pelvic floor exercises - do they work?

[caramel22]

I've read bout pelvic floor exercises - has any females out there done them and if so do they work at making you tighter? and how often and how much needs to be done to notice?

[nat_84]

I'm pregnant so have been advised to do them daily and when ever i can... i guess they do work as so many mothers and midwives have recommended them.

Apparently when you're doing a wee you should try and stop "mid-flow" pause and then release for effective results!

[ummmm]

Yes they do work.

You should do them everyday and the handy thing is, you can do them without anyone noticing....like when you're in the queue at the post office.

[Skreecheeboy]

As a bloke, I have noticed when girls have been exercising them and when they have not. They do work so get squeezing!

[Goodsoulette]

if you want to really work them you can buy little weights to insert, these not only make sure you are strong enough but that you are doing them right. Any concerns and you can ask for a referral to a postnatal physiotherapist, they can test the strength of your pelvic floor and can work the strength for you via electrov therapy.

[bigmamma]

Indeed they do work if you keep up the excercises regularly caramel22 :-)

[Pippa68]

I do them. Mr P reckons he knows when I am doing them too (and I don't mean while we are baby dancing)

I must be very concious of doing the exercises..maybe I pull a strange face!

And yes..they work :o)

[Skreecheeboy]

Can you explain that please Goodsoulette? I have no idea what you mean by "insert"! Do you just have to keep them in for as long as possible without them sliding out or what?

[4getmenot]

nat if I were pregnant I wouldnt be doing them I'd want to be as loose as I could be so the baby can just slip out :-) I'd definately wait till after.

[Goodsoulette]

You have grades of weights, the first is about the size of an egg and weighs very little. it has a plastic tail so you can see it moving to check you are doing the excercises correctly. You do your excercises with it in and then try and hold it in for 3 minutes (if you cannot do this you really really need to go to the doctors and get help, more than likely in need of physio which will involve a device a bit like slendatone but for your pelvic floor). The next day 4 minutes until you get to 15 minutes... then try and complete some household chores something were you move around like hoovering.

You then go up to the next weight which will be smaller but weigh more. The smallest one is pretty tiny and very heavy. You should then just keep working at them.

[Goodsoulette]

In France theyhave special centres dedicated to pelvic floor strengthening I think we should have them here too.

[Skreecheeboy]

I'm in awe of you Goodsoulette and I hope your cat is on the mend!

[spanner7853]

same as Nat_84 i'm pregnant so do my excercises when I go to the toilet. stopping and starting the flow. I used to do them all the time even before I was pregnant though. Sort of a habit. I'be been told that I have got the most amazing cervical muscles (my smear nurse) had ever seen hahaha

[Hellyon]

Forget - you need to do them during pregnancy because evrything is so loose afterwards you'll end up peeing on the floor LOL!!

Practise them during sex - you can actually bring a man to orgasm with your pelvic muscles alone!

[mandimoo]

sorry to jump in with a question, but how much do the weights cost?

[RATTER15]

Have I got a pelvic floor? and if so where do I put the weight, or shouldn't I ask!! and what do i do to exercise it? why would I need to exercise it?

Do men have a perineum? I know we have that same bit as women but is it called a perineum?


Sorry caramel22, im just doing a little hijacking, I wont be long!!

[redcrx]

mandimoo, they have them on ebay lol http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/6-vaginal-pelvic-floor-w eights-ranging-from-15g-85g_W0QQitemZ180118424 966QQihZ008QQcategoryZ67590QQssPageNameZWDVWQQ rdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Goodsoulette]

mandimoo you can get a basic set from boots for about 15 quid, you can get some more advanced ones but they should be all you need.

[girlygirl2]

Might be a silly question but can any one tell me how to do a pelvic floor exercise without the weights?
I mean, do you just squeeze and release or do you have to squeeze for a certain amount of time? How many should you do a day?

[sophie_1003]

apparently a good way of doing them is to imagine you have 3 levels, relaxed is level one, completely clenched is level 3 and level 2 is in between, start on level one then move up to level two, hold for a little bit then move up to level 3, hold for a bit then lower to level 2, hold for a bit then go down to level 3, can also do ground floor where you bear down before and after going up/ down from level 1

[RATTER15]

I certainly ain't squeezing anything I got, that sounds painful!!