Pelvic floor workout

Targeted training of the pelvic floor muscles is a particularly tried and tested form of treatment for overactive bladder and bladder weakness. The exercises used for this can be done easily at home or even when you're out and about.

Unfortunately, most women with a sensitive bladder are still reluctant these days to discuss this subject with their doctor or pharmacist. This results in many missed opportunities to treat overactive bladder or bladder weakness (incontinence).

However, we do now have quite a good understanding of what triggers the unpleasant symptoms when urinating, the constant "need to go" and the loss of bladder control. One of the causes is hormonal changes during the menopause, for example. These lead to the pelvic floor and sphincter muscles no longer working like they used to. Besides this, however, the unpleasant symptoms can also be caused by pelvic organ prolapse – particularly in women who have given birth multiple times.

The pelvic floor muscles

 

The thick sheet of muscles forming the pelvic floor is one of the most important groups of muscles in the body. This "muscle core" is made up of several muscles and supports the organs (bladder, bowel and womb) from below. The external openings of the body (urethra, anus and vagina) are embedded in the pelvic floor and the muscles are tightly wrapped around them.

An active pelvic floor thus provides a support and closure function for the pelvic organs mentioned. If the pelvic floor muscles are weak, however, the organs may slip down. This can lead, for example, to the sphincter muscles no longer being able to withstand increasing pressure, such as occurs when you cough, sneeze, laugh or lift heavy objects, for example, and so urine accidentally leaks out.

You can influence your pelvic floor muscles in exactly the same way as your arm and leg muscles and they can therefore be trained using a targeted workout. The difficulty with such specific exercises has to do with the fact that many people have little awareness of their pelvic floor. As a result, the abdominal or gluteal muscles are often tightened during training without including the pelvic floor muscles.

Be patient! Successful pelvic floor muscle training does not happen overnight. But regular training will reward your efforts and ultimately lead to your symptoms being relieved or even banished altogether.

What you need to think about before training

General advice

The exercises are a menu from which you can pick to put together your own individual training programme. When you do this, pick out exercises which you can manage without too much trouble. Don't overdo it! What's important is not the number, duration or level of difficulty of the exercises but the fact that you do them every day.

So make the training part of your daily routine, as it will only work if you do it regularly!

There are many causes of bladder weakness. So talk to your doctor about your symptoms so that he can put together the best treatment for you. If you need extra support, you can consult a physiotherapist.

 

Getting ready for training

Before you start your daily exercises, you should prepare as follows:

  • Wear comfortable, light and warm clothing.
  • Empty your bladder completely.
  • Set aside time for the training and create a pleasant, calm atmosphere for yourself.
  • Breathe slowly and deeply, switch off and let go of your everyday worries for a while.
  • Relax and focus consciously on your body. Soft background music can help you with this.
And now you can start!

Tips for everyday life

It's not just exercises that are important for maintaining an active pelvic floor, but daily habits also play a big part.

Don't use your belly to push when urinating but allow the urine to flow, and empty your bladder completely by waiting for a moment after the first urine has passed so that the rest of the urine can flow out. Do not push hard when having a bowel movement either – this leads to excessive stress on and stretching of the pelvic floor.

Avoid standing for too long and relax your pelvic floor by lying on your back and putting your legs up.

Always tighten your pelvic floor muscles when you sneeze or cough.
Incorporate the exercises into your daily routine – "squeezing in" in particular is something you can practise anywhere: when you're sitting down, standing, lying down, at the supermarket checkout, in the street or on the bus. When doing this, concentrate on your pelvic floor and imagine that you are using all your strength to lift something up inside you.