The Unexpected Way Posture Can Influence Your Sex Life
We've heard time and time again that good posture is essential for a sexy appearance. No matter how gorgeous one looks, slouching shoulders are never sexy. Unfortunately, spending too much time in front of a computer does have an adverse effect on our posture, and as our bodies gradually slip into a comfortable hump, we risk losing our seductive allure.
There's more bad news: Poor posture can negatively impact your sex life as well as your looks. As The Everygirl explains, slouching all day (which can often happen in a work environment) inadvertently shortens the muscles of our pelvic floor. Think of it this way: If you straighten your back and push your shoulders backwards, you are forcing your spine to stretch and lengthen. As you lengthen your spine, you are also lengthening your pelvic floor muscles. On the other hand, a slouching posture is contracting and shortening these muscles, causing them to tighten. As it turns out, strong pelvic floor muscles are incredibly important for sexual satisfaction.
Why are pelvic floor muscles so important for sex?
The pelvic floor muscles are located within the pelvis, near the pubic bone. These muscles support the bowel and bladder and, in females, the uterus and vagina as well. Body With Soul explains that these muscles are vital for childbirth and responsible for blood flow to the clitoris and the penis. Shortened muscles result in restricted blood flow, leading to arousal dysfunction.
Additionally, strong and stretched pelvic floor muscles contain an increased amount of nerve endings. This heightens the sensations experienced during intercourse for women. On the other hand, shorter contracted muscles, which can come about due to poor posture, have fewer nerve endings, resulting in less sensation. In this way, healthy pelvic floor muscles can make it easier for a woman to achieve orgasm, and scheduling sex in a relationship won't have to seem like a chore.
How does posture affect pelvic floor muscles?
Several factors impact the strength of the pelvic floor muscles, including pregnancy and childbirth, obesity, prostate cancer treatment, and chronic constipation. A less-known culprit is poor posture.
If we sit or stand for long periods of time with slouched shoulders and a pelvis that's tucked under, we are weakening this critical muscle group. The way we carry out our daily routines, from working at our desks to washing the dishes, can affect the strength of our pelvic floor muscles (remember that we need these muscles to lengthen to expose more nerve endings and increase blood flow during vaginal intercourse) if we don't maintain good posture.
When we slouch, we aren't using our abdominal muscles or our diaphragm as much, and by extension, our pelvic floor muscles aren't being put to work (via The Coyle Institute). Sitting up straight would force both muscle groups to work to sustain the weight of our internal organs, strengthening them in the long run.
Red flags you should be worried about
There are several red flags that can alert you to your pelvic floor's poor health, and the potential negative impact on your sex life.
The first thing you need to double-check is whether your body naturally assumes a slumped posture while you're relaxed, per The Everygirl. If sitting up straight seems to require too much effort, and it's even painful to keep your spine straight, then chances are your body has adapted to poor posture. If this is what you do all day, this is how your body will seek relief when you are sitting. Similarly, finding it difficult to stand for prolonged periods of time without experiencing discomfort can also indicate poor posture. If you constantly sway from one leg to the other, shifting your weight and tilting your pelvis forward, then your pelvic floor muscles may be weakened.
Other signs of pelvic floor problems include incontinence, painful sex, and conditions like vaginismus (via Pelvic Floor First). Fortunately, there are ways to strengthen these crucial muscles and improve your sex life as well!
How to improve your pelvic floor muscles
The Coyle Institute recommends shifting your weight to the balls of your feet while standing, keeping your knees relaxed. Line your feet with your shoulders, which should also be relaxed yet straight. When sitting, try to keep both feet on the floor rather than crossing the legs, and keep your back straight. Maintaining this correct posture as you go about your day will slowly strengthen your pelvic floor muscles over time, which can lead to improved sexual function.
You can also improve your pelvic floor muscles through targeted exercise. The NHS advises squeezing the muscles between 10 and 15 times while sitting. This should feel like stopping and starting urinating. Hold the squeeze for a few seconds, gradually increasing the amount of time you hold it as you get more confident with the exercise. Pelvic squeezes, together with discovering your erotic blueprint, can work wonders for your sex life and pleasure.