Strong and well-trained pelvic floor muscles are crucial for the health and well-being of women of all ages. The Pilates ring is an excellent training tool specifically designed to effectively strengthen and tone the pelvic floor.
The pelvic floor plays an important role in supporting the internal organs, controlling bladder and bowel movements, and sexual function. However, with age, after pregnancy, or due to other factors, the pelvic floor can become weakened, which can lead to unpleasant symptoms such as urinary incontinence, prolapse, or sexual problems.
How can I train my pelvic floor with the Pilates ring?
Pelvic floor training with a Pilates ring offers a targeted and effective method for training the pelvic floor. The Pilates ring allows for a variety of exercises that specifically activate and strengthen the muscles. Regular training with the Pilates ring can not only improve the strength and endurance of the pelvic floor, but also improve posture and overall body stability.
The Pilates ring is easy to handle and can be used comfortably at home. It offers a variety of training options and is suitable for both beginners and advanced exercisers.
Preparation
Activate the pelvic floor
Sit upright on a chair and feel where your two ischial tuberosities (the bones in your buttocks) are located. The muscles of the pelvic floor (including the vaginal and anal openings) are located between these two tuberosities. Activate the muscles by imagining that you are only sucking these openings into your body. Initially becoming aware of the pelvic floor muscles is often difficult. Attending a suitable course or using the ELANEE Pelvic Floor Training Aids I Active is often helpful.
Breathe correctly
We often breathe too shallowly, only in the upper chest area. Therefore, it's best to breathe through your nose into your belly (your chest expands in all directions) and exhale through your mouth, as if you were blowing out a candle.
Exercise 1: One Hundred
Starting position
Lie flat on your back with your arms parallel to your body and place the Pilates ring between your bent legs (hip-width apart) just above your knees.
Exercise 1: One Hundred
Starting position
Lie flat on your back with your arms parallel to your body and place the Pilates ring between your bent legs (hip-width apart) just above your knees.
Exercise 1: One Hundred
Execution
Inhale and simultaneously raise your head (looking toward your knees). Lift your shoulders and straight arms off the floor. Gently squeeze the Pilates ring. Inhale and exhale evenly for about 5 seconds, continuously "pumping" your arms (moving your straight arms briskly up and down). Count until you reach 100 pumping movements. With each exhalation, your stomach will flatten and your waist will narrow.
Attention: Keep your stomach tense, arms stretched out long, shoulders low.
Exercise 1: One Hundred
Execution
Inhale and simultaneously raise your head (looking toward your knees). Lift your shoulders and straight arms off the floor. Gently squeeze the Pilates ring. Inhale and exhale evenly for about 5 seconds, continuously "pumping" your arms (moving your straight arms briskly up and down). Count until you reach 100 pumping movements. With each exhalation, your stomach will flatten and your waist will narrow.
Attention: Keep your stomach tense, arms stretched out long, shoulders low.
Exercise 2: Rolling up and down
Starting position
Seated position: The Pilates ring is placed between the thighs. Feet are hip-width apart and parallel. Hands are placed behind the knees, elbows pointing outward.
Exercise 2: Rolling up and down
Starting position
Seated position: The Pilates ring is placed between the thighs. Feet are hip-width apart and parallel. Hands are placed behind the knees, elbows pointing outward.
Exercise 2: Rolling up and down
Execution
Gently squeeze the ring. Inhale, round your lower back, bring your chin to your chest, and roll back until your arms are straight. Exhale, engage your abdominal and pelvic muscles, and roll up with control.
Attention: Begin the exercise by tilting the pelvis, keeping your shoulders low.
Exercise 2: Rolling up and down
Execution
Gently squeeze the ring. Inhale, round your lower back, bring your chin to your chest, and roll back until your arms are straight. Exhale, engage your abdominal and pelvic muscles, and roll up with control.
Attention: Begin the exercise by tilting the pelvis, keeping your shoulders low.
Exercise 3: Corkscrew
Starting position
Lie flat on your back, place the Pilates ring between your ankles, and gently squeeze. Extend your legs upward. Place your hands under your sacrum or parallel to your body. Fingers touch your buttocks.
Exercise 3: Corkscrew
Starting position
Lie flat on your back, place the Pilates ring between your ankles, and gently squeeze. Extend your legs upward. Place your hands under your sacrum or parallel to your body. Fingers touch your buttocks.
Exercise 3: Corkscrew
Execution
Activate the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles. Inhale and move your straight legs in a circle: first toward your nose, then to the right, forward, and left. Exhale with control.
Caution: Press your shoulders/upper arms into the mat. Bend your legs slightly if you have trouble straightening them. Do not circle more than the width of the mat.
Exercise 3: Corkscrew
Execution
Activate the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles. Inhale and move your straight legs in a circle: first toward your nose, then to the right, forward, and left. Exhale with control.
Caution: Press your shoulders/upper arms into the mat. Bend your legs slightly if you have trouble straightening them. Do not circle more than the width of the mat.
Exercise 4: Bridge
Starting position
Lie flat on your back, arms parallel to your body, and place the Pilates ring between your bent legs (hip-width apart) just above your knees and gently press them together.
Exercise 4: Bridge
Starting position
Lie flat on your back, arms parallel to your body, and place the Pilates ring between your bent legs (hip-width apart) just above your knees and gently press them together.
Exercise 4: Bridge
Execution
Activate the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles and maintain tension. Exhale and roll your spine upwards, vertebra by vertebra, from the pelvis to the shoulders. Inhale at the top and, as you exhale, roll downwards, vertebra by vertebra. Continue alternating.
Attention: The body is in a straight line at the top. Look toward the ceiling. Press your shoulders/upper arms into the mat. Thighs are parallel, knees pointing forward.
