Pelvic floor exercises

1- First you need to identify the right muscles

To identify the muscles located around the bladder opening try to stop your flow of urine when you next go to the toilet. The muscles you can feel contracting are your pelvic floor muscles. If you are able to stop your stream you are using your pelvic floor muscles.

Another way to identify the muscles used for pelvic floor exercises is to tighten the muscles around your back passage (as when holding back wind or at the end of a bowel movement). These muscles are part of the same group and always work with the muscles located around the bladder opening.

2- Do the exercises

Now start with these simple exercises:

Exercise 01

Squeeze and release your pelvic floor muscles 10 times. Practice these squeezes sitting, standing or lying down – wherever you are most comfortable.

Once you can complete 10 squeezes easily, gradually increase the number of squeezes you do each time to 20, then 30, until you can do 40 or 50 at a time.

Exercise 02

• Sit on a firm chair with your feet flat on the ground.
• Now tighten up the pelvic floor muscles and imagine pulling them up in inside you, without tightening your buttock muscles.
• Try to pull up the muscles until they feel level with your pubic bone, then pull up again another level.
• Now slowly release the muscles so that your pelvic floor relaxes gradually. Repeat this exercise five times and try to do the routine several times a day.

Make sure that when exercising you don’t:

• Pull in your tummy
• Tighten your buttocks
• Squeeze your legs together
• Hold your breath

You should aim to repeat these exercises ten times a day. To make them part of your everyday routine, try exercising your pelvic floor while you are driving your car, doing chores or watching TV.

Additionally, light exercise such as low impact aerobics or yoga can help tone muscles and improve your bladder control.

If your symptoms do not improve, ask your physician, nurse, or therapist to help you. Many individuals need a health care provider's help to identify the correct muscles to use, and help them tailor an exercise program to suit each individual.