Pelvic Floor Safe Stretching Exercises for Women and Men | 10 Minute Gentle Home Exercise Routine

Stretching Exercises Video

Stretching exercises in this stretching video are designed for:

• Lower back flexibility
• Relieving upper and middle back stiffness
• Improving hip flexibility
• Releasing tight neck and shoulder muscles
• Stretching and releasing tight buttocks (gluteal muscles)
• General relaxation

Please scroll below this video for suitability and safe stretching exercises guidelines.

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Pelvic Floor Safe Stretching Exercises

These pelvic floor safe stretching exercises are suitable for women and men including:

• With pelvic pain
• Prolapse problems (rectal prolapse, uterine prolapse, bladder prolapse or rectocele)
• After recovery from pelvic surgery including after hysterectomy, pelvic prolapse or prostate cancer surgery
• Beginners 
• Seniors 
• Recovery after general illness
• Individuals with limited mobility who are unable to lay down on the ground (these stretching exercises can all be performed in lying in bed)

 

Benefits of Safe Stretching Exercises

There are many potential health benefits to be gained from regular stretching. ACSM recommends adults perform flexibility exercises on 5 days of the week to maintain flexibility¹.

Benefits of stretching include:

• Improving muscle and joint flexibility
• Better posture
• Pain relief 
• General relaxation

Pelvic Floor Safe Stretching Exercises Guide

Pelvic floor safe stretches are exercises that improve muscle and joint flexibility without increasing strain or load on the pelvic floor. 

Keep your stretches safe for your body by adhering to the following stretching guidelines:

• Stretch when your body is warm (ideally after a warm shower or general exercises)
• Aim to feel a mild comfortable stretch
• Cease and avoid stretches that cause pain or discomfort
• Avoid bouncing stretches, hold the stretch steady
• Move slowly and gently into and out of the stretch
• Breathe out when moving into a stretch and then breathe normally during the stretch
• Avoid holding your breath when stretching

These gentle stretching exercises are ideal to perform daily as part of your general exercise and wellness routine.

Safe Stretching Exercises Video Content

The following safe stretching exercises are demonstrated lying down in this exercise video:

• Deep breathing exercises (belly breathing or diaphragmatic breathing)
• Alternate knee to chest stretch (lower back and buttocks)
• Hamstring stretch (back of thigh)
• Deep buttock stretch
• Lumbar rotations (lower back stretch)
• Pelvic tilts (lower back release)
• Side lying upper middle back rotations (spinal stiffness)
• Quadriceps stretch (front of thigh)
• Forearm stretches
• Chest and front of shoulder stretches (V Stretch and T Stretch)
• Whole body lengthening stretch

References

1. Garber CE, Blissmer B, Deschenes MR, Franklin BA, Lamonte MJ, Lee IM, Nieman DC, Swain DP; American College of Sports Medicine. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: guidance for prescribing exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011 Jul;43(7):1334-59. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e318213fefb. PMID: 21694556.