelvic floor therapy appointments? In the U.S. we have one postpartum visit with our OB, and pelvic floor function is not readily discussed. Hopefully, that can change.

What’s next?

This post just scratches the surface about pelvic floor function and dysfunction. And while this might be longest post I have written to date I wanted to try and keep it fairly short and sweet for now. We could dive much deeper into pelvic floor function, treatment, and prevention but I will save that for another day. Feel free to leave a comment or send me a message with any questions you might have about pelvic floor therapy. Let’s open up about pelvic floor function! 

–Monica