The journey towards a stronger and healthier pelvic floor can feel confusing, especially with so many myths and misconceptions surrounding it. Pelvic floor muscles play a crucial role in supporting your pelvic organs and ensuring their proper functioning. By understanding how to control and strengthen these muscles, you can improve your overall health and prevent various issues such as incontinence, prolapse, and even sexual dysfunction. In this article, we provide a comprehensive guide on how to control your pelvic floor muscles effectively for better health and vitality.
Pelvic floor muscles create a sling at the base of your pelvis, supporting your bladder, uterus (in women), prostate (in men), and rectum. Weak pelvic floor muscles can lead to issues like urinary or fecal incontinence, organ prolapse, and reduced sexual satisfaction.
Fortunately, there are various techniques and exercises you can do to strengthen these muscles and take control of your pelvic health.
Identify your pelvic floor muscles
Before you can strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, you need to identify them. To do this, try stopping the flow of urine midstream or holding in gas. Notice the muscles you're using to accomplish this – these are your pelvic floor muscles.
Note: Once you've identified your pelvic floor muscles, avoid regularly stopping urine midstream as a exercise. Doing this often can lead to difficulties fully emptying the bladder or even cause urinary tract infections.
Practice kegel exercises
kegel exercises involve contracting and relaxing your pelvic floor muscles to help strengthen them. Here's how you do them properly:
- Find a comfortable position (such as sitting or lying down) and relax your body.
- Tighten your pelvic floor muscles (as if you're stopping the flow of urine) and hold for about 5 seconds.
- Relax your pelvic floor muscles for another 5 seconds.
- Repeat this 10 times, ideally three times a day.
Make sure not to hold your breath, squeeze your buttocks, or use your abdominal muscles while performing kegel exercises. Focus on contracting only your pelvic floor muscles.
Use biofeedback therapy
Biofeedback therapy is a technique that helps you become more aware of your body's physiological processes so you can control them more efficiently. In the context of pelvic floor therapy, biofeedback devices can help you ensure you're performing kegel exercises correctly. They can either be inserted into the vagina or rectum or placed on the perineal area to measure the contraction and relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles, giving you real-time feedback on your performance.
How Do You Control Pelvic Floor Muscles Example
Meet Sarah, a 35-year-old woman who has been struggling with mild incontinence after giving birth to her second child. After consulting with her doctor, she learns about the importance of controlling her pelvic floor muscles and is advised to practice kegel exercises daily. By being consistent with her exercises and using a biofeedback device twice a week, Sarah notices an improvement in her incontinence within a couple of weeks.
Understanding how to control your pelvic floor muscles effectively is essential for maintaining a healthy pelvic region and preventing numerous issues. Incorporating techniques like kegel exercises and biofeedback therapy into your daily routine can significantly improve your overall well-being. Remember, consistency is key, and improvements may take some time to show – so keep up with your pelvic floor exercises, and you'll be on your way to better health.
We hope you found this guide helpful in your journey to controlling your pelvic floor muscles. If you did, please share this article with friends and family who may also benefit from this valuable information. Feel free to explore our other guides on Pelvic Floor Therapy for more insights and tips!
