Everything You Need To Know About Pelvic Floor Muscles

The American gynecologist Dr. Arnold H. Kegel (1894 – 1981) “invented” pelvic floor training. Dr. Kegel was a gynecologist who had noticed that many women temporarily had urinary incontinence problems after giving birth. Therefore, he developed a series of exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. According to the “inventor” of pelvic floor training, pelvic floor training is also called “bowling”. An article from cosmopolitan about new pelvic floor exercises could be an interesting read.

Pelvic floor exercises are simple, and the practical thing about them is that many pelvic floor exercises can be done anywhere without others noticing what you are doing.

Why is the pelvic floor muscles so important?

The pelvic floor has an important function in the female organism. He holds the pelvic organs (bladder and uterus) in the right position and holds the baby during pregnancy. The strong pelvic floor reduces bladder dysfunction (incontinence) and controls targeted delivery of intestinal and bladder contents. Uterine lowering is prevented by good muscles. Also, the pleasure and the ability to orgasm can be increased by a powerful pelvic floor. For the Yoni eggs on your period this is the best deal. For more information about yoni eggs, visit this site.

By what factors can the pelvic floor muscles be negatively influenced?

There are several risk factors that favor the decline of pelvic floor capacity:

  • Untrained pelvic floor: The untrained pelvic floor has little to counteract the aging or the risk factors already described, it loses its durability more easily.
  • Births: At every birth, the pelvic floor is extremely stressed. If he is not trained after that, his ability to hold back over time greatly.
  • Frequent lifting and carrying of heavy loads: This also puts a disproportionate load on the pelvic floor.
  • Hormones: If estrogen production declines sharply at the onset of menopause, it also has a negative impact on the pelvic floor muscles.
  • Overweight: The heavier a person, the more the pelvic floor has to work hard to do its job.
  • Age: The older a person, the more muscle strength decreases.

Why is training in menopause important?

The decline in hormone production during menopause loosens the connective tissue as well as the ligaments attached to the uterus. The uterus can then lower – how far it descends depends on the muscles of the pelvic floor. A slight reduction is often not noticed, but it comes to unwanted urination when coughing or sneezing, it is high time to do something about it.

Why is training important during and after pregnancy?

During pregnancy, your pelvic floor muscles need to withstand great pressure. As a result, they get tired and from week 12 of pregnancy they give way and stretch. Preventive training is advisable.

Just as important as learning the tension is relaxation. If the baby’s head presses through the vagina in the second birth phase, then you should be able to relax the muscles. Midwives think that it is less likely that you have a perineal tear or need a pelvic incision.

During pregnancy, the pelvic floor muscles have done heavy work. Loosened up by the pregnancy hormones the pelvic floor had to carry a multiple of the other weight. The uterus of an adult woman weighs about 80 to 120 grams in the non-pregnant state – at birth, she reaches with child, placenta and amniotic fluid, a weight of about five to six kilos. This weight had to carry your pelvic floor at every turn. At birth, the pelvic floor was stretched very much. If you did not train with the balls during pregnancy, then it is absolutely necessary at the latest after birth.

How can I test the function of my pelvic floor?

The following test should be helpful here. Try to interrupt the flow while urinating. Feel which muscles you use for this. This is the muscle group that you need to work out. Note that this is just a test to find the right muscles.

A functioning contraction of the pelvic floor muscles feels like a squeeze and a slight lift below the pelvis and manages to interrupt the beam! But you can also hop with filled bladder and should escape drops, is an urgent training advisable.

For which women is the training suitable?

Any woman of any age can not start training soon enough because it serves both the prevention and the treatment of weakened muscles. Training is especially important for pregnant women and young mothers because the pelvic floor is extremely stressed by pregnancy and childbirth.

How are the balls used?

Gently insert the Ben wa balls in a relaxed position into the vagina (like a tampon). First insert the first ball and then the second ball so that the balls are just covered by the vagina wall and you can still easily reach the return loop. Here, the use of lubricants for easy and painless insertion recommended. The two balls should sit almost vertically with the return loop down.

How do I train with the pelvic floor training balls?

On the one hand, you can use the balls to develop an awareness of the sensation of your pelvic floor muscles. On the other hand – if the pelvic floor muscles are still untrained – the principle of Ben wa balls is based on a “biofeedback principle”. Each ball has a weight that responds to the movements of your body. Due to the weight of the balls (and the ergonomically adapted shape) Ben wa balls try to slip out – which in turn tries to prevent the pelvic floor muscles. The resulting muscle contractions correspond to weight training with weights. In addition, inside the ben wa balls, the balls swing against the outer wall with every movement. Through an integrated innovative “trampoline effect” (especially optimized function of Ben wa balls secret) gentle “kinetic vibrations” are triggered,

  • The second type is a combined biofeedback gymnastics.
  • The advantages of the already described biofeedback training are combined with special pelvic floor training exercises. The combined biofeedback gymnastics is the most effective training method for best results.

What is the recommended wearing time ?

A training session should last a maximum of 10 minutes. Depending on how long the muscles can hold the balls, the training may initially be under a minute and then increased with the buildup of the muscles. The training can be completed while standing or walking.

Two training sessions up to 10 minutes daily are initially sufficient. Should you be able to keep the joy balls problem-free for over 10 minutes, you should combine the training with gymnastic pelvic floor training.

If you have learned to use these muscles properly, work them out regularly, ideally one to a maximum of three times a day. Daily practice is recommended for sustained exercise progress. It only takes a few minutes and can be done in different positions (e.g. sitting, standing or lying). Nobody sees what you are doing. At first, you may only be able to hold the tension for a second or two. Increase the power to a maximum of ten seconds. Take a break between the tensions, the duration of which is at least equal to the duration of the tension (i.e., for example, five seconds of tension, five seconds of rest). At first you may feel tired after a few tensions. Gradually increase your performance to ten repetitions. You can also train some fast and strong contractions. Tighten your muscles as much as possible before relaxing. Repeat this exercise up to ten times.

How long do I have to work out to get successful?

Most women already feel their symptoms improved after two to three weeks if they consistently apply pelvic floor training balls. The full muscle tone is achieved by the training in about six to twelve weeks. However, the training effect also decreases over time when the muscles are no longer used.

What if you cannot hold the balls?

Important: Not every pelvic floor is equally strong! If you cannot hold the bullets, you should not give up, just try the training several times a day. Even if you can only hold the balls for 1 second, then next time you will definitely feel a small boost. And the result is getting better every day.

Delores Strothers