Am I doing pelvic floor exercises incorrectly?

[Magicpaintbrush]

I find it really difficult to feel my pelvic floor muscles unless I'm sitting on the loo, at which point I can definitely feel them and do the squeezes - just to be clear I never do them whilst mid wee as I know that is bad for you. I've seen advice to sit on a chair and do them but everything feels squished and I can't then feel them. The only other position I can sometimes do it is when lying on my side, but even then sometimes I can't do it as it's like they are numb and I can't feel the muscles in order to exercise them. If I continue to do the squeezes on the loo am I even doing them correctly? Does anybody else do this? And does anybody else find they can feel the muscles at some times but not others??

I'm in exactly the same boat as you!
Ive not long had a hysterectomy. I've been given some pelvic floor exercises but really aren't sure as like you sometimes I think I can feel them and other times I can't.
I do have a physio appt in Dec so hopefully that help.

I tend to lay on the bed with my knees bent to do mine.

I saw a physio about this following a mild prolapse. Her advice was to try and replicate the sensation of stopping yourself breaking wind, and to do it in a position which works for you (lying down is fine). Does that help?

Thank you for your advice. I think I'm just confused by the fact that some people do this whilst sitting on a chair because I absolutely can't do it that way and it makes me wonder if I'm doing it wrong - everything down below is squashed when I sit and I therefore can't move the muscles, so I'm confused as to how others can (hence me doing it on the loo where nothing is being squashed)? I did manage to do some standing up today, though I can't always - it's the inconsistency of being able to feel the muscles that is confusing me. It's interesting to hear Catnidge that you find this a problem as well, not just me then.

I've not long had a hysterectomy and have been seeing a specialist holistic therapist.

She's told me to ignore the clenching advice we've all been being told.

First of all take a deep breath in, filling your lungs completely. As you breathe out do as you would if you were stopping yourself mid wee, and also stopping yourself from breaking wind at the same time. Then the aim is to draw everything up through your vagina and upwards. Stop. Breathe in. Repeat as you breathe out.

Do it lying down to begin with, then while standing. Always do the 'drawing up' on the out breath.

Hope this helps!

Thank you, I will attempt to try doing it that way and see how I get on.

CremeDeSudo - can I ask, did you find it difficult to do the exercises in the way you have just described? Did you need to practise at it or were you able to do it straight away? Thank you

I had to concentrate a lot and really think about what I was doing. It's become easier and easier though, and I now do it whenever i think of it...at my desk, queuing in a shop etc

I was practising daily!