So you know there are stretches that can help with anxiety and stretches that can improve digestion, but did you know there are also stretches for better sex? That’s right: You can yoga-pose your way to a better sex life, and celebrity trainer Lia Bartha is going to show you how. Bartha, the founder of B The Method, has worked with supermodels and actresses alike to to strengthen, restore, and protect their bodies through her own method that involves pilates-based, low-impact movements (also, she has an Instagram feed that is totally #wellnessgoals). Read on to get the 411 from Bartha about why exercise can affect the pelvic floor and six moves to get you closer to better sex.
Why is the pelvic floor so important?
When your pelvic floor is either too tight or too weak, sex can be painful and orgasms can be nonexistent. People don’t put enough emphasis on caring for this muscle because they don’t know what it is, where to find it, and why it matters. The pelvic floor is a hammock of muscles located between the tailbone and pubic bone in the pelvis that contract and relax during penetration and increase blood flow during orgasms. Because of this, your workouts can have a huge impact on the health of your pelvic floor.
High-impact exercises, lifting heavy weights, jumping, clenching while working out, and not breathing properly can cause the pelvic floor to become too tight. This can lead to so many issues within the body, not just those related to sex and orgasms. The same goes with not putting any care and emphasis on strengthening this muscle. I put such a huge emphasis on evenly strengthening and stretching the pelvic floor muscles in my workouts for this very reason. We all want to get in a good workout but shouldn’t have to sacrifice our sex life because of it.
6 moves to help improve your sex life
1. Happy Baby
Lay down on your back with your knees bent and feet in the air. Hold your big toes with your fingers and press your tailbone down to the floor in a neutral pelvis. This position will actively stretch your pelvic floor and force it to relax. The hip stretch is amazing as well for getting flexible and comfortable in a variety of sexual positions.
2. Open Butterfly Stretch on a ball
Sit on top of a small stability ball, like this one, with your legs open wide. Lay your chest forward toward the ground with your arms straight on the floor. Rock your hips side to side on the ball. This position will actively stretch your pelvic floor while stimulating blood flow to your genitals.
3. Circle Gut Massage
Lay down on your stomach with the ball placed under your low abdominals and pelvis. It will fit right in that “v” muscle area. Circle your hips five times in one direction and then switch directions. This will stretch, massage, and reset the gut, hips, and lower abdominals that are used for movement during sex. Think of it like foreplay, warmup, or even a cool-down.
4. Bent Leg Circles
Lay on your back in a neutral pelvis and spine. Lift your legs into a tabletop position. Either laying flat or lifting your neck and shoulders slightly with hands clasped behind your head, start to circle your legs in opposite directions from each other. Then, repeat in the other direction. This move will strengthen the pelvic floor and inner thigh muscles while loosening up the hips.
5. Moving Frog Plank
Get into a child pose with your feet tucked underneath. Lift your knees and press out into a plank position with a slightly externally rotated hip. Toes are apart and heels are squeezed together. Now, push back on your arms and into a child’s pose position, but keep the knees hovered. This move will both stretch and strengthen the pelvic floor in a single exercise.
6. Core Bridging
Lay on your back with your feet and knees in parallel. Start to tuck your hips up into a bridge but make sure not to clench the glutes. Lead the exercise from the lower abdominals, pelvic floor, and inner thighs. You won’t be able to lift as high, but you will definitely understand why this is good for orgasms when you get into the position. You will feel the connection into that pelvic region.
