Pelvic Floor Article
Exercise and Incontinence

Stress incontinence is when you leak urine because there is extra pressure on your bladder, for example when you cough, sneeze, do exercise or lift something heavy. It develops when the mechanism for keeping the bladder outlet closed is weakened. Stress incontinence is a common condition experienced by one in three women. It is brought about by an overall weakness in the pelvic floor muscles; the most obvious cause is pregnancy and childbirth, but there are other factors to be taken into account.

Pelvic floor exercises have been a recognized form of conservative therapy for stress incontinence, urge incontinence , and to improve sexual stimulation . Exercising your pelvic floor with a pelvic floor exercise device offers biofeedback and adjustable resistance (depending on the device you chose). Pelvic floor exercises may be done with other activities, such as watching television, ironing, or relaxing. Because it may take several weeks to notice an improvement, it is important that you continue doing these exercises. Pelvic floor exercises will strengthen the muscles of pelvic floor, and may enhance the ability to retain the pessary in the vagina.

Pelvic floor exercises should be practised by all men from puberty onwards to prevent problems developing in later life. If your pelvic floor muscles are weak you will have a greater tendency to leak urine or have problems gaining or maintaining your erection.

Pull in and tense your pelvic floor muscles, as if stopping the flow of urine. Hold for five seconds, then relax. Pull in the muscle tight and up as if to stop passing urine and at the same time pull in the muscle tight and up the back passage. You should be able to feel the perineum. Pull your belly button towards your spine, so that your back flattens against the wall. Hold for four seconds and release.

Squeeze as if trying to stop the flow of urine or hold back gas. Don't hold your breath. Squeeze and count to three then relax and count to three. Squeeze the pelvic floor as though you are trying to tighten around your finger and pull it up into the vagina. By sensing the tightness around your finger, you can measure how strong the muscles are and how well you can hold the squeeze.

For more information please refer to the following pages.  Pelvic Floor Exercises, Incontinence, Incontinence Products

by Gail Burton -

Back to Top

###