Do you suffer from leaking? Do you get pelvic pain? Or do you feel you are weak around your pelvic area? You may have a weak pelvic floor or you may struggle to activate the muscles around this area correctly.
By becoming more aware of your pelvic floor muscles you will be building your brain-muscle connection and improve the ability to activate them easier. This may help with pain relief and leaking. Now, for the top 3 tips on how to check your own pelvic floor muscle activation.
Tip 1: The Toilet Stop
The next time you are on the toilet, try to stop your urine midstream. Do not do this as an exercise consistently, it’s not recommended to practice this regularly. But give it a go and see if you can stop the urine flow. You can also practice this same contraction when your bladder is full to give your muscles an extra challenge.
Tip 2: The Muscle in the Mirror
This exercise always seems a little strange but it’s a great way to know if your pelvic floor is activating correctly. Grab a small hand mirror and place it in front of your pelvic region. Try to gently squeeze your pelvic floor muscles and watch what happens in the mirror. You should see a small movement happening at your front and back passage. This action involves a gentle squeeze and a lift motion.
Tip 3: The Digit Check
Take your index finger and insert it a little way in your front passage (1-2cm is normally enough) and then try to squeeze your pelvic floor muscles. You want to feel some pressure closing around your finger. You could also insert your finger in a little bit further and press gently to the side to check your deeper layer of your pelvic floor. For this contraction you want to also feel a bit of a lift onto your finger. None of these checks should be sore or uncomfortable, so if they are please stop.
Are you concerned about your pelvic floor health?
Vanessa our Women’s Health Physiotherapist would love to help you! She is highly experienced in all of your pelvic health needs. Vanessa has birthed two lovely children so she certainly understands the difficulties of pregnancy. Book in to see her today by clicking the link https://forgewestend.com.au/book-online/
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