Exercise suitable for overly tight pelvic floor?

[BadgertheBodger]

Looking for any suggestions at all for safe exercises to do with a chronically tight pelvic floor please!

I’ve been doing a lot of swimming but I really want to lose weight and having got my initial fitness up with swimming and walking I’ve plateaued with the weight loss and I think I need something a bit more intense. I’m on Week 5 of C25K and doing ok with that but everyone I know seems to be doing fabulously well with HIIT workouts and bootcamps type classes, both of which are totally unsuitable for me.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated! I’ve got 3 stone to lose so definitely need something

[TheOrigBrave]

I didn't know a pelvic floor could be too tight. How does that manifest itself?

[FarquarKumquatsmama]

I’m not exactly sure how an overly tight pelvic floor manifests itself but hot yoga might be worth a try as the heat apparently loosens up all your muscles and makes them ‘give’ a bit. Not for the faint hearted but really worth it. Don’t go to a Bikram studio though - your money would go to support a rapist.

[BadgertheBodger]

The best way to describe it is that it sort of grabs other nerves - in my case, the pudendal and sciatic nerves, causing fairly horrible pain which I am only just getting under control. To give context, I couldn’t sit, walk far or cope without serious amounts of medication. I’ve been unable work and have had spells where I’ve had to use a wheelchair. I’ve done a lot of yoga as part of my recovery but in terms of weight loss I don’t find it particularly effective - albeit very enjoyable!

[FATEdestiny]

That sounds like a tight periformus pinching the sciatic nerve.

Where have you got the idea this is to do with the pelvic floor muscle?

[FATEdestiny]

... which can easily cause very significant pain and mobility issues if not deal with adequately.

[BadgertheBodger]

Well FATE, I got the idea from the consultant who diagnosed me, after I saw a lot of other doctors who looked at various bits of me and confessed themselves baffled before shuffling me off to someone else I have, of course, been checked for piriformis syndrome and that is not what I have.

[FATEdestiny]

If you're enjoying C25K and are ok with running, then this may be all you need. There are loads of ways you can increase your fitness through running.

• work up and beyond the 5km distance. It took me about 6 weeks to get from finishing c25k to a 10km run. Then about 3 more moths to get the half marathon distance.

• speed work. Finish c25k and get to 5km. Then aim on beating your PB time for the distance.

• speed games and pace work. Look at interval training and a technique called fartlek.

• Hill repeats. Brutal, but work wonders for your fitness levels

• have a look at the bleep test for a quick session to test out your max running speed. Repeat it fortnightly or monthly. There's also pyramid training.

• run more frequently. Lots of people run every day, just very the intensity and distance each run.

[BadgertheBodger]

Thanks, lots of things I hadn’t thought of in there!