How to Tighten Pelvic Floor Muscles

Tighten your pelvic floor muscles with targeted exercises.

Pregnancy, childbirth, obesity and aging may all cause your pelvic floor muscles to weaken, which may lead to embarrassing incontinence or leaking of the bladder. Like all other muscles in the body, however, the pelvic floor muscles can be strengthened through exercise. Improving the strength of your pelvic floor muscles can help with bladder control and related sexual problems, and the most effective way to strengthen them is by doing Kegel and pelvic thrust exercises.

Instructions

Kegel Exercises

1. Identify which are your pelvic floor muscles. Urinate and try to stop your urine flow by contracting your pelvic muscles. Pay attention to the feeling of interrupting the urine flow. These are the muscles you want to concentrate on.

2. Contract and release your pelvic floor muscles every time you urinate. Do it three to five times each urination, and over time you will regain control over your bladder flow and the triangle and hammock muscles that you are targeting to improve.

3. Lie on the floor or a padded surface after emptying your bladder. Squeeze your pelvic muscles, pulling in for a count of five. Release for a few seconds and repeat. Do this movement 10 to 12 times in one "pelvic workout."

4. Exercise your pelvic muscles while sitting on a chair, at your computer desk, while driving or as you watch TV at night. Contract and release. No one has to know you are doing these exercises except you.

Pelvic Thrust Exercise

1. Lie on a padded surface with your arms straight at your sides and your palms facing down. Place your feet flat on the floor with your knees bent upward.

2. Push off with your feet and hands, and lift your pelvis up. Reach up as far as you can lift it, exhaling your breath out as you lift. Tighten your abs, gluts and hamstrings on the way up. Hold for a count of three, then release all muscles and lower back to the floor.

3. Repeat this thrust 10 to 12 times at first. As you get stronger, increase to 20 times.

Tips & Warnings

• The biggest challenge for women doing these exercises is remembering to do them during the day, everyday. You should start to see improvement in bladder control and leakage in four to five weeks. As you get closer to the 10- to 12-week mark, the improvements should be very strong. These exercises need to become part of your daily routine, like washing your face or brushing your teeth. You can then be confident there will be no leakage accidents, especially when you sneeze, cough, work out or lift a heavy object.

• Check with your doctor if you have any questions about these exercises.

References

• MayoClinic.com: Kegel Exercises: A How-to Guide for Women
• Medic8: Pelvic Floor Muscles
• LiveStrong.com: Pelvic Thrust Exercises

Resources

• GeorgiaHealthInfo.gov: Kegel exercises: How to Strengthen Pelvic Floor Muscles