When you’ve got a constipated kiddo, you’re always on the lookout for things that can help. You’ve probably tried a variety of laxatives, hidden veggies to help your kiddo get more fiber, or had battles over post-meal potty sits. Well, we’ve got a new one for you and your kiddo — yoga!

Yes, yoga!

We’ve had a lot of success using yoga poses with clients. And we want to give you a sneak peek and share a couple of poses to get you started. You’ll find these and more inside our new program.

But, before jumping in, let’s take a look at the pelvic floor and how yoga helps strengthen and relax it.

What is the pelvic floor and why is it important?

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that connect from the pubic bone in the front to the coccyx at the tailbone.1 This set of muscles does a lot of things. But most importantly, it has a role in constipation. It controls the anal sphincter where the poop comes out.

Unlike a lot of other muscles that we learn to contract to make something happen, with the pelvic floor and pooping, the muscles have to relax to let the poop come out.

This presents a challenge for a lot of kids. The stress and fear around pooping means they tend to tighten up rather than letting things go, so to speak. They need to learn to relax their pelvic floor in order to poop.

This is where our new Yoga for the Pelvic Floor Program comes in.

Using Yoga for the pelvic floor

Introducing our new Yoga Flow to Help you Go program! It's a fun and gentle way for your kiddo to stretch and strengthen their pelvic floor.

First, your kiddo learns how to relax their whole body. This, in turn, helps them relax their pelvic floor. When their pelvic floor is relaxed, they’ll have easier, less painful (or no pain!) bowel movements.

If your kiddo is a withholder (a kiddo that holds in their poop), then there is a good chance that their pelvic floor is tense. They’ll learn how to relax and have an easier go. This program can be a stepping stone to a healthier pelvic floor.

Second, yoga gently strengthens the whole body – including the pelvic floor.

“So, what’s in the program,” you wonder...

A taste of Yoga Flow to Help you Go Program

Because we work with kiddos, we’ve made this program fun, super easy, and portable! You get pages that you can print out and laminate to take on the go. You'll have a stack of yoga poses to choose from that target the pelvic floor and surrounding muscles.

There are three ways you can work through the cards for a session:

Pick one or two poses to do each day.

Work through the suggested sequence.

Randomly pick anywhere from two to 32 cards to make up your own “Flow”

You also get short, follow-along videos for each pose.

Because the handouts are printable, you can take them everywhere with you. Since the poses don’t need equipment and are easy, you can do them anywhere! All you need is enough space to make a snow angel (without the snow). They can be done at home, in the park, or even on the beach.

Our clients have told us this program is so much fun that their kids even get their friends to do poses with them! And, the whole family can join in the fun and get the benefits!

When done regularly, you and your kiddo can expect a feeling of calmness, increased relaxation, and improved movement in the pelvic floor.

Ideally, we recommend doing a few poses three to five times a week. It only takes about 1-2 minutes per pose. You can do a few in the morning to wake up, before bed for relaxation, spread them throughout the day or do them together in a single session. You’re free to do what works for you and your kiddo’s schedule!

This is designed to be relaxing so only stretch to your point of comfort. Don’t overdo it. Remember, easy and fun is what makes this program work!

And, of course, if you have any concerns about the program, talk about it with your doctor.

Here are two sample yoga poses your kiddo (and you!) can start doing today. The poses can be done a couple of times a week or even daily.

Child’s Pose

How to do it: Beginning on your hands and knees, slide your knees wider than your hips and keep the tops of your feet in contact with the floor. Reaching your arms out in front of you with your palms on the floor, bring your bottom back towards your heels and rest your belly between your thighs and your forehead on the floor. You may also rest your head on a yoga block or pillow. Holding this position, take one to two deep breaths.

Benefits:

Opens the hips
Relieves tension in the pelvis
Stimulates the digestive system
Relieves constipation

Butterfly Pose

How to do it: Starting in a seated position, bring the bottoms of your feet together in front of you. Allow your knees to fall out to the sides. Sitting up straight as you lengthen your spine, hold onto your feet while slowly moving your feet towards your pelvis. Try to bend your upper body forward. Holding the position, take one to two deep breaths.

Benefits:

Stretches groin, hips, and inner thighs
Relieves anxiety
Stimulates digestion leading to better nutrition absorption and elimination of stool

If you want more poses, you’ll find a lot more in our Yoga flow to Help you Go Program.

Yoga Flow to Help you Go Program

Our new program is totally different from anything else on the market. We’ve chosen poses that focus specifically on the pelvic floor and abdominal region. These are the poses we use most in our clinic when working with kids with bowel and bladder issues.

Most yoga programs encompass the whole body....which we definitely recommend. But, for our kiddos that have bowel and bladder issues, we like to focus on poses that target the pelvic floor and abdomen.

Our new Yoga for the Pelvic Floor program includes the following:

Printable handouts of more than 30 poses. Each handout has a photo and description of the pose.
Follow-along videos of each pose so you and your kiddo know exactly how to do it and what it looks like.
The benefits of each pose so you know why you are doing that pose.

While we love all forms of yoga, this program is geared toward pelvic floor therapy for constipation. To get our new program, follow this link and click “Add to Cart.” Then, go to your cart and complete checkout. In just a few minutes, you’ll get an email with instructions on how to access the program. Get it now and get your pelvic floor in shape today.

1Better Health Channel. (2021, April 10). Pelvic floor. Better Health Channel. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/pelvic-floor

Pelvic Floor Therapy for Constipation: How Yoga Can Help Your Child