Relaxation is your pelvic floor’s ability to fully release tension and return to a resting state after a contraction.
While it may seem natural, learning to relax properly is often one of the most challenging parts of pelvic floor training, and one of the most important.
Why Relaxation Is So Important
A pelvic floor that relaxes well can:
resist fatigue more effectively
generate stronger contractions afterward
reduce the risk of discomfort or conditions like hypertonicity (excess tension)
Relaxation is not “wasted time”; it is essential for progress.
A common guideline from physiotherapists is: relax twice as long as you contract (e.g. contract for 5 seconds → relax for 10 seconds)
Why Relaxation Can Be Difficult
Relaxing your pelvic floor on demand can be surprisingly challenging, even with a healthy pelvic floor.
This is due to several factors:
Body mechanics: releasing tension is often harder than creating it
Mental effort: thinking “relax now” can actually make relaxation harder
Muscle fatigue: overtraining can lead to tightness or cramping
It’s completely normal to find this difficult at first.
Important: If Your Pelvic Floor Feels Too Tight
If you experience symptoms such as:
pain (e.g. during intercourse)
constant tension
difficulty relaxing
you may have a hypertonic pelvic floor (overly tight muscles).
In this case:
Perifit Care(+) is not primarily designed for relaxation-focused therapy
strengthening exercises alone may not be appropriate
We strongly recommend consulting a pelvic health professional before continuing training.
If you do continue using Perifit, focus only on relaxation and avoid strong contractions.
Tips to Improve Relaxation
Here are a few key techniques to help your pelvic floor fully relax:
1. Take your time
Don’t rush. It’s okay to miss targets in games while learning to relax properly.
2. Don’t push to relax
Avoid using your abs to “force” relaxation. This can create the wrong muscle pattern.
Instead, simply let go of the contraction.
3. Focus on breathing
Your breath naturally guides your pelvic floor:
inhale → pelvic floor relaxes
exhale → pelvic floor lifts
Slow, steady breathing helps you release tension more effectively.
4. Keep surrounding muscles relaxed
Make sure your abs, glutes, and thighs stay relaxed.
5. Try additional techniques
Relaxation may require more than training alone. You can explore:
meditation
gentle massage
guided relaxation exercises
After a session, you can gently massage the vaginal entry area to help release tension.
How to Practice Relaxation (Practice Lab)
You can train relaxation specifically using Practice Lab:
Start fully relaxed
Slowly contract once
Slowly release and let both lines return to the lowest point
Rest for 15 seconds and stabilize
Repeat a few times at your own pace
You can also try:
3 quick contractions
followed by a slow, complete release
then a 15-second rest
The goal is always to return to a true relaxed state.
What Can Affect Your Relaxation
Several factors can impact your ability to relax:
Overthinking → trying too hard can make it harder
Natural tension → some people have baseline tightness
Fatigue or overtraining → muscles may struggle to release
If relaxation remains difficult despite practice, consider consulting a specialist for personalized guidance.
What to Look for in the App
In games, your relaxed state is shown when:
the lines are at the lowest point of the screen
or targets return to their starting position
You may also notice that relaxation phases are longer than contraction phases. This is intentional.
Final Note
Relaxation is a skill that improves with time and practice.
Be patient, go at your own pace, and focus on fully letting go between contractions.
This will make your training more effective, more comfortable, and more sustainable over time.