Pelvic floor exercises?

[grubbybrat]

I really need to manage this a bit better... I do try to remember to do the exercises, but they don't seem to help much, and I'm wondering if I'm doing them wrong. Does anyone have any good advice? I'm also wondering about the pelvic floor toners you can buy. Has anyone tried them, and do they work?

You can buy this thing from boots that tests whether or not you do it right, cost me a tenner to find out I was doing them fine.

You can get an app (I paid £3 and it was worth it) with reminders, timers and advice.

Before you buy a toner, try doing the exercises whilst doing a deep squat, or sat very upright legs wide open if you can't manage the squat yet. Much more challenging :)

Google Michelle Kenway, an Ozzie physio- she does a great DVD and there is loads of info on the site. she will even answer emails free on the site- anon. I found out about her here on MN.

Oh no PPP! Deep squats are the real no-no if you have weak pelvic floor.
If you go to the site I mentioned above there is a list of safe exercises. Deep squats are ruled out because they damage the PF more.

PF unsafe exercies

Than

Oops, bloody phone. Thanks for the advice. I'll try the physio I think before the gadgets.

That's what's taught to you if you have physio therapy for your pelvic floor??

That's talking about deep weighted squats an how that's bad for your pelvic floor.

If you do your pelvic floor exercises whilst in a deep squat with your back upright it will work those muscles better and harder. Which is why if you have a weak pelvic floor they are better to do! I don't know much about prolapses, if it was that I would take advice from a professional!

Purple, If your pelvic floor muscles have been torn in childbirth (they can get ripped clean off the bone) then you may not be able to contract them properly. The consequence of suddenly doing deep weighted squats could be nasty and mean that you could actually develop a prolapse when you didn't have one as your pelvic muscles will be simply incapable of keeping things like your bladder where they belong. Also lots of women have mild prolapses but don't realize it.

A women's health physio should be able to not only assess the strength of your muscles but find out if there are any gaps or defects due to things like tearing during child birth. They can then come up with an exercise plan that is safe for you to improve your muscle strength. So exactly what they will teach you to do depends on what sort of state you are in!

Surgeons can also repair some of the pelvic floor muscles if physio alone doesn't lead to enough of an improvement.

purple Michelle Kenway- physio- is a professional. She's an expert on PF and exercises. I think you are confused by my previous post- have a look at her website if you want to know more about her and safe exercises.

I have her DVD which shows how to exercise safely, and it shows how no one should do any kind of squat- with or without weights- that is deep or wide legged, if they have PF weakness.

I had a repair for prolapse 20 years ago so have to be careful.

I use a toner, got the tens one out of mothercare. its not pleasant but it suits a lazy cow like me who cannot be arsed doing any more exercise when I get in at night.