hey hey, barrebabe,

i hope this finds you well and beginning to stretch your springtime legs a bit. i for one am beginning to add things to my social calendar for the first time in forever and am feeling increasingly positive about the future. (sidenote: i am also hyped because every. last. pair. of my shorts & jeans fit, just in time for ramona's first birthday this month and the warmer weather! three cheers for zoombarre because real talk: i definitely haven't been "dieting" "eating low carb" "restricting" or even "cardio-ing" my way to pre-pregnancy size, that's for sure).

pelvic priorities

my mind is continually blown by the intricacy and beauty of our bodies. in much of the fitness world, we don't often talk about the muscles of the pelvic floor, but considering how important they are, i think that we should (and lord knows i personally do a lot).

generally speaking, pilates and barre class, when done well, automatically train this zone to be strong, 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. as i often say, exercise is medicine, and as such, the type and dosage must be carefully applied.

some things to look out for:
1) overtraining abs to cinch in for an "hourglass" waist without corresponding training of the pelvic floor. intense contracting inwards of the abdominal muscles can put downward pressure on the pelvic organs, muscles, ligaments and connective tissue, which in the extreme could lead to troubles like pain, pee leaks, etc. this is why even the super-fit sometimes struggle with pelvic floor issues, and why i emphasize proper breathing and rests to reset proper form when we're working out. for most of us, it's easier to "talk" to our abs than our pelvic floor muscles and thus easier to strengthen them, so it's good to slow down and work from the bottom up. in other words, contract pelvic floor first, then abs.

2) holding a kegel all the time always. this is terrible advice that is unfortunately rather prevalent and is absolutely a bad idea. walking around all day with these muscles locked and loaded is the equivalent of going everywhere with a 5lb dumbbell in your bag. would that make you stronger (maybe a little) or just tight & tired? (definitely a lot). as i learned from the incredible dr. sarah ellis duvall, in order for a muscle to strengthen, it must contract against a force, and in order for the muscle to fully contract, it must fully lengthen first. so remember to rest & relax. it's a life lesson.

3) coordination is key of the pelvic floor muscles with the abs, that is. to prevent excess downward pressure on the pelvic floor that leads to dysfunction, 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, in between pubic bone and tail bone, will help engage and lift the pelvic floor muscles just before and alongside the contraction of the abs. remember BBM - breath belly move (and conveniently also the barrebabe method!)

obviously, pilates and barre are great for all of these concerns because of the emphasis on breath and mindful connection to your body. another gentle option is the practice of hip circles (a fave pastime of mine) because they bring circulation, awareness, tone, and a little sass to the whole pelvic area, which will help facilitate both differentiation and coordination of key muscles (plus, they're fun!)

for those curious about the anatomy of their pelvic floors, i love The Female Pelvis by Blandine Calais-Germain. it's an actual real book.

that's it for me for today, babes. i love to hear from you, so click the email icon below and let me know what you think!
with love & planks,
annie