The pelvic brace is your secret weapon when you are suffering from bladder, bowel, and organ prolapse, “mummy tummy'” sciatica or back pain. It’s simple and easy- Read on
They’re everywhere.
From Apps to fitness programs, to online gimmick programs to affirmations to eating plans…
They all promise a “beautiful core” or “the abs of a 20-year-old” (in just FIVE minutes a day!) or even a “slim waistline to finally get back in those skinny jeans”
And most of it… is nothing but fluff. Vapor. False promises based on nothing but fancy marketing expertly created to get you to buy their stuff.
Or worse, they’re outdated to the point they could actually do MORE damage than healing and make your bladder, back, and pelvic problems worse.
It’s true, a strong core and pelvic floor will help you reclaim your pelvic power, your womanhood, and in turn your vitality.
But most of these “core” exercises don’t even take into consideration the wondrous world of the woman’s body.
It’s far different from men, but we get lumped in there with them. A strong core can also alleviate these other types of women’s issues- back pain, pelvic organ pressure, mummy tummy, and even sexual dysfunction.
For over 2 decades I’ve been helping women as not only a physical therapist but as a personal trainer as well. Before I was truly trained, I made the same kind of mistakes I see happening all over the place right now.
My go-to core-kegel exercise that all women should be doing as part of their self-care program is the “Pelvic Brace.” The Pelvic Brace exercise is your secret weapon when you are suffering from pelvic organ prolapse, “mummy tummy”, low back pain, sciatica, leaking, and poor posture.
The pelvic brace exercise is what I call a master exercise that protects your “Lady Parts.” You can use the pelvic brace while you’re changing positions, coughing, sneezing, or laughing and you’ll reduce your symptoms in NYC minute.
My coaches and I teach the “Pelvic Brace” as an exercise because it not only strengthens the pelvic floor muscles but it also strengthens the deepest core muscle ( Transverse Abdominal Muscles). This promotes function and not just vanity. Trust me you’ll get flatter abs as well:)
The pelvic brace is your secret weapon when you are suffering from bladder, bowel, and organ prolapse, “mummy tummy,” poor pelvic stability. sciatica or low back pain.
A pelvic brace is a combination of a Tranverse belly-hold and a low-level Kegel contraction ( more instructions below). This amazing combo exercise can help decrease back pain, stabilize the sacroiliac joint, minimize mummy tummy, and heal pelvic floor muscle dysfunction including pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence.
All women should learn to use the pelvic brace exercises to reduce strain through the abdomen and pelvic floor. This is the first exercise that I teach women in my pelvic healing programs.
For example, when log rolling out of bed, do a pelvic brace before you roll. Or, before you lift your child or groceries or move from sitting to standing, do a pelvic brace. Before you, cough sneeze or laugh do a pelvic brace, and you will leak less and feel less pressure in your pelvis.
The pelvic brace exercise will help prepare the body for movements that place increased strain on the lower back, pelvic organs, and will keep your body protected.
By performing the pelvic brace, you can prevent injury during difficult movements throughout the day, reduce your back pain, and indirectly strengthen your core.
The pelvic brace is the foundation of my core program, and you must master it without overdoing it. It is an art form. I see too many women performing abdominal exercises incorrectly. Most women do not know about the pelvic brace and actually bear down and push their organs out during abdominal exercises or worse yet over-activate the ab muscles, creating trigger points in the belly. Many women also hold their breath when they do core exercises.
If you need help please consider hiring my certified and highly trained pelvic coaches. I’ve trained them all personally and they are the top in the field. Sometimes we just need a little bit of guidance and we are here to help you!!!
Follow these steps to learn how to do a pelvic brace
- Part 1. Baby Kegel: As you exhale, do a baby Kegel, or contract your pelvic floor muscles by imagining that your vagina is a vacuum cleaner and imagine that you are sucking up a marble from the floor into your vagina. Do NOT overexert. This is a baby contraction at a 10-30% effort. This ensures you will not push down on the pelvic floor muscles, and instead initiate a lifting motion from the pelvic floor up to the TrA. This is a bottoms-up kind of exercise.
- Part 2. Transverse (TrA) Belly Hold: Draw your belly button closer and more firmly toward the spine and up towards the heart in a scooping upward motion. As you pull in your abdominals up and in, try to imagine that you are squeezing into an old pair of jeans that don’t fit or fit tightly. Your belly button should actually lift upward toward your heart if you perform the exercise correctly. This is called a Transverse Abdominal Belly Hold (TrA)
- Avoid over-contracting the outer six-pack abdominals and the rectus abdominis ( six-pack muscles). Meaning this is a gentle exercise where you keep your efforts at 30%. So just contract your abdominal muscles a little NOT a lot.
- Try to think of the TrA contraction as 30 percent of your maximal effort; it is very subtle and precise effort:
Place index fingers where the X’s are, on the inside of the front of your hip bones. When you perform the TrA correctly, you should feel the muscles contract under your fingertips.
What To Watch Out For
- Do not hold your breath. Exhale as you perform the contraction.
- Once you establish the above movement, hold for five seconds, and repeat ten times. Do one to three sets per day to master this skill.
- Less is more with the pelvic brace combo exercise so keep contractions at 20-30 percent effort because if you don’t you risk having more pressure, leaking, and pain.
The trade secrets I have shared with you here make it possible for you to protect your “Lady Parts”, organs and will help you to build a strong womanly foundation. All you have to do is increase your awareness of body positioning, posture, body mechanics, and practice this exercise until you master it.
Make a conscious effort to incorporate changes and modifications into how you move your body every day and you will find that pelvic discomfort/pain will start to melt away. You will carry your body with more confidence and, as a result, you will simply start to feel better.
Safe and Accurate Information to Help You Stay Healthy & Cut Through the Noise