Women’s Pelvic Health
Hypopressive exercises can be a great option for both men and women with or without pelvic floor issues.
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What is low pressure fitness?
The term HYPOpressive refers to less pressure. This form of exercise reduces pressure to the thoracic, abdominal and pelvic cavities. Our traditional ‘core’ exercises very often increase the intra abdominal pressure which then pushes down onto our pelvic contents. This is not the direction we want our pelvic contents to go. The hypopressive exercises help to improve pelvic and abdominal muscle tone, increase the length and the strength of the postural muscles and improve respiratory muscle function.
How did the Hypopressive exercises begin?
The hypopressive exercises began in the 1980’s in Europe with the goal to help postnatal recovery for women with issues such as incontinence and prolapse. They blend yoga breathing techniques with postures to create an overall exercise system.
What are the exercises?
When performing the hypopressive exercises, you will practice:
- Lateral costal breathing; encouraging the ribs to move out towards the sides of the room
- Going into an apnea; cessation of breath following an exhale
- Taking in a ‘false breath’; to begin the decrease in intra abdominal pressure
- Practicing this in various postures; to further strengthen and lengthen postural muscles
What might you experience?
- Improvement in a prolapse from a stage II to a stage I
- Symptom decrease with a stage III prolapse
- An increased ability to control/stop leakage
- Decrease in waist circumference
- Improved posture
- An increase in postural muscle strengthening