Healthful Hints

Women's Health

Pelvic Floor Exercises

Pelvic floor exercises are all about strengthening muscles that lie between the legs, and surround the anus, vagina and urethra. Approximately 1 in 4 women suffer problems with urinary incontinence at some point in their lives. This may be due to weakness in the pelvic floor.

Some symptoms of weakness may be:

Leaking, especially with laughing, coughing or lifting
Difficulty making it to the toilet on time.
Going to the toilet more than 6 times per day.
Going to the toilet “just in case”
Getting up in the night more than once to go.

If you have a problem in one of these areas, you may have a weakness in your pelvic floor muscles. There are many causes of weak pelvic floor. Pregnant women may suffer due to the increase in pressure exerted on the pelvic floor by the unborn baby. Senior citizens often experience leaking as the muscles of the pelvic floor, like all muscles, weaken with age.

Diet can have an impact on pelvic floor, as substances such as alcohol and caffeine may irritate the bladder.

Due to the association between the pelvic floor and the abdominal muscles, many people who have had abdominal surgery may also experience weakness. There is a whole host of possible influencing factors.

At Auscare Physio, we can provide you with information to help you change poor bladder habits, and explain how and why you may be experiencing problems.

The following exercises are part of a program designed to improve pelvic floor strength:

Lie on your back with your knees bent. Lift your pelvic floor by gently squeezing the muscles around your vagina as though you were trying to stop yourself going to the toilet. Hold for 10 seconds, then relax. Repeat this three times
In the same position, try some 'quick flicks' or fast strong contractions.
Try the same squeezes while sitting forward in a chair with your elbows on your knees and your back straight. If you are leaning forward correctly, you will feel the contraction around your vagina. If you lean backwards, you will feel yourself tighten around the anus.
Try the same squeezes in positions such as standing at the mirror cleaning your teeth, cooking dinner or hanging up the washing. As you get stronger, you can practice squeezing while coughing, laughing and lifting heavy objects. These activities all put an increase in strain on the pelvic floor so it is important for your pelvic floor to be strong enough to work under these circumstances.