I feel like many women are uncomfortable talking about their pelvic floor, but it’s important to know how to strengthen this area if you’re pregnant or have had children. A strong pelvic floor can help prevent urinary incontinence and prolapse!
This article will tell you everything you need to know about the pelvic floor, why it matters, and what exercises work best.
What is the pelvic floor?
The pelvic floor is made up of muscle, and it stretches from the pubis (the bottom part of your pelvis) to the coccyx (tailbone). It supports your organs- like your bladder and uterus – and it helps control urination.
We use our pelvic floor muscles every time we urinate and move our bowels.
What happens when your pelvic floor isn’t as strong as it could be?
Without a strong pelvic floor, you might leak urine occasionally, especially when you cough or sneeze.
Additional symptoms of a weak pelvic floor include bladder and bowel control issues, cramping in the legs, and lower back pain.
The pelvic floor’s role is to support the uterus from below, so it doesn’t work properly if it’s not as strong as it should be.
This can lead to problems with vaginal prolapse, which can cause pain during intercourse, urination or bowel movements, and other complications if left untreated.
Here’s what you can do to strengthen your pelvic floor fast
The quick answer that I can give you is to do pelvic floor exercises. They’re easy enough to find online, and there are videos available on how to do them properly.
Unmanaged bladder problems, chronic constipation, and other such issues may all be made worse by a weak pelvic floor, which is why it’s so important to keep those muscles strong.
The key thing with strengthening the pelvic floor is the consistency of training- not just once or twice each month when you think about it but every single day.
Kegel exercises are the most well-known way to strengthen and tone the pelvic floor.
They involve repeatedly practicing contractions of the muscles at the base of your stomach.
The benefits state that Kegels can help reduce or eliminate incontinence, improve bladder control, and enhance sexual pleasure.
See Pelvic Floor Strong Exercise Program By Alex Miller>>
How long does it take to strengthen the pelvic floor?
It takes about 1 week for the pelvic muscles to begin becoming stronger and about 3 weeks for them to be strong enough to feel the impact of stronger muscles.
The pelvic floor gets weakened when it’s not working as hard as much.
Normally, the vaginal canal stretches open wider than usual to accommodate things like tampons or sexual intercourse and then contracts once these things are removed – but with age, this becomes less effective.
It takes more work from other parts of the body or vagina canal tightening mechanisms such as Kegels exercises to replicate this work daily.
This overworking of other parts of the vagina can lead to PFD (pelvic floor disorder), which can cause incontinence or fecal leaks, or anything else involving the pelvic floor becoming weak.
Can you overdo Kegels?
Yes, if you do them incorrectly.
Doing Kegels wrong can cause strain in the pelvic area, which may lead to incontinence or pain during intercourse.
Doing Kegels wrong also prevents the muscles from healing.
The correct way to do a kegel is rhythmic contractions of the PC muscle- think about squeezing an egg out of your vagina.
You should be able to feel these contractions even when you’re not trying.
Hold your muscles for 5 seconds at a time and release before repeating this cycle 10 times every day, but never hold at max capacity for more than 10 seconds or overdo it!
The primary mistake people make when doing Kegels is not contracting the muscles evenly.
To contract them equally, imagine that you want to prevent a single drop of water from falling out of your vagina. This way, every part is equally contracted and strengthened.
The secondary mistake people tend to make when doing Kegels is not releasing the muscles before contacting them again.
To release the PC muscle, press on your pubic bone with your finger and then let it go- it should feel like you are squeezing something out.
If you can’t hold and squeeze at the same pressure level for a long time, there’s no need to worry.
The muscles are getting stronger every time you contract and release them, so as long as you keep doing it every single day like a muscle exercised by someone going to the gym- eventually, they’ll be strong enough!
You can take things one step further by incorporating Kegel exerciser into your daily routine.
Kegel exercisers work to strengthen the PC muscles by providing resistance during contraction and rest, helping you build the strength you need for proper muscle control.
They usually come in a set of three and are smooth, round devices that fit comfortably inside your vagina.
