Find the right muscles. This is very important.
Your doctor, nurse, or physical therapist will help make sure you are doing the exercises the right way.
You should tighten the two major muscles that stretch across your pelvic floor. They are the "hammock" muscle and the "triangle" muscle. Here are three methods to check for the correct muscles.
You can make these pelvic floor muscles stronger with a few minutes of exercise every day.
- Try to stop the flow of urine when you are sitting on the toilet.
If you can do it, you are using the right muscles.
- Imagine that you are trying to stop passing gas. Squeeze the muscles
you would use. If you sense a "pulling" feeling, those are the right
muscles for pelvic exercises.
- Lie down and put your finger inside your vagina. Squeeze as if you were trying to stop urine from coming out. If you feel tightness on your finger, you are squeezing the right pelvic muscle.
Don't squeeze other muscles at the same time. Be careful not to tighten your stomach,
legs, or other muscles. Squeezing the wrong muscles can put more pressure on your
bladder control muscles. Just squeeze the pelvic muscle. Don't hold your breath.
Repeat, but don't overdo it. At first, find a quiet spot to practice--your bathroom or bedroom--so you can concentrate. Lie on the floor. Pull in the pelvic muscles and hold for a count of 3. Then relax for a count of 3. Work up to 10 to 15 repeats each time you exercise.
Healthy sphincter muscles can keep the urethra closed. Do your pelvic exercises at least three times a day. Every day, use three positions: lying down, sitting, and standing. You can exercise while lying on the floor, sitting at a desk, or standing in the kitchen. Using all three positions makes the muscles strongest.
Be patient. Don't give up. It's just 5 minutes, three times a day. You may not feel your bladder control improve until after 3 to 6 weeks. Still, most women do notice an improvement after a few weeks.
Exercise aids. You can also exercise by using special weights or biofeedback. Ask your health care team about these exercise aids.
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