Do you experience painful sex? Try these stretches to combat vaginismus

Pain during sex is common and affects more women than you think. If you have been having painful sex due to some underlying condition, try these stretches that might help.

Written by: Arushi Bidhuri

Published On: 24 Jul 2023, 10:27 pm IST

Painful sex — Your posture may lead you to experience painful sex. Image courtesy: Adobe Stock

We have heard a million times how posture can affect your health, but what if we tell you that it can affect your sexual health as well? If you thought your posture doesn’t affect anything other than your appearance, you’re wrong. As it turns out, slouching or having a poor posture can lead to painful sex as well. While it may seem unlikely, the connection between your body alignment and bedroom satisfaction is a topic that may need your attention. So, let’s understand how bad posture leads to painful sex and what you can do about it.

Sexuality and intimacy coach Pallavi Barnwal recently took to her Instagram to share some insights on how a bad posture can impact your sex life and tips to tackle it.

How to avoid painful sex — Know how to avoid painful sex with stretches. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

How does posture lead to painful sex?

Ever felt discomfort during sex? Several studies suggest that pain during sex is not an uncommon phenomenon in women. In fact, the term used for the problem is dyspareunia, which refers to pain during intercourse. Sometimes it can happen due to a condition called vaginismus. The National Health Services (NHS) UK defines vaginismus as the body’s automatic reaction to the fear of some or all types of vaginal penetration. When this happens, you are unable to control how you react to sex. Your vaginal muscles may tighten up on their own whenever penetration is attempted.

While there are several reasons why it can happen, bad posture is one of them. As per the intimacy coach, how you sit can lead to pain during sexual intercourse. A lot of women suffer from painful sex but they don’t know how much of an impact their posture makes on their sex life. “Most women who report painful sex (dyspareunia) have poor posture issues because their pelvic floor muscles have become weak and inflexible because of poor sitting, standing, and walking posture,” posts the expert.

Stretches to avoid painful sex due to vaginismus

If you spend most of your day sitting in a bad posture, you need to do some stretches for the pelvic floor to avoid this strain. Plus, it helps you deal with conditions such as vaginismus. Here are some stretches recommended by the sexuality coach:

1. Seated side stretch

One of the best stretches to help realign your pelvic muscles, the seated side stretch helps improve the flexibility of your spine and enhance nerve function. Plus, it is a good pose to improve breathing. Here’s a step-by-step guide to doing the pose:

Begin by sitting on the edge of a chair with your hands placed on either side. You can also this pose lying down on a mat.
Your back should form a straight line from your lower back to your neck.
Now, lift your right arm slowly towards the ceiling while placing your left arm at the hips.
Bring your arm close to the side of your head by bending your body to the left.
You should feel the stretch on the right side.
Now, bring your body back to the initial position and repeat the pose on the left side.
Learn how to do seated side stretch to avoid painful sex. Image courtesy: Adobe stock

2. Happy baby pose

This pose helps stretch the pelvic floor muscles and the inner thigh. The expert recommends this exercise for anyone who is facing any pelvic floor issues.

Lie down on a mat with your legs folded from your knees.
Lift one leg up and hold your toes with your hand and lift the other leg and hold your toes.
Now, open your knees and legs apart.
Don’t forget to inhale and exhale while you do the stretch.

3. Seated 4 Stretch

Seated 4 stretch will help you avoid sciatica pain along with stretching the piriformis and pelvic muscles.

Begin by sitting at the edge of a chair.
Place your left ankle on your right thigh to make the figure 4.
Make sure that your hips are square, your shoulders down, and your back straight.
Now, try to gently press your crossed leg down but it should be lower than your thigh.
You can lean forward from the hip, keeping your back straight for a deeper stretch.
You can also rotate your upper body towards your feet for an even deeper stretch.
Bring your back to the initial position and repeat the pose on the other side.

stretches to avoid painful sex — Do seated 4 stretch to get combat painful sex. Image courtesy: Adobe stock

It is vital to know that everyone’s body is unique, and the impact of bad posture on sexual experience may vary. However, you can improve your posture by including exercises, stretches, and mindfulness. Also, make sure you talk to your healthcare provider before making any changes to your lifestyle.