Pelvic floor exercises
You can support a therapy with Gepan® instill by performing active training to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.
Special exercises can improve the elasticity of the pelvic floor muscles. The following exercises are easy to perform. Regular training can help to improve your health.
Please consult your doctor first whether these exercises are suitable for you.
Tips for training
Integrate your pelvic floor exercises into your daily routine, because only by exercising regularly you can reach your training goal.
The following exercises are equally suitable and practicable for men and women.
Never hold your breath during an exercise, but try to become aware of the tension of the pelvic floor while breathing regularly. You can maintain the tension of the following exercises over several breaths or only perform them at the moment of exhalation.
For the exercises in all-fours position, you can support yourself on your forearms as an alternative to the palms of your hands to relieve the load on your wrists. You can then rest your head on your hands.
Try to keep your buttock muscles slack during the exercises, they have nothing to do with the pelvic muscles.
Exercise for perceiving the pelvic floor
Before the training comes the perception, because the pelvic floor cannot be seen and also cannot be felt in the relaxed state. This is why it is important for you to develop a feeling for your pelvic floor before commencing the exercises.
Lie on your back with your legs drawn up. The distance between your feet should correspond to the width of the hips. Place one hand on the area between the pubic bone and the navel. Now push down with your heels onto the floor and try to tighten the pelvic floor muscles by drawing the vagina / urethra and the anus inwards into the body. Draw the pubic bone towards the navel and push the lumbar region into the exercise mat. This is known as erecting the pelvis.
Pelvic floor strengthening exercises
Exercise 1: Lie on your back and stretch your arms and legs slightly angled and loosely towards the ceiling. Please remain in this position for at least 1 minute and breathe consciously into your abdomen.
Exercise 2: Adopt the all-fours position by supporting yourself on your lower legs and hands on the floor. Make sure your head is in a position of extension of the spine and the pelvis in mid position. Now draw the pubic bone towards the navel, tense the pelvic floor and make your back somewhat round. Maintain this tension for 3 – 4 breaths before relaxing.
Exercise 3: Start this exercise again in the all-fours position. Raise your knee from the floor such that the weight is distributed onto the feet and hands and simultaneously tense the pelvic floor. After 3 to 4 breaths release the tension and lower your knee.
Exercise 4: Remain in the all-fours position. First keep breathing deeply and quietly. During the next slow inhalation make a “hollow back” and then, when breathing out, arch your back. Then return to the starting position.
Repeat the exercise 4 – 5 times.
Exercise 5: Sit on a chair or the edge of a stool with your back straight. Place your feet at hip width on the floor and place your hands loosely on your thighs. Now shift your weight forwards towards your feet until you feel a slight sensation of pressure in the front part of the pelvic floor muscles. Breathe steadily through the nose and when breathing out through the mouth attempt to draw the urethra / vagina upwards and inwards. With the next breath release the tension and repeat the exercise over 5 – 10 breaths. If required, occasionally take a pause of 1 – 2 breaths.
Exercise 6: Sit with your back arched on the rear part of a chair or stool. Place your feet at hip width on the floor with your hands resting on your thighs. Shift your weight backwards until you become aware of a sensation of pressure in the rear part of the pelvic floor muscles. Breathe in through your nose and when breathing out attempt to draw the anus upwards and inwards. Release the tension with the next inhalation and continue with this procedure for 5 to 10 breaths. If required, occasionally take a pause of 1 – 2 breaths.