At-Home Pelvic Floor Therapy: How to Do Pelvic Floor Exercises

This Nutrition Bite features an article by our much-respected friend and expert, Isa Herrera MSPT, CSCS (Full bio below)  PLUS a helpful basic how-to guide.

Recently, the FDA declared that transvaginal mesh surgeries are unsafe as a treatment for pelvic organ prolapse.(1)

This is something that I’ve believed for years.

An astounding one-quarter of the women in the U.S. have experienced symptoms of pelvic floor disorders and dysfunction. (2)

Symptoms like: 

  • Pelvic organ prolapse
  • Urinary incontinence
  • Fecal incontinence
  • Fecal obstruction
  • Vulvodynia (pain in the vulva)
  • Dyspareunia (painful sexual intercourse)
  • Inability to achieve orgasm
  • Painful urination
  • Pressure or feeling full in the pelvis
  • Pelvic pain
  • Muscle Spasms

(Sources 3,4,5,6,7,8)

In many cases, the vaginal mesh surgery that was being performed is unnecessary, provides less than optimal results, and leaves women traumatized, in more pain than they were in, to begin with, and looking at additional surgery to remove it.(9)Other alternatives offered by the traditional medical community, like opioid painkillers or vaginal injections aren’t any better.

But I understand the frustration that so many women feel that drives them to choose these options. After the birth of my daughter, I myself spent years searching for help, being dismissed, and trying ineffective methods to heal my leaking bladder and painful intercourse. I lost years of my life and thousands of dollars trying to find a physician that would actually listen to me and help me get better.

Then, I discovered pelvic floor therapy and was able to heal myself. 

Since that time, I’ve worked with almost 15,000 women to do the same for them.

Because solid, science-backed information on this subject is so hard to find, I’ve made it my mission to educate as many women as I can about it, and I’m hoping that by sharing this information with you today that you’ll be inspired to share with others too.

What Is Pelvic Floor Therapy?


The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and tissues that form a hammock of support in the pelvis. These tissues and muscles support the vagina, bowel, bladder, and uterus. 

These muscles can become injured during childbirth, weakened from excessive sitting, or degraded in tone as we age.(10, 11) In fact, 50% of women over 80 and 40% of women aged 40-69 have symptoms of pelvic floor disorders.(12)

Pelvic floor therapy is designed to strengthen, relax, and tone the pelvic floor muscles. It involves gentle exercise, massage, breathwork, and meditation. Often, pelvic floor therapy includes yoga, abdominal exercises, and Kegel exercises.

There are actually thirteen different kinds of Kegel exercises that I teach to my students. These exercises can be easily learned and performed regularly, even if you’re not particularly athletic or coordinated.

Sometimes, women have been told that “Kegels aren’t right for them” or that “Kegels don’t work.” Usually, this is because they are either doing Kegels wrong, or they are doing the wrong Kegels. It’s important to note that there’s also an exercise called a reverse Kegel, and it’s just as important to learn as a Kegel is. 

Great pelvic floor therapy programs include a variety of Kegel exercises, simply because the science shows that they work. In a variety of studies, Kegels, when done properly, have shown to heal prolapse, improve incontinence, and even increase satisfaction with sex.(12, 13, 14)   

The most effective programs also include a component of physiological and social support, since many women who experience pelvic floor dysfunction also experience depression.(15) Having others to talk to who feel the same way you do is absolutely critical to the healing process.

Can I Perform Pelvic Floor Therapy At Home?


Pelvic floor therapy can be performed by a licensed and trained physical therapist in an office setting.

However, it can also be performed in the comfort and privacy of your own home. 

In fact, studies have shown that home-based pelvic floor training is just as effective, even after 5-years, as weekly visits to an outpatient facility.(16)  

Thanks to the magic of the internet, I have been able to help thousands of women, just like you, who were suffering, to reclaim their pelvic health and thrive.

Even when doctors said they couldn’t be helped.

Even after they had lost all hope.

I’ve poured every ounce of my expertise into creating online, in-home programs that work. After seeing thousands of women in my clinic in New York City, writing 5 books, and educating every woman I meet in coffee shops about the importance of pelvic health, I turned my attention to creating programs that combined the most effective techniques to quickly transform lives. 

For more info on Isa’s amazing work, keep reading.

How Do I Perform Kegels?


These are the basic steps from the Mayo Clinic: 


Step 1: Find the right muscles

To identify your pelvic floor muscles, stop urination in midstream. Once you’ve identified your pelvic floor muscles you can do the exercises in any position, although you might find it easiest to do them lying down at first.

Step 2: Perfect your technique
To do Kegels, imagine you are sitting on a marble and tighten your pelvic muscles as if you’re lifting the marble. Try it for three seconds at a time, then relax for a count of three.

Step 3: Maintain your focus
For best results, focus on tightening only your pelvic floor muscles. Be careful not to flex the muscles in your abdomen, thighs or buttocks. Avoid holding your breath. Instead, breathe freely during the exercises.

Step 4: Repeat three times a day
Aim for at least three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions a day.

NOTE: Don’t make a habit of using Kegel exercises to start and stop your urine stream. Doing Kegel exercises while emptying your bladder can actually lead to incomplete emptying of the bladder — which increases the risk of a urinary tract infection. 

Taking the Next Step!

Sign up for Isa Herrera’s complimentary masterclass “The Feminine Pelvic Power Secrets  Masterclass:  5 Steps to Being Strong, Leak & Pain-Free “Down There” Without Pills, Gadgets, or Surgeries


>>F.ree Sign Up Here

Discover tips and tools you won’t find anywhere else that will help you to feel whole again and in control of your pelvic, sexual, and bladder health. It’s simply your birthright to understand your divine female anatomy. And it’s time you claimed it. 

This is the same information that Isa Herrera has used to improve the lives of almost 15,000 women across the globe. It’s the information that you need to go from confused and suffering to vibrant, pain-free and symptom-free.

Before you consider having surgery or injections — please check out this f.ree resource and tell your friends to do the same. Every woman should have access to this life-changing information.  >>Grab your ticket here

 

.

Main Article Author Bio:
Isa Herrera, MSPT, CSCS is a New York City-based holistic women’s pelvic floor specialist, author of 5 books on pelvic health, including the 2017 international best seller Female Pelvic Alchemy and the groundbreaking self-help book, Ending Female Pain, A Woman’s Manual. She has dedicated her career to advancing awareness of pelvic floor conditions so that more women can find relief from this silent epidemic that affects over 30 million women in the US alone. Ms. Herrera holds a BA in Psychology and Biology from Fordham University and also a Masters in Physical Therapy from Hunter College.

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

Subscribe To Our Weekly Newsletter

No spam, notifications only about new products, updates.

Related Posts

>
Scroll to Top
Scroll to Top