Poise* Pilates Videos

Watch videos and read step by step instructions on pelvic floor exercises with Poise* Pilates.

Video 06: Bridging Exercises for Women During Menopause

Women go through various life changing stages, from puberty all the way to menopause. Moving from one life-stage to another can result in changes in hormone levels that may cause some women to put on additional weight and thus result in an increase in body fat percentage. Excess weight, especially in menopausal and postmenopausal women is linked to an increased risk of health issues. The changing hormones can also cause muscles in the pelvic floor to lose some strength and elasticity so a focus on maintaining those muscles is important in the later years of life to regain bladder control.

Gentle exercise and stretching is one of the most important activities that women who are gracefully growing older can perform. It assists with and may even prevent many symptoms of menopause like hot flushes, night sweats, depression, insomnia, and osteoporosis. These exercises are recommended for women of all ages, not just those going through menopause. When starting any exercise regime consult your doctor or healthcare professional first and should you experience any pain, pressure or discomfort, stop immediately.

Exercises for Women during Menopause or other life stages Bridging Overview:

In order to complete the bridging exercise, begin by lying on your back with your feet on the floor and engage the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles . Gently lift your buttocks up, followed by your lower and middle back then chest until in position shown in the above video. Take a breath and slowly, in reverse order, return to starting position. Repeat 5 times or until you can feel the muscles have been worked. Watch the video for a full demonstration.

Bridging exercise for pelvic floor muscles

Exercises for Women during Menopause or other life stages Bridging Exercise Step by step:

Bridging exercise - Step by step

  1. Start by lying on your back, feet hip width apart, knees bent up.

  2. Engage your pelvic floor muscles, breathing out, begin to roll your pelvis up off the floor, vertebra by vertebra, peeling your spine away from the floor in a smooth, co-ordinated fashion.

  3. Hold at the top, breath in and return in reverse dropping chest, middle back then lower back to return to your starting position.