Written by SMH Outpatient Rehab Pelvic Floor Therapist Shayna Shefrin
Pelvic floor muscles are very important, helping control the bladder and bowels. But as with any other muscle: if you don’t use it, you lose it. And when pelvic floor muscles get weak, it can lead to loss of bladder control and incontinence.Here are two exercises that can be performed at home to strengthen your pelvic floor and combat urinary incontinence without any special equipment.
Pursed Lip Breathing
This is an excellent technique to use if you feel like you might leak urine on the way to the toilet. It will help your pelvic floor muscles contract and provide a distraction.
Here’s how it works:
Inhale through your nose and gently exhale through your mouth, forming an oval with your lips, as if you were blowing out a candle. You should hear a slight “whooshing” sound. Repeat this breath 5-10 times, 1-2 times per day.
When an exhale is performed in this manner, the pelvic floor automatically contracts. It is a gentle contraction, and you might not be able to feel it, but the contraction is occurring.
Using pursed lip breathing as a distraction technique will help you stay focused on calm, steady breathing, instead of worrying about peeing your pants.
Ball or Pillow Squeeze
This is a great exercise to activate the adductor muscles (inner thigh), which causes the pelvic floor to automatically contract.
Raising your hips into a bridge position is not necessary to activate the adductor muscles and strengthen your pelvic floor, but can be a good way to work your glutes and core at the same time, once you’ve mastered the standard adductor squeeze.
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and a folded pillow or 7-9” ball between your thighs.
- Gently squeeze the ball so you feel your inner thighs contract.
- Hold this contraction for 10 seconds.
- Breathe normally throughout the contraction and avoid holding your breath.
- Relax your legs, rest for a few seconds.
- Repeat 10 times.
Do 1-2 sets, once per day.
Both of these exercises will help to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles without needing to do a kegel. Kegels, or isolated pelvic floor contractions, are difficult because the
muscles cannot be seen and can be hard to feel. By doing pursed lip breathing and the ball squeeze, you can be assured that you are exercising your pelvic floor muscles.
With a doctorate in Physical Therapy, SMH Outpatient Therapist Shayna Shefrin specializes in treating patients who suffer from pelvic floor dysfunction at SMH’s Rehabilitation Pavilion.