Exercise 4: Bridge
Execution
Activate the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles and maintain tension. Exhale and roll your spine upwards, vertebra by vertebra, from the pelvis to the shoulders. Inhale at the top and, as you exhale, roll downwards, vertebra by vertebra. Continue alternating.
Attention: The body is in a straight line at the top. Look toward the ceiling. Press your shoulders/upper arms into the mat. Thighs are parallel, knees pointing forward.
Exercise 5: Side position
Starting position
Lying on your side: Head rests on the outstretched lower arm. The hand of the upper arm supports the chest. Legs are stretched out parallel. Shoulders and hips are overlapped. Waist is slightly raised. Look forward. Place the Pilates ring between the lower legs, slightly above the ankles.
Exercise 5: Side position
Starting position
Lying on your side: Head rests on the outstretched lower arm. The hand of the upper arm supports the chest. Legs are stretched out parallel. Shoulders and hips are overlapped. Waist is slightly raised. Look forward. Place the Pilates ring between the lower legs, slightly above the ankles.
Exercise 5: Side position
Execution
Activate the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles. Exhale while pressing the Pilates ring against the lower leg with your upper leg. After 3 seconds, release the pressure in a controlled manner. Continue alternating.
Caution: Keep your torso completely still. Keep your hips and shoulders straight.
Exercise 5: Side position
Execution
Activate the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles. Exhale while pressing the Pilates ring against the lower leg with your upper leg. After 3 seconds, release the pressure in a controlled manner. Continue alternating.
Caution: Keep your torso completely still. Keep your hips and shoulders straight.
Exercise 6: Crab
Starting position
Lying on your side: Head rests on the outstretched lower arm. Place the hand of the upper arm in front of your chest for support. Bend your legs slightly. Keep your shoulders, hips, and knees aligned. Place the Pilates ring between your thighs and apply gentle pressure. Look forward.
Exercise 6: Crab
Starting position
Lying on your side: Head rests on the outstretched lower arm. Place the hand of the upper arm in front of your chest for support. Bend your legs slightly. Keep your shoulders, hips, and knees aligned. Place the Pilates ring between your thighs and apply gentle pressure. Look forward.
Exercise 6: Crab
Execution
Lift your legs slightly off the floor (do not touch the floor). Activate the deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscles. Exhale and gently squeeze the Pilates ring. Hold the position for 3 seconds. Deepen the muscle tension with each exhalation.
Caution: Keep your torso completely still. Keep your hips and shoulders straight.
Exercise 6: Crab
Execution
Lift your legs slightly off the floor (do not touch the floor). Activate the deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscles. Exhale and gently squeeze the Pilates ring. Hold the position for 3 seconds. Deepen the muscle tension with each exhalation.
Caution: Keep your torso completely still. Keep your hips and shoulders straight.
Exercise 7: Knee lift
Starting position
In a quadruped position: hands under shoulders and knees under hips. Open knees hip-width apart, neck extended, feet on toes. Place the Pilates ring between your thighs and apply gentle pressure.
Exercise 7: Knee lift
Starting position
In a quadruped position: hands under shoulders and knees under hips. Open knees hip-width apart, neck extended, feet on toes. Place the Pilates ring between your thighs and apply gentle pressure.
Exercise 7: Knee lift
Execution
Activate the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles. Keep your back straight, keep your neck long, and relax your shoulders. Exhale and lift your knees slightly off the floor. Hold the position for 5 seconds. Lower your knees. Continue alternating.
Caution: Keep your torso completely still. Keep your hips and shoulders straight.
Exercise 7: Knee lift
Execution
Activate the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles. Keep your back straight, keep your neck long, and relax your shoulders. Exhale and lift your knees slightly off the floor. Hold the position for 5 seconds. Lower your knees. Continue alternating.
Caution: Keep your torso completely still. Keep your hips and shoulders straight.
Exercise 8: Wall Squat
Starting position
Stand against a wall with your head, back, and buttocks in contact with the wall. Bend your legs until your thighs are parallel to the floor (seated position). Open your thighs approximately hip-width apart, place your feet parallel, knees pointing forward and not extending beyond your toes. Place a Pilates ring between your thighs.
Exercise 8: Wall Squat
Starting position
Stand against a wall with your head, back, and buttocks in contact with the wall. Bend your legs until your thighs are parallel to the floor (seated position). Open your thighs approximately hip-width apart, place your feet parallel, knees pointing forward and not extending beyond your toes. Place a Pilates ring between your thighs.
Exercise 8: Wall Squat
Execution
Activate the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles. Keep your back straight, neck long, and shoulders relaxed. Look forward. Exhale and gently apply pressure to the ring. Hold for 5 seconds.
Caution: Keep your back against the wall. If you have knee problems, don't lower your buttocks too far. Keep your knees behind your toes.
Exercise 8: Wall Squat
Execution
Activate the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles. Keep your back straight, neck long, and shoulders relaxed. Look forward. Exhale and gently apply pressure to the ring. Hold for 5 seconds.
Caution: Keep your back against the wall. If you have knee problems, don't lower your buttocks too far. Keep your knees behind your toes.
relaxation
After all the exertion, it's important to consciously relax your pelvic floor. To do this, lie on your back and prop your legs up on a chair or exercise ball. Place a rolled-up towel under your pelvis, slightly raising it. Remain in this position for a few minutes, as this actively relieves pressure on the pelvic floor.
Our products for pelvic floor training
Pelvic floor training with weights
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Pelvic floor training with the Pilates ring
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Always seek medical advice
Important note: This article contains only general information and should not be used for self-diagnosis or treatment. It is not a substitute for a consultation with a doctor.
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