Pelvic Floor Exercises - how do you remember?

Hi

Just wondering how other people remember to do their pelvic floor exercises?! The only time I remember them is when my aquanatal instructor tells us to do them! Other than that, I never remember about it.

So what are you tricks? Do you put an alarm on to go off, do you do them when you drive or when you do something else that you do all the time?

I guess I should do them whenever I am on BB but I would constantly be doing it because I am on here all the time! :cryinglaugh:

In my belly buddies, we used to do the odd Pelvic Floor! reminders, just seeing the words helped! You could put a post-it next to the kettle (wite "PF exercise" or "Kegels" on it if you don't want the world to know what you're doing) so every time you make a drink you are reminded.

Good luck!

When I was still working, I'd do them when I passed a certain bridge on the way to work and back home again. But sadly, I don't pass that bridge any more and have forgotten them ... now I do them very sporadically.

I do them (when I remember) on my way to and from work when I stop at the lights. But if I go on the freeway I don't do them as much ;)

I forget on the weekends to do them though!

Thanks guys!

I was thinking that the best time to do them would be to and from work and whenever I am driving around. I must leave myself a note in the car so I remember to do it everytime I go past the lights or something like that.

Ryn - I like the pelvic floor reminder in belly buddies. I must ask the girls if they are doing it and if they arent I might start reminding everyone.

I used to try to remember them while I was on my way to work. I'd remember some days, but not everyday. Basically, i was doing them whenever I remembered.
And always did them at Yoga because the instructor reminded us constantly.
I think I'm the type of person who forgets things too quickly so I need a post-it note or something stuck somewhere I go often so I remember!

I use to do them in the car - must get back into that :)

When I was still working, I used to do them while I was standing waiting for the photocopier/fax machine. Now that I'm on maternity leave, I've been a bit slack aobut it and only remember them occasionally.

I dont even know what they are so im pretty sure im not doing them!

CelticMoon - Pelvic floor exercises or kegals are good for strengthing the pelvic muscles that are important during labour.

I hope someone can explain them because I cant really!! Its kinda like trying to stop your urine flow half way and holding for maybe 10 seconds, letting go and going again.

If someone has a better explaination, please post!

Pelvic floor exercise


First get to know what it feels like and how to do it.
When you go to the toilet (for a wee) try to stop the urine mid stream, and hold it for a few seconds. Try to do this 2 or 3 times each time you go to the toilet. After you have mastered this the next step is to not only stop the flow of urine but to pull the urine out of the toilet and back into your bladder (not for real). You can imagine how hard your muscles would have to pull up to do this and that is what you should aim for.
When you know what it feels like and how to do it. You should do the same thing throughout the day. A good idea would be to use a prompt to encourage and remind you to exercise. For example, exercise every time you sit down and before you get up again. After a few weeks you will be exercising without even thinking about it.

And another way:-

Sit on a dining room type chair.
Spread your knees apart.
Lean forward so that you can feel your vulva touching the chair seat.
Now imagine that you have got diarrhoea and are not near a toilet.
Pull up your muscles in you bottom.
Hold your mules in that position.
Next try to lift your vulva of the chair seat by just using your pelvic floor muscles.
Hold that for 10 seconds.
Repeat this about 10 times.

For best results you need to do this about 8 times a day.

CelticMoon

they help to stop you peeing every time you cough, sneeze or laugh later in your life. They also help to reduce the chance of a prolapse

That makes a lot more sense now we just get told to "suck it up" at aqua arobics and I kept wondering what exactly we were supposed to be sucking up LMAO sounds a bit wrong my apologiese..

Thank you for explaining I know what u mean now, looks like toilet time is going to be a whole different experience lol.

I do them when I remember while driving to/from work - good opportunity as I spend around 2.5 hrs per day driving........

CelticMoon, I'm sure Alan will correct me if I'm wrong but AFAIK you should only do your pelvic floor excercises on the loo a couple of times so that you can learn to identify the muscles involved and check how strong they are - if you can't stop the flow once it's started you need to work on being able too.
Once you know which muscles to use you should do them as you go about your day not on the loo.

they also improve your sexlife ;)

I think you're right Chloe. Also, our hossy physio told us it's a good idea once a day to do them standing up. The rest of the time sitting down is fine, but once a day standing is meant to be good. I'll be happy if I remember them more than once in a day though LOL!

Well since I posted this thread I think I have remembered to do it once or twice! I've decided to do it everytime I stop while driving. But I still think I need to put a post-it note in my car to remember!!

I am a little concerned that I am not doing it correctly. My aquanatal instructor said to be careful that we are not doing the bum muscles and mistaking them for the pelvic floor muscles... I do feel like I am tensing my bum... I must try stopping my urine to indentify the muscles!

Dachlostar
You are correct. The toilet thing is only to teach you how to do them. Also I forgot to mention the sex side of it.


Ngala
Try sitting on the chair and doing them. If you can lift your vulva off the chair seat then you are doing them right.

I think I can do it right. I went and stopped my flow so I know what needs to be used. I think just when I sit in the car in a certain way then it feels like I am doing my bum. The seem to be a lot hard to do while standing up!

They are harder o do standing but if you can then its the best position

hmm maybe I will try and do them whenever I fill up my water bottle?? I would be pretty funny to watch cause I concentrate so much trying to do it..

LMAO I just got a mental pic of you standing there in yout PJ's filling water bottle and a very strange expression on your face.

Re: post it note, just make sure it doesnt distract you if you have an accident im sure it will be mighty interesting to explain to police "but officer I was distracted with pelvic exercises!" lmao

If you're not sure you've got it right, you can make an appointment to see a womens health physio or a continence nurse as they can do an examination of you and see if you are doing the right thing. They can even measure your muscle strength and talk about ways to strengthen them post birth too.

Ditto Feathertop! I feel much better about how I'm doing them since the physio checked me. Now I just need to remember a little more often hehe!

I did them everytime I went to the toilet (after I had finished!). Towards the end of my pregnancy I was doing them very frequently, lol.:p