The pelvic floor muscles are in the pelvis. They support the internal organs. These muscles control the opening to the vagina and anus, as well as when you pass urine. You can learn pelvic floor exercises to control these muscles to relax the pelvic floor during vaginal penetration.
These exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles are recommended:
- after childbirth
- if you have problems with leaking urine
- if you have tight pelvic floor muscles
Sometimes the pelvic floor isn’t tight enough, which can cause leaking urine (incontinence). If this is a problem for you, practice the
tightening part of the exercises below to strengthen these muscles.
Sometimes, the pelvic floor may be too tight, which may cause pain during sex. If this is a problem for you, practice the
relaxing part of the exercises below.
If you aren’t sure how to do the exercises below or have questions, see a pelvic floor physical therapist.
How to do pelvic floor exercises?
To find the pelvic floor muscles, follow the instructions below. The muscles for this exercise only surround the other 1 or 2 inches of the vagina. You can’t control the deeper part of the vagina. To check if you’re tensing the right muscle, follow these instructions:
- Get some lubricant. Lie on your back with your knees up and apart, or sit against pillows with your knees bent and open.
- Put some lubricant on your fingertip (or you can use a tampon and applicator). Put it at the opening of your vagina. Use a mirror to see if your fingertip or tampon is in the right place.
- Use your hands to gently spread the inner lips (labia) apart.
- Try to squeeze your vagina and then relax. When the muscles are relaxed, slip the lubricated fingertip or tampon in the vagina.
- Hold it there and try to squeeze your vagina again. You should feel your vagina move a little when you gently squeeze the finger or tampon. Squeeze for 3 seconds and then relax as loosely as you can. You may even feel a gentle push as you fully relax the muscles.
If you have vaginal pain or tightness, the important part of this exercise is this push, or full relaxation of the muscles.
- Repeat 10 times. It only takes a few minutes and practicing can help you learn to feel the difference between tensing and relaxing.
Once you’ve found these pelvic floor muscles and can hold and relax them, practice these pelvic floor exercises every day. Focus on relaxing the muscles. Once you feel comfortable doing the exercise, you don’t need to keep inserting your finger or the tampon and applicator. You can do the exercises in the shower, while you watch TV, or during lunch. Do them 2 times a day and make them part of your daily routine.
As you learn to feel the difference between tensing the muscles and relaxing them, you’ll notice the squeezing motion you can use to stop the flow of urine. Try to do this same squeeze when you aren’t passing urine, like when you are sitting or lying comfortably. Can you feel a tensing at the opening of your vagina? Even after the uterus is removed (hysterectomy) or other pelvic surgery, most people can still control their pelvic floor muscles.
Some clinicians and researchers believe that these exercises make the pelvic floor muscles stronger. Stronger muscles may help you reach orgasm more easily. They can also make sex better by making you more aware of good feelings in your vagina and genital area. If you’re able to have full vaginal penetration without tightness or pain, you might want to try tightening and relaxing your pelvic floor muscles during intercourse.
