Hey hey Barrebabes!

pilates and the pelvis

I've been steady studying for my upcoming feat of athleticism known as childbirth, and my mind is continually blown by the intricacy and beauty of our bodies. While I know most of you are not exactly in mama land just yet, and many others have been-there-done-that already, I have found a couple things that I think are relevant to all our lady barrebods, and dude bods too, for that matter.

Now, try not to squirm. I know in fitness world, we don't often talk about the muscles of the pelvic floor, but considering how important they are, I'm beginning to think that we should. Generally speaking, Pilates and barre class, when done well, automatically train this area to be strong and toned, but it is wise to be mindful about our exercises precisely because they are effective. It's possible to overdo it and cause unintended consequences, and since nothing makes this fact more real than imminent childbirth, I figure it's best to discuss sooner rather than later. Like I always say, exercise is medicine, and as such, the type and dosage must be carefully and appropriately prescribed.

Some things to look out for:
1)Overtraining abs/"hourglass" waist without corresponding training of the pelvic floor. Intense contracting inwards of the abdominal muscles, much like we do in barre class, can put downward pressure on the pelvic organs, muscles, ligaments and connective tissue, which in the extreme could potentially lead to trouble down the road (think pain, rupture, pee leaks). This is why even the super-fit can sometimes struggle with pelvic troubles, and also why I emphasize "rest to reset" proper form when we're working out - in part so we don't unintentionally strain something we didn't even know we had.

2)Your abs are not your pelvic floor. It is key to be able to differentiate between them so you don't unwittingly rely on the abs to do the work of the pelvic floor muscles (newsflash: they can't). Think of setting a bag of groceries on a small hammock. The hammock is necessary to hold up the entire contents of the bag (your abs) and the bag itself - that's your pelvic floor - and also the bag must be strong so things don't spill out into the hammock, or, heaven forbid, through the, uh, holes in the weave and onto the ground. You can also imagine how overstretch or strain of a hammock thread would be a problem, no matter how strong & tight the grocery bag is.

3)Coordination is key.Of the pelvic floor muscles with the abs, that is. To prevent excess downward pressure on the pelvic floor, it's important to start both breath and abdominal exercises at the very bottom of the torso, which is the perineum and pelvic floor. Visualizing each exhale as starting from the base of you will help engage and lift the pelvic floor muscles before or alongside the contraction of the abs. I realize this sounds contradictory to #2 above. In other words, try not to relax the muscles of your pelvic floor when exercising your abs, and conversely, try not to work other muscles like abs or glutes when you're trying to focus on the pelvic floor. More specifics on all of this coming soon!

In the meantime, Pilates and barre is great for all of these concerns because of the emphasis on breath (I'll explain later) and mindful connection to your body. Another gentle option is the practice of hip circles, my favorite thing, because you are bringing circulation, awareness, tone, and a little sass to the whole area, which will help facilitate both differentiation and coordination down the road. And not to worry - chances are, you're already working in this area just fine (I believe that I am, considering how well my "hammock" is supporting this ever-growing bag of precious, wiggly groceries). For those curious about the anatomy involved, check out The Female Pelvis by Blandine Calais-Germain, which is my main text of study.

Pelvis Power

Here are three exercises I've adapted from my bible on this subject, The Female Pelvis, by Blandine Calais-Germain. Now, just because it says female doesn't mean these exercises aren't good for the guys as well - dudes as well as babes need strength & connection down there ( and I'm sure you can surmise all the good things that can happen when we're a little more in touch with our, um, special spots.)

1) Contract abs without pelvic floor (a.k.a. what NOT to do in class). Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat, and take a few deep breaths to relax and focus. Inhale deeply, and on your next exhale make a hiss (SSSSSSS) sound with your breath. Relax your pelvic floor muscles (meaning roughly anything you can sense between your pubic bone and tail bone) but feel how your abs will naturally draw inwards on the exhale. Repeat this a few times, hissing all the while or trying a FFFFFFFF or HHHHHHHHa sound, and you'll start to feel how the inward contraction of the abs can actually press down on the pelvic floor, which is not what we want. Perhaps try it with a cough to feel a little of why we don't want to reinforce this internal movement pattern. (Don't do it if you've recently given birth, are in your third trimester, or have any pain whatsoever, K? Can also be done sitting up straight or eventually in a squat, but is probs easier to feel laying down.)

2) Contract the pelvic floor without the abs (a.k.a. kegels 2.0). From the same position, take a few breaths and envision the breath, particularly the exhale, starting from the pelvic floor. Your deepest pelvic muscles will contract naturally on your exhale, but these can be a bit harder to sense, so add a "drawing together and up" feeling in between the thighs and sitting bones to turn on the muscles that we can better control. When you feel the upward contraction reach the ab muscles, stop. Try your hisses, ffffs, and hhhhhhhhas, maybe even a cough or two. It's good to practice this a little so you know that your abs are not your pelvic floor and vice versa, but rather that they work together purposefully and beautifully. If you're not sure, use a hand to sense what's happening down there (or try with a special friend if you like a collabo ;)*

*If you're a lady, try not to overly squeeze or clench the vag muscles as instructed in classic kegels. Rather, focus on lifting them gently upwards, like an elevator rising. It turns out that these muscles are actually pretty superficial (meaning, in this context, close to the surface) to the whole pelvic floor system, and are not even the most important ones to this kind of work (or to childbirth, for that matter.)

3) Coordinate yourself (aka what we should be doing in every Pilates & barre class pretty much all the time). From the same position, breathe from the base of your pelvis and begin the inward upward muscular engagement from the same spot you did in the exercise above. This time, contract the low belly muscles along with the pelvic floor - making sure to start with the pelvic floor - but don't go above the level of the navel. Add in your sound effects and check in with your hands to be sure. Once you get the coordination, focus also on relaxing all the muscles, starting from the pelvic floor, because relaxation is a key part of building strength, balance and awareness in all aspects of exercise, no matter where we're working. Try to relax on the inhale and let the exhale contract and lift you.

The previous three exercises provide a base from which you can experiment, adding tucks of the hips, say, or hip circles, or upper ab curls, or bending knees into the chest and pressing on thighs with hands. Or simply come to barre class and utilize your newfound knowledge of your nether regions in all our sequences, particularly in ab sections and booty work. As always, ask me any questions that come up, and I promise not to be weirded out by any TMI :)tunes!

Check out May's playlists for some ear love:

may barre
may bodyrhythm

See you at the barre, babes!
Annie