A squeezable ball at the end of each device provides resistance while you contract and release your muscles, forcing you to do a proper kegel every time.
They are great for women like me who have a hard time visualizing their vaginal muscles, and if you are looking for an extra challenge- the harder squeeze of these balls will make it feel like something is missing when you don’t contract your muscles as much.
Can I leave Kegel balls in all day?
It’s best to take the Kegel balls out after about 6 hours.
It is very important that you allow your pubococcygeal muscle (PC muscle) a break every once in a while, just as you would any other muscle group.
The muscles need time to refuel with nutrients and build up strength again, which occurs when they are not being used for prolonged periods.
Leaving the kegel balls in too long can lead to soreness or cramping, discomfort from wearing them for too long, or an infection from bacteria transferring between the genitals and body, which can spread over onto other parts of the body during urination.
How often should I take them out?
The Kegel exerciser can be left inside your vagina for as long as you want, but it’s recommended that you take them out after 6 hours.
If you are like me and have difficulty remembering to do this, it is a good idea to keep a diary of how long you’ve had the ball in this way; you can make sure that you have a record of how long they were inside when something goes wrong.
What if it’s too hard to squeeze my muscles?
If your PC muscle is weak and it hurts or irritates you to contract them, then try sitting on a towel with the Kegel balls inside of you.
This will allow them to stay in a while, still allowing the pressure that a chair usually provides for your vagina, which can make it easier to squeeze your muscles.
Try sitting on a towel with the balls inside for about 10 minutes every day and contract your muscles as hard as you can during this time (but not any harder.)
If you are having a hard time doing it, then try reading a book, watching TV, and squeezing in whenever something exciting happens.
After 6-12 weeks of sitting on the towel and doing kegel exercises every day like this (and avoiding things that make your muscles weak, such as riding a bike or other types of exercise), you should be able to get yourself a set of kegel exercisers and do the exercises on your own. (Read more here .)
What if I still can’t do Kegels?
If this is your first time trying to learn how to contract and relax these muscles, it will take some time for you to get the technique right.
You may end up practicing this exercise for weeks before you get it down well enough to be able to consistently do full Kegels where your muscles are as tight as they can be when contracted.
As long as you keep practicing, your pelvic floor muscles will continue to get stronger, and it will get easier for you to hold them in a contraction.
It just takes time and patience on your part.
Be sure not to give up too soon- if you don’t have the patience to practice every day for 10 minutes, then it may be too much of a hassle for you to do them on your own.
See Pelvic Floor Strong Exercise Program By Alex Miller>>
Summary On How To Strengthen My Pelvic Floor Fast
1) First and foremost, you need to make sure that you are doing Kegels correctly.
Kegel balls aren’t a replacement for proper Kegel training – they only provide resistance while using the muscles and help improve your skills at contracting the muscles evenly.
There is no point in doing Kegels if you don’t know how to do them correctly.
2) Using kegel exercisers will help you get faster results than simply doing Kegels alone. As mentioned earlier, these devices put resistance on the muscles during contraction and release, forcing you to perform proper kegs every time. You can even measure your progress with a chart that comes with the exercisers, showing how you’re getting stronger over time.
3) Try to do Kegels twice every day! You can easily do one set while in the shower and another set right after, using your morning routine as a reminder.
4) Practice makes perfect! The more regularly you do Kegels, the easier it will be to control and strengthen your muscles.
5) There are other things you can do aside from Kegels to make your pelvic floor stronger. Here are just a few:
– Perform squats regularly (squatting is a great way to exercise both your vaginal and leg muscles!)
– Practice hitting a punching bag as hard as you can (this will help strengthen your vaginal muscles and make it easier to hold in pee)
– Practice doing the splits (one of my favorite things to do, so much fun!)
6) Start kegeling right now and have fun with it!
If you’re still having issues holding in pee, feel free to comment below and leave a question or problem for me to answer! I’ll make sure to get back to you as quickly as possible, so don’t worry- I’m always here to help!
Good luck, ladies, and remember to keep smiling (that’s the best part!)
See Pelvic Floor Strong Exercise Program By Alex Miller>>