Few people relish the thought of discussing their toilet habits with anyone. A visit to a women’s health or pelvic health physiotherapist will put you on track for making sure you’re doing your daily pelvic floor exercises the right way.
We know that up to 30% of women perform their pelvic floor exercises incorrectly, some women bearing down rather than pulling up or not relaxing at all.
How to leak proof your pelvic floor?
- Make it a habit to do your pelvic floor exercises daily, and around 30 times each day. You should feel a lift and squeeze when doing a pelvic floor contraction.
- Visit a health professional to examine your muscles internally, making sure they are working correctly. This may be a pelvic health physio, women’s health physio or a GP. Doing too many of the wrong exercises may increase pelvic pain or make emptying your bladder or bowel more difficult.
- It is important to coordinate relaxed breathing while you do the exercises.
- Learn to do the Knack - contracting your pelvic floor muscles before and during activities that increase intra-abdominal pressure, such as lifting, jumping and coughing.
- Improve the endurance or length of time you can hold your pelvic floor muscles. Once you have good awareness of the muscles, it’s time to build up your strength along with using the pelvic floor during other movements or exercises.
What are the do’s or don’ts of pelvic floor exercises?
Doing pelvic floor exercises won’t fix a problem if you’re not doing the exercises the right way. Here are some reminders to think about when first attempting them:
Wrong things to do
- Do not use your inner thigh muscles
- Do not tilt your pelvis
- Do not clench your buttocks
- Do not strongly contract your abdominal muscles
- Do not hold your breath
- Do not bear down
- Do not regularly tighten your pelvic floor while sitting on the toilet to do a wee
Correct things to do
- You should feel lift and squeeze of the pelvic floor
- Your lower tummy may draw gently in
- Initially gentle is better than trying too hard to ensure the correct activation
- When you are sure you have the correct activation, you can add some maximal contractions
- Always remember to let go and relax your pelvic floor muscles after exercising them
Just like brushing your teeth, doing these exercises help to maintain the health of the pelvic floor itself, and the organs that it supports. Twice daily is a great habit to get in to for your pelvic floor exercises.
Reproduced with permission from
Pelvic Floor Essentials (Edition 3, 2018) by Sue Croft
Where to from here?
For more advice on treatment for women (and men) for all bladder, bowel and pelvic pain conditions please drop into LifeCare Cockburn Central at the ARC, located conveniently in the wooden pod at the front doors.
If you have a gut feeling your pelvic floor is weak, phone for an appointment, and we'll be able to help you manage your day to day symptoms and guide you with suitable exercises for home and the gym.
For more information please phone 9417 3733 or email
cockburn@lifecare.com.au GET MORE HEALTH HACKS
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