Simple Pelvic Floor Exercises For Urinary Incontinence

Having strong pelvic floor muscles can help prevent urinary incontinence, which occurs when the bladder and/or bowel lose control. These muscles are also important for good posture, balance and movement. The best way to strengthen these muscles is with simple exercises. These include Kegels contract and lift your pelvic floor muscles and bridges, which can be done sitting or lying down. You can also strengthen your pelvic floor and core by doing standing resistance exercises, such as squats.

Ideally, these exercises simple pelvic floor exercises should be part of your daily routine. It may take up to a month or more to start seeing results from these exercises, but if you are committed and persistent, you should be able to improve your urinary continence over time. Some people have difficulty finding the muscles that they need to tighten, so it is important to seek help from a doctor, nurse or continence adviser to make sure you are doing the exercises correctly. They can also recommend other exercises or exercise aids that may speed up the process.

The most popular pelvic floor exercise is the Kegel. This is done by contracting and then lifting the muscles that form your pelvic floor while trying to keep the movement as small as possible. It can be done while sitting, lying down or even at work or when watching TV. The goal is to try and do three sets of eight to 12 squeezes per day, with a few seconds rest in between.

You can do Kegel exercises in a number of positions, but it is often easier to find and squeeze the right muscles while lying on your back. When you find the muscles, hold them firmly for about five seconds and then slowly release them to relax them. Repeat this sequence ten times each day, but you should only increase the number of squeezes if you are able to build up the strength in your pelvic floor muscles.

Aside from Kegels, there are a number of other exercises that can be done to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. These include doing bridges while sitting or standing and doing squats, which are one of the most important leg exercises for improving balance and strength. Walking is another excellent exercise for your pelvic floor and the entire core, including the abdominals, thigh and buttock muscles.

Pelvic floor exercises can be done by almost everyone, from children through to old age. They are a great addition to other types of exercise and can help to prevent or reduce urinary incontinence, constipation, lower back pain, numbness in the legs and feet and sexual problems, such as difficulty with sexual pleasure. It is always advisable to speak to your health professional before starting these exercises, particularly if you have had previous surgeries or complications with your urinary tract or bowel. They can give you advice on how much and how frequently to do these exercises, and can also refer you to a continence physiotherapist who specialises in pelvic floor muscle training.