Cueing the Pelvic Floor: Small Skills, Big Impact
Guest post by Patricia Linderman
Patricia Linderman, with Fierce After 45, has helped more than 400 women strengthen and reconnect with their pelvic floor, leading to participants reporting reduced symptoms, greater confidence, improved quality of life, and even more enjoyment in everyday experiences like travel and physical activity. In an upcoming AGEnts of Movement webinar she’ll share practical strategies coaches can use to effectively cue and support pelvic floor function in classes.
Below is an excerpt from Patricia’s recent Substack article, “Four Super-Simple Pelvic Floor Skills We Can All Use.”
“The Knack” or “Squeeze when you sneeze”
Strengthening our pelvic floor by doing Kegels can help reduce leaks, but they can still happen in high-pressure moments like coughing, sneezing, jumping, or rushing to the bathroom when our bladder is extra-full.
This technique is used in those moments and can make all the difference.
Basically, we learn to “brace” the pelvic floor (rather than pulling it all the way up, which can put more pressure on the bladder) and connect with the muscle area we need to hold steady. I even talk to my muscles: “You got this, hang in there!”
Again we are learning to tune in to our bodies, which also actually helps with automatic functioning and leak prevention, since we’re reinforcing the brain-to-muscle pathways.
“Bracing” can feel like a gathering inward of the muscles, a bit like tightening the string on the neck of a bag. This is also what we should do when we’re lifting a heavy object (NOT push the pelvic floor downward, which can contribute to prolapse).
Teach yourself to do it like this:
Intentionally relax your pelvic area and then cough on purpose. See what you feel in your pelvis — probably a downward bouncing motion.
Now try bracing your pelvic muscles and cough on purpose again. Experiment with the technique until you can cough with minimal motion in your pelvic floor, but it doesn’t feel like an excessive strain.
Keep refining and working on your technique as you laugh, jump, rush to the bathroom, etc. It can be truly empowering and even game-changing; it helped one of my participants avoid surgery!
Here’s a 3-minute training video created by a physical therapist:The “Knack” bracing technique.
A simple shift in awareness can completely change how someone experiences movement, confidence, and daily life. Patricia’s upcoming webinar will explore how coaches can integrate these concepts into classes in approachable, supportive, and empowering ways for participants of all ages and abilities.
Join us on May 20th at 1pm PT / 4pm ET for Cueing the Pelvic Floor for Better Physical Activity Experiences with Patricia Linderman.
Move With Us
The following online classes are being offered this week:
Monday, May 11th Move Freely weekly class with Special Agent Cheryl Whitelaw
Wednesday, May 13th We All Need to Strengthen the Pelvic Floor, and Here’s How with Special Agent Patricia Linderman
Thursday, May 14th Footloose: How to Mobilize and Strengthen Your Feet with Special Agent Erin Eleu
Check out the class schedule and register for classes HERE.
If you’re interested in leading a class, collaborating, or learning more about the AGEnts of Movement classes email me at erin@agentsofmovement.com
Upcoming Online Events
Overcoming Physical Limitations for Aging Bodies
Thursday, June 25th 1pm PT/4pm ET
Robert Linkul walks us through the five most common physical limitations that occur with aging and what resistance training strategies you can do to help combat them. Join us as we dive deep into the research and the practical application that you can use right away!
3 Hidden Mistakes Movement Professionals Make in Adaptive Fitness
Thursday, July 23rd 3pm PT/6pm ET
In this session led by Megan Williamson, we’ll break down three common mistakes that even experienced professionals make when working with clients with disabilities — and how to shift your approach in a way that feels more clear, confident, and effective.
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How to partner with physical therapists
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