As women we love to work out our core, triceps and glutes and we make an extra effort to look lean, feel good and supple. The least attended to muscles are located in our pelvic floor. Kegels anyone?
Like other muscles in our bodies, pelvic floor muscles can be strengthened so that we can avoid or cure incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and pelvic pain. Oh and you don't have to have had a baby to experience this, women who are frequently lifting heavy objects, obese, have had surgery in the pelvic area, or trauma to the region, ageing, and frequent straining can cause dysfunction.
Symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction include:
-accidental leaking small amounts of urine when you cough, laugh, jump, bend, lift, sneeze or exercise
-frequent urination (average women should urinate about 5-7 times a day while consuming about 2L of 💦 water.
-painful intercourse
Practicing pelvic floor exercises and having an open talk with your OBGYN can help heal an uncomfortable and some time menacing situation. Next time you are at your yearly check up with your primary care or OBGYN it doesn't hurt to describe any pain during sex, or frequency in urinating.
I feel like I am always running to the bathroom like a maniac, about a thousand times a day!!! It's a real issue and a huge joke in our house, I've come to be called the "pee monster" by my son, my husband makes hissing sounds when we are in the car, and I swear I have lost count of the times he has literally made me pee in my pants. I mean he is a funny guy, but seriously could I be in the beginnings of incontinence? Or is this all normal? Well, to be honest, ever since I can remember even as a young girl I peed a lot, all the time. Liquid just has a way of flowing right through me, but recently things have changed.
After the birth of my children I was told to practise Kegels but there was no follow up or questions about it, or personal trainer who encouraged me to do my kegels. Just like many things in female reproduictive health we don't really hear about the pelvic floor and how important it is to keep it in good shape.
So since I am being honest and letting the world know that on occassion as a grown woman I have peed on myself, I should admit that I have never fully committed to any Kegel program, like I have to squats or 30 mins a day of cardio, so as an experiment today Feb 1, I am starting my 28 days of Kegels and I am going to record and see if I see any differences. Wanna join in? Set yourself up for success and pick a time of the day that works, driving to work, right before bed, when you wake up before getting out of bed, just pick a time and stick to it. Carve that time out for a 5 min Kegel session in the hopes of toning this hammock type muscle that can repay you in great ways. Best results are achieved if you can do these simple, discreet little toning exercises three times during the day, but start with one and work yourself up.
I always consult www.mayoclinic.org for medical info, it is a reliable site that has never let me down. According to Mayo....
Benefits of having a strong pelvic floor:
- Research has found that toning the pelvic floor muscles can benefit sexual health and arousal. Just like boys, its all about the blood floor, toning and exercising your pelvic floor increases blood floor and possibly pleasure in that area. Who doesn't mind that?
For those of you who are wondering how to do Kegels...
- Find the right muscles. Next time you are in the bathroom which if you are like me will be sooner than later, try stopping your urine flow mid stream, if you are able to stop the flow you have activated the right muscles.
- You want to make sure you tighten your pelvic floor muscles and hold the contraction for a count of five seconds, and then relax for five seconds. Try this sequence hold for 5, relax for 5, 4 or 5 times in a row. It's a stamina thing, try and work up to keeping the muscles contracted for 10 seconds at a time, relaxing for 10 seconds between contractions.
- For best results make sure you are not flexing your stomach, thigh or butt muscles, and keep breathing through these exercises. I have found it can be quite soothing and meditative once you get into it.
When will you see or should I say notice a difference?
Results appear in the form of less frequent urine leakage, or need to urinate, and this can happen in a few weeks to a few months, just like anything ladies, we have to commit to this exercise. When you feel disheartened think about how long you have neglected this area, and think about the clear benefits to improving your situation.
