Yoga for Pelvic Floor and Better Sex

by Courtney Virden

Studies show exercise is excellent for our sex lives, including yoga exercises for the pelvic floor. Below, we’re highlighting how yoga can lead to better sex. So many people love yoga as a meditative form of relaxation, exercise, and breath/body control. And the clearer our mind is during sex, the more present we are, which leads to enjoying the moment and having better sex. Yoga also helps improve flexibility (great for sex!) and confidence and to reduce stress, which can lead to increased desire and arousal.

Many women I work with are so tight in their hips from alignment issues, self-imposed beliefs, or particularly low self-esteem. Those who already do yoga classes can use yoga for pelvic floor dysfunction and to help strengthen the pelvic floor. However, I do not recommend Kegel exercises for pelvic floor muscles.

Why Yoga Exercises for Your Pelvic Floor and Sex?

With improved body awareness and by getting brave in awkward poses, you are more likely to be comfortable in the bedroom and up for trying new positions. In addition, you can do the pelvic floor exercises for sex below as partner yoga poses for some added fun. And yoga has excellent poses that double as yoga positions for sex, such as downward dog. Who doesn’t love fun sex positions? Another benefit of yoga for pelvic floor is that the poses work your abdominal muscles simultaneously. Plus, yoga exercises for sex can help increase libido and improve blood flow. The deep breathing practiced with yoga enables you to stay relaxed and focused during sex, which makes you more likely to orgasm. These exercises will leave you feeling like sexy yoga women or men, and who doesn’t want that?

Here’s how to do my top six yoga poses for better sex and the benefits of each.

Yoga Poses for Pelvic Floor and Sex Routine:

• Cat/Cow
• Downward Dog
• Pigeon Pose
• Malasana
• Frog Pose
• Happy Baby

The Move: Cat/Cow

How to: Get on all fours (Tabletop); your shoulders will be over your wrists and hips over your knees. Inhale, reaching your tailbone up toward the ceiling, arch your back, reaching your chest up, and look straight ahead (Cow). Now exhale, and draw your abs in toward your spine. Next, drop your tailbone down and arch your back up as your chin drops to your chest (Cat). Repeat for one minute. Benefit: Helps open up hips and improves the elasticity of the pelvic floor.

The Move: Downward Dog

How to: While in the Tabletop, tuck your toes and lift your hips up and back. Then draw your abs in toward your spine as you lengthen your spine, letting your head hang toward your shins and resting your heels on the floor. You can also keep a micro bend in your knees to keep your spine lengthened and your back flat. Breathe deeply, and finally if you would like, you can inhale, go up on your toes and exhale, lowering your heels further toward the floor. Finally, hold the pose for one to two minutes. Benefit: Promotes relaxation and deep breathing and especially stretches the hamstrings and back while increasing blood flow.

The Move: Pigeon Pose/Sleeping Pigeon Pose

How to: After completing Downward Dog, inhale and bring your right leg high. Then exhale and bring your right knee to your right wrist and your right foot to your left wrist. Your hips will stay square to the mat-Inhale, keeping your chest high. This time for the Sleeping Pigeon pose, you will exhale and bring your head to the mat while reaching your hand away from your torso in front of you. Afterward, hold (either with torso high or in Sleeping Pigeon pose) for 30 seconds, then switch sides by going back into Downward Dog. Repeat for 30 seconds on your left side. Benefit: Deep stretch for hips. Relaxed breathing helps calm your body and clear your mind.

The Move: Malasana

How to: With your feet turned out 45 degrees, get into a deep squat, wide-legged, and press your elbows into your knees with prayer hands. Focus on relaxed breathing and elongating your spine, and your abs should be drawn in towards your spine. Following with a hold for 30 seconds to one minute. Benefit: Opens up your hips and pelvic floor.

The Move: Frog Pose

How to: Meanwhile from the Malasana, bring your body forward, lowering your knees and body onto the floor. Your head will rest on the mat, and your arms will be stretched out in front of you, shoulders away from the ears. Sit your glutes back towards your heels whenever you want to deepen the stretch. Hold for 30 seconds to one minute, and with each deep breath, try to bring your glutes closer to your feet. Benefit: Improves blood flow and flexibility of hips.

The Move: Happy Baby

How to: To start, lie with your back flat on the mat. Keep your head, neck, and shoulders relaxed while drawing your knees toward the outside of your chest. Now grab the inside or outside of your feet with your right and left hands and pull your knees toward the chest. Inhale deeply, and as you exhale, draw your knees closer to your armpits. Additionally, you can do baby rocks side to side while keeping your spine grounded. Lastly, hold or rock for one to two minutes. Benefits: Opens and stretches your pelvic floor and hips.

Doing these yoga exercises for pelvic floor will help you both in and out of the bedroom. Add them in with these moves, and you and your partner will reap the rewards with better sex.