Not sure if you are doing your pelvic floor exercises right? Here are 5 ways you can check you are contracting your pelvic floor muscles correctly.
1. Feel your lower tummy
One of your deep abdominal muscles, transversus abdominis, has been shown to contract at the same time as your pelvic floor. To feel this muscle, lay down on our back with your knees bent. Place your finger tips just on the inside and down a bit from the bony points at the front of your hips. When you squeeze your pelvic floor, you should feel a gentle build up of tension under your fingers. If the muscle suddenly bulges under your finger, you may be bearing down instead of contracting or you are over-using your abdominals. Try to use less effort, it is more subtle thank you think!
2. Sit on a rolled towel
Roll up a towel and place it vertically on a chair. Sit on the towel and lean forward so you can feel you can feel your perineum against it. When you contract your pelvic floor, you should be able to feel your perineum lift off of the towel and when you let go, it should lower back down. It may be subtle depending on how much range of motion you have in your pelvic floor. If you feel your perineum push down into the towel when you contract, you are bearing down instead of contracting. It helps to imagine the towel is burning hot and you are trying to draw your perineum away from it.
3. Use a mirror
Lie in a reclined position and hold a mirror up to your vulva. Focus on the entrances to the vagina and anus and the space between them (the perineum). When you squeeze your pelvic floor, you should be able to see vaginal and anal openings constrict and your perineum draw in towards you. When you relax your pelvic floor, the perineum should lower and the entrances open. If you see your perineum descend when you think you are squeezing, you are bearing down instead of contracting.
4. Insert a finger
The easiest time to do this is in the shower. Imagine the vaginal entrance is a clockface where 12 o’clock is at the top where the clitoris is. Insert a finger or thumb inside the vagina around 3 or 9 o’clock. As you contract, you should feel your pelvic floor muscles grip around your finger then release.
5. See a pelvic floor physio
It is always a good idea to see a pelvic health physio before starting pelvic floor exercises. By doing an internal examination or using real time ultrasound, your pelvic floor physio will be able to tell you for certain if you are contracting your pelvic floor correctly. We can then tailor a pelvic floor muscle training program that’s right for you depending on whether you need to work on strength, endurance, coordination or relaxation.
To get your pelvic floor checked book here.
Or go to https://choose.physio/find-a-physio and refine your search to Women’s, Men’s and Pelvic health.
Courtney x
