Well and Good: 3 Pelvic Floor Workouts That Support Better Sex

Pelvic Floor Workouts That Support Better Sex

Every person has a pelvic floor, a sling of muscles connecting the pubic bone and the tailbone, and it's connected to so many health functions, including bowel and bladder control, supporting the pelvic organs, and contributing to optimum sexual health. And with respect to that last factor, there are specific ways to set yourself up for success—namely with pelvic floor workouts for better sex.

The pelvic floor can help enhance sexual function because it has direct connections to the clitoral hood and assists in closure around the vaginal opening (for vulva havers) as well as the anus (for those who have anal sex). “The pelvic floor muscles have been found to affect your orgasm: Stronger pelvic floor muscle contractions have been found to correlate with more intense and longer duration of an orgasm,” says pelvic-floor physical therapist Heather Jeffcoat, DPT, owner of Femina Physical Therapy in Los Angeles and author of Sex Without Pain: A Self Treatment Guide to the Sex Life. So by strengthening your pelvic floor, you are, in turn, setting yourself up to reap more of the well-being benefits of achieving orgasm.

Stronger pelvic floor muscle contractions have been found to correlate with more intense and longer duration of an orgasm."

—Heather Jeffcoat, DPT, pelvic floor physical therapist

One of the most common and widely known pelvic floor workouts for better sex comes in the form of Kegels—aka flexing and releasing your pelvic-floor muscles. However, Dr. Jeffcoat says it's a misnomer that Kegels are the be-all and end-all of pelvic floor workouts for better sex. That's because the key to pelvic floor health is achieving a balance between flexibility and strength—and Kegels are primarily a strength-specific workout.

Many folks think that Kegels are the answer to any problems with their pelvic health,” says Dr. Jeffcoat. “However, sometimes people need to take a step back from strengthening and focus on muscle relaxation and mobility.”

Dying to know more about pelvic floor workouts that support better sex? Continue to the full article at Well + Good here.