Pelvic Floor Exercises

[Bridg]

Hi all, Im just wondering how u actually do pelvic floor exercises?? I can pull the muscle up that stops wee from coming out, and I can do it when having sexy times, but I always seem to pull my butt cheeks up and suck my tummy in. I have never been able to do the exercises properly. Can someone help me please??

[alioops]

It is hard to explain without a visual guide. I recommend visiting a physio!! Personally I try to relax everything and just pull up and relax. I find it is the same muscles used to orgasm.

[aimz78]

I think a good way to try and "feel" the right action for the excercise is by stopping a wee mid flow. It sounds like you might already be doing it correctly. Just repeat the "pulling up" action in sets whenever you can remember. you get better at it as you practice. HTH.

[Bridg]

Thanks for the replies girls. I thought u had to be able to hold the muscle for 10 seconds or so. Is it ok if I suck my butt cheeks up and hold my breath at the same time?
I havent done any pelvic floor exercises in my pregnancy with the boys, and I have never had any problems when I cough or sneeze.

[jackrose]

I second the advice to seek some assistance from a professional, but you really need to find someone who specialises in Pelvic floor exercises. They can be really tricky to get right when you begin to try to exercise them without an expert guiding you, but are really easy when you know how.

I have so often seen people who are doing the exercises incorrectly and very recently had a friend in this camp who doggedly performed her pelvic floor exercises for months in frustration when they have no effect, then after heading off to a professional for advice, re attempted the exercises and then was amazed at the difference it made and the quick solution to her pain and dysfuntion.

My advice (online and without the visualisations as alioops suggests and without me to see what you are doing) would be to go back to basics. If you are using your butt cheeks etc when you do the exercise, you are most likely not only contracting your pelvic floor but also other abdominal and gluteal muscles. You really don't want to use these muscles when training the pelvic floor as they tend to take over and don't really allow you to properly train, you need to isolate the pelvic floor and its partner in crime the transverse abdominus (a really deep abdominal muscle) otherwise the bigger muscles take over.

The best thing to do is to contract the pelvic floor to a really subtle amount, without clenching your butt. I mean a really subtle amount, almost to the point where you don't feel as if you are doing it at all. This helps you to isolate the muscle from the others. Firstly, try to begin while lying on your back on the floor, knees bent with feet flat on the floor. Breath in and as you breath out, really slowly draw in your pelvic floor (concentrate on keeping your butt and everything else relaxed). Your stomach may draw in just a little, but it should more be like a contraction and tightening across the lower abdomen rather than a hollowing of the belly. Hold your muscle contraction breath in and then release the contraction slowly as you breath out again.

You wont need to draw the pelvic floor up much to have an effect, the more subtle the better as exercising this muscle is more about control rather than about brute strength. That is, it is all about internal contraction and control rather than strong contraction of the muscles you are aware of on the outside of the body. This is where most people make mistakes, they feel as if they are not doing the exercise properly if they cannot feel it and see it - but you really cant see the pelvic floor doing its thing.

You have to have faith in your ability at this point and consider that your wonderful brain is doing a lot of the work, contracting the right muscle at the right time. Once you can be sure you can contract the muscle, you can work on holding it for longer periods (ie another breath in and out before releasing) then work on doing it while doing other things during the day, sitting up, driving, walking around, exercising in other ways etc.

I hope that all makes sense and is what you are looking for!

ETA: reading your last post again, it is GREAT that you have had no ill effects after your pregnancies, well done. It is equally great that you are still motivated to keep up with the pelvic floor exercises, it is amazing what can be done when these muscles are working well.
Plus, you should never perform any type of muscle contraction while holding your breath, always remember to breath through the exercise.