Sounds crazy? Apparently it’s not. I’ve been reading a lot about the pelvic floor lately. The pelvic floor are those all important muscles that we do kegel exercises with. They support our pelvis and are probably more important then we generally give them credit for.

In all that they do–reduce incontinence, act as a sling for the bladder and uterus (in women), help with childbirth, enhance sexual pleasure–they also enable you to wag your tail. Our tailbone or coccyx is very small and so is it’s range of motion, but you can make it move by contracting and relaxing your pelvic floor. It may take a little experimenting, and you’ll have to place a finger on your coccyx to feel if it’s moving, but it can be done.

As with most things, if we haven’t been wagging our tail all along (and I suspect most of us haven’t been) it might be harder to learn it–the old dog, new tricks philosophy. However, with practice anyone can do it.

When I read this was possible, I thought it was ridiculous, but when I tried, I could actually feel my tailbone move and it forced me to engage a different part of my pelvic floor. If you’re willing to try it make sure you aren’t squeezing you glute (butt) muscles. The only thing that engages should be the pelvic floor. You goal should be to move the tail bone forward and backward. Without an actual tail side to side and circles may be a bit more difficult.

Give it a try. What have you got to lose? For me, it is a sign of even more pelvic floor control, which is key in Pilates.