Shirt’s got her tongue.
World record holder Colleen Quigley, 31, took to Instagram on Tuesday to share the strangest a part of her workout routine.
The steeplechase specialist, who represented the US on the 2016 Rio Olympics, may be seen readying herself for racing with just a little round of tongue-pulling, which she maintains helps release the stress in her pelvic floor.
Quigley removes her tank top and uses it to grab her tongue and pull it straight out before moving it to the left, to the fitting, up and down, holding each pulled-out pose for just a few seconds before moving on or out, because it were.
“Sometimes you drool on yourself — just attempt to calm down into it,” she says within the clip, noting that the technique releases the muscles within the tongue and jaw, which is linked to the pelvis via the body’s myofascial system of connective tissues.
Quigley credits Dr. Noah Moos — a chiropractor specialist practicing in Texas, who has supported various members of Team USA — with introducing her to the tongue-out-of-cheek trick.
While Quigley admits the tongue stretch is uncomfortable and he or she looks “crazy doing it,” she says the outcomes are well price it. “It’s insane what it does on your whole body!” she exclaimed.
Cate Schaffer, a pelvic floor therapist based in South Carolina, told Well+Good this week that “every thing we do with our mouth — eating, talking, yawning — may be linked to our pelvic floor.”
“On top of that, the vagus nerve also has connections to each the pelvic organs, tongue and our larynx of our voice box,” she continued. “So briefly, every thing is connected.”
Schaffer reports that a decent jaw or a change in respiration patterns can result in pelvic floor tension, lack of coordination and pain.
For individuals who want to offer the tongue-twister a go, Schaffer recommends starting with one to 2 minutes of pulling, experimenting with different directions, following each pull with rest, and ending with a mild massage of the cheek and/or temporal muscles that hook up with the jaw.
While the connection between the jaw and the pelvis is undeniable, Schaffer is on the fence concerning the efficacy of the tongue-pulling technique. “Will it hurt to passively stretch your tongue? More than likely not,” she mused to Well+Good. “Is it essentially the most effective technique to improve one’s pelvic floor? Probably not.”
Weakened or tight pelvic floor muscles can put a serious damper on orgasms and even cause pain during sex — an issue reportedly experienced by 10% to twenty% of American women.
A kegel exercise mimics the hassle required to carry in gas or pee — give these sets a try for higher sex.
