Benefits of a healthy pelvic floor

Benefits of a Healthy Pelvic Floor

There are many benefits to having a healthy pelvic floor including preparing for poor bladder control, preparing your body for child birth and improving your sex life.

Help to cure or reduce the symptoms of poor bladder control

Poor bladder control is often known as stress incontinence. This occurs when there is an increased pressure put on your bladder i.e. when you cough, laugh, sneeze or exercise. The reason you leak urine is because your pelvic floor is unable to contract quickly enough to stop the urine coming out. So by improving your pelvic floor muscle strength by doing pelvic floor exercises, you can start to reduce and even stop those annoying leaks you may be experiencing. It takes time and commitment to do these exercises, but they do pay off in the long term. For symptoms to improve, you are looking at around 6-12 weeks before any benefits will be noticed. Devices such as Aquaflex cones and the Pelvic Floor Educator can help you do your pelvic floor exercises correctly. They will allow you to check your improvement and also help remind you to do the exercises! Stress incontinence or poor bladder control is an extremely common condition. In a recent UK survey, 41% of women reported experiencing leakage of urine when coughing, laughing, sneezing or during exercise in the past 12 months.

1 Haslam J (2004). The prevalence of stress urinary incontinence in women. Nursing Times, 100: 20; 71-3

Help reduce the likelihood of poor bladder control in later life

A strong and healthy pelvic floor can help to keep the symptoms of stress incontinence at bay, which is why pelvic floor exercises are important to do on a daily basis. If a strong pelvic floor is developed in your earlier years of life, then chances are you will be in control of your bladder as you get older, especially when the menopause and ageing is against you!

Prepare you for the rigours of pregnancy and recovery after childbirth

It is a fact that one in three women will be left with a weakened pelvic floor and poor bladder control following pregnancy and childbirth. During pregnancy the supporting structures (pelvic floor muscles, ligaments and connective tissue) can become stretched from as early as 12 weeks into your pregnancy. Pregnancy symptoms, such as constipation, can stretch and weaken your pelvic floor further. Having a strong pelvic floor can limit the damage that can be done, and may reduce the likelihood of tearing of the perineum and needing an episiotomy. Strong healthy muscles will assist in the birth and whilst they will be stretched and possibly damaged, they will recover much quicker than already weakened pelvic floors. Pelvic floor exercises should be done throughout your pregnancy.

Improve your sex life

Orgasm is related to the pressure of the pelvic floor muscles, so the stronger you can squeeze the muscles, the more intense orgasm you will feel!

Reduce the likelihood of prolapse

Pelvic organ prolapse occurs when the pelvic floor muscles become weak or damaged and can no longer support the pelvic organs. A good pelvic floor exercise routine can reduce the risk of a prolapse.

Exciting news!!!!

Neen's incontinence products are to be featured on Channel 4's Embarrassing Bodies early 2009. Watch this space to find out when.