Are Squats Good for Pelvic Floor?

The pelvic floor is best supported by strong neighbors; the glutes! Those butt muscles will help to keep the pelvic floor stabilized and strong. It’s important when walking that the glutes are activated to help keep the pelvic floor supported to avoid prolapse, or incontinence. How can we keep the two strong together?

Squats are one of the best exercises you can do for optimal glute health, and therefore, help keep the pelvic floor healthy and strong as well.

When performing squats, it is very important that the form is correct or you could create more problems. Here are some tips on good squat form:

• Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart, and toes slightly turned out. The turnout should not come from the knees, but from the hip rotators.
• Be sure that you are engaging your core throughout the entire exercise. Inhale on the way down, and exhaling on the way up.
• Make sure you are hinging at the hips, sending the butt back into space, and keeping the knees just over the toes.
• Keep the shoulders back and be careful not to round your low back.

 

You can make squats more challenging by adding weight with dumbbells or kettlebells, and you can simplify by adding a chair or box underneath you.