How to save your pelvic floor when you’re coughing your brains out

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How to save your pelvic floor when you’re coughing your brains out

New mamas know they’ve got to take it easy after giving birth. Your talented, hardworking pelvic floor muscles have just gone through the hours-long workout of their little lives.

So, for a few weeks, you’ve got to hold off on running, jumping, and you might want to *seriously* reconsider your dreams of competing in professional trampoline tournaments…any exercise after giving birth should be taken with caution!

But you know what you can’t avoid? A bad cough, if it’s got its sights set on you.

It may not be professional trampolining, but coughing and sneezing puts more pressure on your recovering pelvic muscles than any other activity.

And when it’s chronic? Well, you might as well be wearing a diaper to match bub’s, because the cough won’t wait until you’re safely in the ladies’.

Save your muscles (and dignity) with these two moves

• Brace yourself. Literally, babe. You can bolster the soft tissue between your pubic bone and coccyx with your hand, lifting up gently. In public and don’t want to freak people out? Crossing your legs tightly – even standing – will work.
• Play ball. Home sick in bed? You can use a tennis or massage ball to brace your perineum when you feel a cough or sneeze fit coming.

Now you’ll need some post-sickness damage control

Even if you’d been taking your pelvic floor swiftly down the road to recovery, girl, a week of coughing and sneezing can set you back. NEVER feel bad if you’re feeling limp and weak or if you’re dribbling a bit when you cough or sneeze.

We’ve got just the move to you back onto dry land.

You’ve got to get the fast twitch fibers in your pelvic floor muscles back online so, natch, you’ve got to flex your pelvic floor quickly.

Imagine Kegels, but sprinting.

Contract your pelvic floor in a regular Kegel squeeze, but instead of holding, just do 6-10 quick flicks.

These flash Kegels (sounds like a total Supergirl move!) will get those sphincters back in gear – and boost your confidence – within two weeks.

Like what you read?

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