These exercises can be done after mastering your specific regimen of pelvic floor exercises, as prescribed by your physiotherapist.
1. Pelvic Lift Rolled towel or small ball between the knees, lie on your back with knees bent and feet slightly apart.
Draw your pelvic floor in (like to hold back gas or urine), draw your belly button in towards spine, squeezing the knees together, then lift the buttocks and hold for 5 seconds.
Don't hold your breath (count aloud to help). Repeat 3-5 times once a day.
Progression: perform with the hands clasped above the chest, arms straight.
2. Squat Can be done with a chair, as the important part of the exercise is actually the standing up movement.
Squat as if you are going to sit on the chair but hover 1 inch above it, draw your pelvic floor in first then stand back up.
This helps with the kind of incontinence that is particularly felt as one stands up, as it re-teaches the brain how to activate the pelvic floor before changes of pressure (which happens when we stand up). The same principle can be used just before a sneeze or a cough (squeeze before you sneeze).
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