Many of us only become aware of how important our pelvic floor muscles are after they become damaged or weakened, often as the result of pregnancy, ageing or surgery. It’s only at this point – when symptoms such as constipation, bladder leaks and pelvic pain begin to arise – that we suddenly find ourselves searching for ways to look after this vital part of our bodies.

However, a weak pelvic floor can have repercussions beyond these well-known symptoms, which is why looking after our pelvic floor muscles throughout our lives is so important. In fact, according to Coco Berlin – a certified pelvic floor expert, movement therapist and bestselling author – having a weak pelvic floor could lead to a low libido and a lack of enjoyment during sex.

“They’re very connected,” she tells Strong Women. “Our pelvic floor muscles sit in the centre of our pelvis, and the vagina passes right through the middle, so these muscles are engaged in all the things we do during sex. They not only elongate the vagina and keep everything in place, but a trained pelvic floor can also help with blood flow to keep the tissues in the vagina and clitoris filled with blood and functioning well.”  

In this way, a weak pelvic floor can have the opposite effect – making it harder for us to find sex pleasurable and potentially lowering our libido as a result. “Reduced blood circulation can impact natural responses like sensation and lubrication,” says Samantha Marshall, head of brand at the sexual pleasure brand Smile Makers. “Reduced lubrication is one of the main reasons for discomfort or pain during penetrative sex, while decreased sensitivity can make it harder to reach orgasm. This lack of sexual satisfaction understandably lowers desire for sex.”

While pelvic floor issues can occur for many different reasons, a common trigger is pregnancy and birth – after which having sex can be a sensitive experience. But Berlin believes reconnecting with our pelvic floor through intentional exercises can make a real difference.

Her approach, which incorporates mind-body connection and an approach known as ‘pelvic floor integration’ is designed to help us all improve our pelvic floor health and enjoy the benefits. Below are three beginner exercises you can try to get started. Berlin recommends setting aside five or 10 minutes every day to work through the exercises in order to see real results. 

“In order to master your pelvic floor, it’s important that you understand the connection between your pelvic floor and breathing,” Berlin says. In short, the abdominopelvic cavity (the space which contains all your reproductive and digestive organs) is bordered on the bottom by the pelvic floor muscles and on the top by the diaphragm (ie the muscle that moves up and down as we breathe). This means that breathing can have a direct impact on the pressure these muscles face; when you breathe in, your pelvic floor stretches, and when you breathe out, it relaxes.

Practising integrated pelvic floor breathing is a good way to become more aware of this connection and reap the benefits of breathing for your pelvic floor health. The steps are as follows:

1. Visualise the anatomy of your abdominopelvic cavity and observe how breath flows into you and out of you. The breath comes and goes by itself; you don’t have to do anything. Let it flow.
2. Now imagine your diaphragm inside you and try to sense it in your body. To better understand this internal movement, you can use your hands to help: move them down in front of your rib cage when you inhale and move them up when you exhale.
3. Then focus on the rise and fall of your belly in connection with the movement of your diaphragm. Try observing both the diaphragm and belly as they work together.
4. Next, place your attention on the pelvic floor area between your sit bones, your pubic bone, and your tailbone. See what you can observe there. If you need a reminder, you can feel for these bones in your body, so your nervous system knows what it’s supposed to pay attention to. Then your body also gets the signal to loosen and realign there.
5. Now try to feel your lungs and your entire abdominopelvic cavity all at once, before repeating the process. Work through this process for several minutes to hone your awareness. 

A variation of a cat cow that brings focus to your pelvic area, this exercise isn’t physically challenging but should help you to tune into the movements in your pelvic floor.

1. Start on your hands and knees, letting your spine hang downward and keeping your head raised, before pulling your belly button up towards the ceiling and rounding your back like a cat. Let your head hang free.
2. Begin flowing between the two positions. What is your pelvis doing? How are your pelvic bones moving? Try to feel them in your body. Ideally, you would notice that, in the cow position, your sit bones pull apart while your tailbone and sacrum pull backward from the body and away from your pubic bone. This makes your pelvis wider at the bottom, stretching your pelvic floor wide open. Maybe you can feel a real pull in your first pelvic floor layer? Try to relax there to give it a nice, natural stretch. In the cat pose, the sit bones come together, and the tailbone and sacrum approach the pubic bone again. This makes your pelvis narrower as the pelvic floor contracts.
3. Now you can consciously draw your sit bones together in cat pose and notice the activation of your pelvic floor. Deliberately pull them apart in cow pose and notice the stretch in your pelvic floor. 

This simple exercise creates pressure through your feet and legs to stimulate the pelvic floor, to help you get used to activating your pelvic floor muscles.

1. Sit on the edge of a chair with your feet about hip-width apart and placed flat and relaxed on the ground. Feel your sit bones. Let them drop deep into the seat beneath you. Align your spine by imagining every single vertebra and your head floating up to the ceiling.
2. Now push your right foot into the ground until you experience a chain reaction from the foot through the knee and feel the power building in your pelvic floor. Let go and change sides. Now alternate between the two sides and observe how the exercise affects the rest of your body. Practice with maximum intensity while keeping it as light and effortless as possible.
3. Stand up in between to analyse the effect on your posture. If your torso feels longer and more upright, you have done it perfectly.
4. Then sit down again and try to push both feet into the ground. Experiment again with pressure and speed and observe what happens in your pelvic floor and your body. If you notice that your pelvic floor activates and both sit bones come together, you’re doing it right.  

Images: Getty