Find the right muscles.
To start, insert one or two fingers into your vagina. Squeeze them by contracting your pelvic floor (it should feel similar to when you try to stop a flow of urine midstream). Remove your fingers and squeeze again, imagining lifting those muscles in and up. Those are the muscles you’re targeting.
Fine-tune your form.
Contracting the muscles is key, but it’s also vital to fully relax them after each squeeze. “You want a toned and supple pelvic floor that contracts and relaxes with ease,” says pelvic-floor physiotherapist Amy Stein. When you release, visualise the pelvic-floor muscles getting longer.
Vary your workouts.
Start with 10-second squeezes followed by 10-second rests. Then alternate these with 2-second squeezes and 2-second rests. The longer squeezes can help you make it to the bathroom when an urge strikes. The quick holds help prevent leakage after a quick impact, like a jump or cough, says Stein.
Do them regularly.
For the best results, Stein recommends doing 10 repeats of both short and long exercises 3 to 5 times a day. Then do the series 2 or 3 times daily to maintain a toned pelvic floor. These exercises are for life.
Wear the right underwear.
While you're working on your pelvic strength, catch any suprise leakage with high-tech Aussie designed underwear specially designed to be anti-microbial, stain resistant and odour-proof, like Modibodi. Not only do they look like and feel like regular underwear, they are reusable so you can say goodbye to all those uncomfortable eco damaging pads.
Visit pelvicfloorfirst.org.au for video demonstrations and more information
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