What is the purpose of the pelvic floor?
Pelvic floor health is essential for both men and women as it plays a crucial role in supporting organs like the bladder, bowel, and uterus. Weak pelvic floor muscles can cause incontinence and prolapse, leading to uncomfortable symptoms like urine or stool leakage and a frequent need to pee. However, the good news is that you can improve your pelvic floor health through Kegel exercises.
Kegel exercises are pelvic floor exercises that help to strengthen and tone the pelvic floor muscles. They are easy to do and can be performed anywhere, without any equipment. The best part is that they are gender-neutral, meaning anyone can benefit from doing them.
If you’re on Vancouver Island or Nanaimo, you may have heard of pelvic floor physiotherapists. In Europe, every woman is assessed and treated by a pelvic floor physio after giving birth as a preventative measure. Unfortunately, this practice is not yet widespread in Canada, but many clinics now offer pelvic floor physiotherapy, including specialized care.
Have you ever heard of a pelvic floor physiotherapist or consulted one?
During my third pregnancy, at the age of 42, I saw a pelvic floor physiotherapist for the first time. The physiotherapist used special sensors and a computer monitor to display information about muscle function and contraction. It was helpful to see the muscle contractions and receive direct feedback on the contractions I was doing. Most of us know about Kegel exercises, but many people don’t know whether they are doing them correctly. Having this direct feedback provided by the computer was incredible.
You can even make it fun!
In conclusion, Kegel exercises are a great way to improve your pelvic floor health and prevent uncomfortable symptoms like incontinence and prolapse. If you’re struggling with Kegel exercises, consider seeing a pelvic floor physiotherapist or trying the Perifit exerciser for direct feedback and a fun way to train and track your progress.