Introduction
The term regression gymnastics refers to various exercises that women can begin a few weeks after giving birth in order to strengthen the strained pelvic floor and abdominal muscles. During pregnancy, the pelvic floor must bear the weight of the growing child, the weight of the amniotic fluid and placenta, and the mother’s organs. Finally, during birth, the pelvic floor is subjected to heavy strain and is stretched and sometimes injured by the exiting baby.
The tone of the muscles can be reduced by pregnancy and birth, which can lead to incontinence and a lowering of the uterus. For example, many women have difficulty holding their urine when laughing or coughing after giving birth. Recovery exercises are therefore a very important part of the post-natal period, which can help to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor again and prevent incontinence and uterus prolapse. However, the pregnant woman should not start doing this immediately after the birth, as birth injuries first heal and the body has to recover from the birth.
Exercises
Within the scope of regression gymnastics, many different exercises can be performed with the aim of strengthening the pelvic floor muscles again. For example, many exercises come from the field of yoga. The exercises can be done either in groups during special recovery courses or at home.
The woman can decide this individually for herself. It is important that the woman finds a solution that suits her and that she carries out the training regularly and consistently in order to achieve the best possible result. Below are some sample exercises: In this exercise, the woman places herself in a four-footed position, i.e. she places her hands and knees on the floor.
The backs of the feet rest on the floor. The back is now first bent and then pushed upwards; the woman enters a cat’s hump. The best way to do this is to imagine that you want to pull the navel as far as possible inwards towards the spine.
The head is lowered at the same time and the gaze wanders towards the belly. Hold this position for a few seconds, then bend the back again. This movement is repeated several times.
In this exercise, the woman lies on her stomach, her arms are stretched out forward and her toes are placed on the floor. Now the left arm and the right leg are always lifted off the floor at the same time and then the right arm and the left leg. A slight lifting is already sufficient.
Hold the position briefly before changing sides. If this exercise is too difficult, the arms can also be excluded from the exercise. Then only the legs are lifted from the floor alternately.
This exercise can be used in almost any everyday situation. To do this, the pelvic floor is maximally tensed for a few seconds, as if trying to stop the urine stream while urinating. The tension should be held for about 10 seconds before releasing again.
Tension and relaxation phases should be alternated 3-5 times in a row. The exercise can be repeated as often as desired during the day. For this exercise, the woman lies on her back with her legs stretched out.
The legs are now lifted upwards in a closed position, creating an angle of about 90°. Now draw large circles in the air with your legs stretched out. The direction can be changed several times.
After about ten circles the legs are put down again. During this exercise the woman kneels upright, the knees are in an approximately hip-wide position, the toes are raised, lower and upper thighs are at a right angle to each other. The buttocks are now lowered a little towards the feet and the pelvic floor is tensed parallel to this.
The woman should go down as far as she can hold this position. The arms are then swung to one side and then to the other. In this position the pelvic floor is forced to balance the movement and is effectively strengthened. After a few seconds, lift the buttocks back to the starting position and relax.
All articles in this series:
