Is Walking Good for Pelvic Floor Muscle?
The pelvic floor is a muscle like any other in the body. We can do exercises to strengthen in, there can be knots that need to be massaged out, and there can be issues if it is too weak.
One of the easiest and best things to do to strengthen the pelvic floor is walking. In fact, by walking just 20-30 minutes a few times a week can help increase the strength in the pelvic floor! Here are some tips if you are working towards better pelvic health:
- Treadmill – if you’re walking on a treadmill, you’ll want the incline slightly upwards (Think 1-3% incline). A treadmill with no incline is not “natural” to the body’s ability to walk on real ground. Increasing the incline gives your body a more realistic path, more similar to what you do each day.
- Slopes – if you are a little more steady with your walking, try choosing an outdoor space with gentle slopes if possible. This will give you a more challenging workout overall, and allow the pelvic floor to strengthen and stabilize being “unsteady”.
- Use your glutes! Be sure your glute muscles are activated while walking; walking uphill and can help you to engage these muscles more clearly. Walk with a purpose and make sure those glutes are fired up!
A healthy and strong pelvic floor helps to prevent prolapse, incontinence and more!