Updated March 2024

I create customized treatment plans for patients in my pelvic physical therapy practice, but there’s one move that is so beneficial that I tell all of my patients about it.

Keep reading to learn more about The Move I Recommend to All of My Patients - and Why You Should Do It Too!

Whether you actually feel stressed or anxious, or you’re just busy and on-the-go, it’s important to do something for self-care daily. That can look like a lot of things but what is really key is helping your nervous system calm down. Basically, your nervous system is either in a “rest and digest” state or in a “fight, flight, or freeze” state. When your nervous system is relaxed your body can better process the food you’ve eaten (goodbye constipation!), repair your cells (which helps you feel and look your best!), and be receptive to pleasure (hello connection with loved ones!), just to name a few.

Why this comes up in pelvic health is because your pelvic floor muscles are stabilizing muscles. That means that they are anticipatory muscles - they engage and start working when you just THINK about something. It doesn’t matter if you’re worrying about something that happened yesterday, or planning for your fun weekend with friends that’s coming up. Your body lives in the present and it thinks that it has to prepare itself to physically handle whatever you’re thinking about. Which, in today’s technology-driven, fast-paced world, means your pelvic floor muscles are constantly on and working!

Your body lives in the present and it thinks that is has to prepare itself to physically handle whatever you’re thinking about.

When your pelvic floor muscles are not able to relax they also aren’t able to function at their best.

This can cause symptoms such as:

• having accidents with your pee or poop (leaking a little when you don’t mean to or not making it to the bathroom in time, also known as incontinence)

• experiencing painful sex

• feeling like you have to pee very frequently throughout the day and/or night

• having pain in your pelvic floor, groin, lower abdomen, butt, or pelvis in general

• having difficulty or pain moving your bowels (constipation)

Yes, you read that right. ALL of this can happen because of TIGHT pelvic floor muscles!

So how can you help your pelvic floor muscles if they’re tight?

Seeing a pelvic physical therapist for a detailed evaluation of your body and a customized treatment plan that is appropriate for you is best. But you can also start with the one move I recommend to all of my patients!

This simple move is called different things:

• ‘90/90 Rest Position’

• 'Psoas Release'

• 'Constructive Rest'

(It’s similar to ‘Legs Up the Wall’ in yoga.)

To practice the 90/90 Rest Position, start with your back on the ground and scoot your butt close to a couch or a chair. Place your legs so that your calves are resting on the seat of the couch or chair and your knees and hips are both bent at 90 degrees. You could also do this in bed with a few pillows stacked up under your legs so that your hips and knees are each bent as close to 90 degrees as possible.

**Modification if you’re pregnant (2nd or 3rd trimester): put a yoga bolster or pillows under your back to prop you up a little, so that you are not laying flat on your back.

It’s important to stay in your body while you practice this position, and to NOT carry on a conversation, watch TV, or listen to a book at the same time. Try to clear your mind and focus on your breathing and how you feel in your body. After a while you may feel some discomfort ease up, or a tight area relax a little, and you want to note where you feel that release. It could be felt anywhere - your low back, hips, pelvis, legs, pelvic floor, etc. Once you feel the change in your body you can get up. That’s it!

Being in this position helps relieve stress in your lower back and pelvis. It also helps relax your nervous system, which tells your body that it’s safe to relax and repair, or ‘rest and digest.’ When your mind quiets down your pelvic floor muscles get a chance to relax. If done daily, over time this helps your pelvic floor muscles function more optimally.

I recommend relaxing in this position for 5-20 minutes at a time, and it can be done as many times a day as you like.

When your mind quiets down, your pelvic floor muscles get a chance to relax…over time this helps your pelvic floor muscles function more optimally.

It may seem simple enough, but focusing only on your breathing and being in your body can be more difficult than you think! Be gentle on yourself. Like any new habit or exercise it may take time getting used to it. But you CAN do it, and it’s worth trying!

I hope this is helpful! What questions do you have about this position or how pelvic physical therapy can help you?

We’d love to answer your questions and work with you!

Click the button below to schedule an appointment with us if you’re ready to start feeling more confident and comfortable in your body!