Cycling and Your Pelvic Floor: Is it Helpful?

Many women are wondering if cycling strengthens the pelvic floor. There are many connections between the bike saddle and the pelvic floor to be aware of (including keeping your groin from going numb) though the main question to answer is does cycling strengthen your pelvic floor?

When pairing cycling with other exercises for the pelvic floor like kegels, bridges and planks, your pelvic floor will regain stability and be strengthened overall.

Many women experience challenges with the pelvic floor, the groin area and cycling in relation to the tender area overall. You are not alone, and routeonecycling.com is here to help you regain stability, strength and confidence in one of the most tender areas in your body.

You will learn about the exercises and form needed to complete them in this post. You will also learn about how cycling strengthens the pelvic floor. You will also learn about bicycle fit, posture and other ways that you can strengthen the pelvic floor while cycling.

Finally, we will go over the perineal nerve (not to be mistaken by the peroneal nerve) and why it is important to protect this nerve in the groin while cycling.

What is the pelvic floor and why is cycling good for it?

The pelvic floor is a grouping of muscles, ligaments and tissues that provide the body with a variety of different functions necessary to life. This includes urination, defecation and sexual function.

The majority of the muscles, tissues, nerves and ligaments are attached by way of the pubic bone and have an attachment to the rectum, tailbone and near or around the sits bones.

The muscles in the pelvic floor are necessary to hold the tissues necessary for life in place, and it is important to make sure they are strengthened proficiently.

Urination, defecation and sexual stimulation and function occurs in the correct way that the body would prefer when the pelvic floor is strengthened proficiently.

Does cycling strengthen your pelvic floor?

Yes, cycling will strengthen your pelvic floor. The majority of the muscles, the pubococcygeus, puborectalis muscles, and the coccygeus, iliococcygeus all are strengthened, toned and balanced while cycling.

For those that need an all-around realignment of their core and alignment, press here for a diastasis recti treatment guide.

Further, there is connection to the core which is also a connective muscle to the pelvic floor. When cycling, the pyramidalis one of the most important core muscles that also protects and aids stability in the pelvic floor. Press here to learn to do exercises to strengthen this muscle while you are reading this article.

How can you protect the pelvic floor while cycling?

You can protect and strengthen the pelvic floor while cycling by doing exercises to strengthen the muscles in the pelvic floor. Three great exercises are Glute Bridges, Kegels and Planks.

It is also important to make sure your bicycle fit is correct. This will make sure that no muscles are firing at the incorrect time which would lead to an imbalance in the pelvic floor.

Pelvic Lifts, Kegels and Bridges

Pelvic Lifts are great strengtheners for all of the muscles and tissues surrounding the pelvic floor, the core, the lower back, piriformis and the upper hamstrings.

This exercise is quite possibly the most beneficial exercise for maintenance, upkeep and stabilization of the body.

It is recommended to create time to do 2 sets of 10 Kegels 3 times a week to stabilizes the pelvic floor. This will also keep away any troubling pain in the lower back, along the legs and in the gluteus areas.

Planks

When exercising your core, you are also strengthening your pelvic floor. When doing planks, it may be helpful to also squeeze the glutes to relieve some stress off of the core while also engaging the muscles in an around the pelvic floor.

Choose to do full arm or forearm planks based off of your level of fitness and begin with 20-30 second sets. Do 1 to 2 sets per day 2 to 3 times per week for 4 weeks to notice a change in the core and pelvic floor stability.

Bicycle Fit

Getting a bicycle fitting will be the best thing that you can do for your body, your riding and for your pelvic floor. It will allow the muscles that need to relax to relax.

It will also ensure that you have the right saddle for your groin area for the most comfort. There are specific saddles made so that your pelvic floor will not be compressed which will lead to numbness, and pain in your groin.

It will also allow your legs to straighten out and the glutes to not need to be as compressed while riding.

Overall a bike fit will help not only with pelvic floor stabilization, but strengthening and relaxation as well.

Conclusion

Does cycling strengthen your pelvic floor? Yes, cycling will strengthen your pelvic floor. You will strengthen the surrounding muscles to help with stabilization in the area. You will also work the inner core muscles and help the lower back and upper legs while cycling.

When riding, be sure to pay attention to bicycle fit, and incorporate the correct exercises while riding so that you are able to strengthen the pelvic floor with body weight along with the organic strengthening that comes with exercise.

Over time you will see a significant change in your riding posture, your strength in the groin and the surrounding areas.

If you are suffering any numbness in the groin while cycling, it is recommended to look into carved saddles available to solve for the challenges in the perineal nerve.