Introduction
It is mainly women who suffer from weakness of the pelvic floor. Due to overweight, several pregnancies and births, the pelvic floor is put under a lot of strain and its function can diminish over time. However, the pelvic floor is essential for maintaining urinary and fecal continence and for the correct anatomical position of the internal organs of the pelvis.
If the pelvic floor is too weak, the bladder and uterus may descend or prolapse. This often leads to urinary incontinence, and in severe cases to an inability to hold stool. To prevent these symptoms, pelvic floor exercises are recommended after a birth as part of postnatal exercise.
Even older women who suffer from pelvic floor weakness with incontinence due to age can often significantly improve their symptoms as a result. However, men can also benefit from pelvic floor exercises. Continence can be impaired in men, especially after prostate surgery. Pelvic floor exercises can also help these patients.
Training of the pelvic floor
People who suffer from weakness of the pelvic floor are usually recommended to do specific pelvic floor training. In this way, the unpleasant symptoms caused by muscular weakness (e.g. bladder lowering, incontinence) can often be significantly improved or even eliminated. Pelvic floor training can also help with sexual dysfunction, for example a man’s inability to get an erection or a woman’s inability to experience orgasms.
The training itself should be demonstrated to the patient by a trained specialist (midwife, physiotherapist) so that it is optimally adapted to the patient’s needs. In addition, it is not always easy for the patient to tense the right muscles at the beginning. The feeling for the pelvic floor must often first be learned.
Only if the right muscle groups are activated during the exercises can the training achieve its optimum effect. All in all, pelvic floor training can be integrated into everyday life in a very uncomplicated way, as it can be carried out in various positions, even without the environment noticing. Below are some possible exercises for training the pelvic floor.
- Exercise 1: This exercise is performed in a standing position. The hands are placed against the buttocks for control. Now the patient consciously tenses his pelvic floor for a few seconds, then lets go and then tenses again for a few seconds.
The hands check that the gluteal muscles are not mistakenly tensed. This sequence of tensing and relaxing is repeated about 10-20 times and can be done several times a day. – Exercise 2: This exercise can be performed in a desired position.
The pelvic floor muscles will now be tensed as much as possible. The tension should be held for about six to eight seconds. You can try to build up even greater tension by jerking and pulling together even more strongly in several steps.
The muscles are then relaxed for about six to eight seconds before the next tension phase follows. After ten repetitions the exercise is finished. It should be performed three times a day.
- Exercise 3: This exercise takes place again in a standing position. The patient stands with slightly bent legs and upper body tilted forward and supports himself with his hands on his thighs. Now the pelvic floor muscles are tightened several times and the tension is held for a few seconds.
It is important to ensure that the back remains straight. After eight to ten repetitions the exercise is finished. – Exercise 4: This exercise is performed cross-legged.
The hands rest on each knee. Now the pelvic floor is pulled inwards again and the tension is held for a few seconds. This exercise is also finished after eight repetitions.
- Exercise 5: For this exercise the patient kneels on the floor so that there is some space between the knees. However, the feet should touch each other. The patient supports himself on the floor with his forearms and hands and puts his head on his hands.
Now the buttocks are stretched upwards and the pelvic floor is tensed so that the knees are brought towards each other. A total of eight repetitions are performed. Since it is also useful to strengthen the adjacent muscles in order to improve the function of the pelvic floor, exercises that combine different muscle groups are also recommended.
Such exercises are listed below: Another possibility for women to train the pelvic floor is to use so-called love balls. These are balls that are inserted vaginally and are secured by a return thread. In each ball there is another ball, which is slightly smaller and heavier than the outer ball.
During physical movement, the small ball begins to vibrate in the large ball. This stimulates the vaginal and pelvic floor muscles and helps to strengthen them. The balls should not be worn for too long, especially by beginners, as this can lead to severe muscle soreness and pain.
- Exercise 6: In this exercise the patient lies flat on his stomach and angles one leg to the side of his body. Now the abdominal muscles, then the gluteal muscles and finally the pelvic floor muscles are tensed one after the other and the tension is maintained for two to three seconds at a time. At least eight repetitions of this should be carried out.
- Exercise 7: This exercise mainly trains the abdomen. The patient lies flat on his back and bends his legs slightly. Now the buttocks are stretched in the air so that the upper body, stomach and thighs are in line.
In this position, the abdominal muscles are tensed strongly for about three seconds at a time and then released again. This exercise should also be performed with at least eight repetitions. – Exercise 8: This exercise also strengthens the abdominal muscles, but also activates the gluteal muscles.
The exercise is performed sitting on a stool. The patient now lifts his legs with closed knees and leans back a little to keep his balance. The back should remain straight.
During the exercise the abdominal and gluteal muscles are tensed. The tension should be held again for a few seconds. A total of at least ten repetitions should be done.
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