Rotate Away From Pelvic Floor Tightness
reduce pelvic floor tightness BY ADDING THESE THREE EXERCISES THAT Strengthen your HIP internal rotators
Dr. Ariel Edwards, PT, DPT, CSCS
If you have symptoms of pelvic floor tightness, and stretching isn’t making things better, you could be missing a big piece of the puzzle! Hip internal rotation plays a huge role in how your pelvis moves — especially the ability to open the posterior aspect of the pelvic floor. We often think tightness equals stretching, but sometimes strengthening is the key. If your hips can’t internally rotate, your body may hold tension in the pelvic floor to compensate.
This tension can show up as:
Pain with intercourse/tampon insertion
Difficulty emptying your bladder
Lower back pain
SI joint pain
We don’t often think about hip internal rotation but it is SO important. You need hip internal rotation to squat, hinge, and so much more. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms try out these three exercises to strengthen your hip internal rotator muscles:
Quadruped Band Internal Rotation
Set Up: Get into a quadruped position (on hands and knees) with a resistance band around your ankles and a yoga block between your knees.
Engage: Squeeze your knees against the yoga block to activate your core.
Perform: While keeping your hips square and core engaged, internally rotate your hips by moving your feet outward, away from each other, against the band's resistance.
Reset: Slowly return to the starting position and repeat.
90/90 Active Hip Mobility
Set Up: Sit on the floor with one leg in front of you and the other out to the side, both knees bent at 90 degrees. Make sure to keep your torso tall and squared over your front leg.
Stretch: Slowly lean forward over your front leg to feel a stretch in your outer hip.
Perform: Return to an upright position and slowly rotate your hips to switch your legs to the other side.
Reset: Repeat the motion back and forth with control.
Yoga Block Internal Rotation to Overhead Reach
Set Up: Get back into the 90/90 starting position, but this time you want to sit on a yoga block.
Internal Rotation: Lean forward and rotate your back leg hip to bring your back foot off the floor. The knee should stay on the ground during this movement.
Overhead Reach: Slowly lower your foot, lean back, and reach your opposite hand over your head.
Reset: Return back to an upright position & repeat.
Pelvic floor dysfunction can feel complicated and overwhelming. If you don’t know where to start or feel like you’re not on the right path, FIXXED is here to help. At FIXXED, our hour-long one-on-one pelvic floor physical therapy sessions are crafted to allow us to fully understand the root of your symptoms, create an individualized physical therapy plan, and educate you on your condition—giving you the tools you need to succeed! Click HERE to set up your FREE discovery call with a member of FIXXED’s Physical Therapy team!
FIXXED is a first of its kind recovery studio offering bodywork techniques to help you move and feel your best. We offer quick and effective hands-on services in a one on one setting performed by a licensed physical therapist or athletic trainer. We believe that recovery should be fast, convenient, and accessible for everyone which is exemplified in both our locations located in Haverhill, MA & Wakefield, MA. Click HERE to book a free discovery call with FIXXED!
