Whether you’re a scrooge or not, the festive season is upon us. Queue the towering mountain of stuffing balls, brussel sprouts, and chocolate. It’s the one time of the year where pretty much anything goes, it’s Christmas after all! However, one thing we often forget over winter is just how much our actions can wreak havoc on our pelvic floor.

How Can Christmas Affect Your Pelvic Floor?

• Indulging in the feast – We all know that the Christmas season tends to be that time when we give into our impulses and indulge in mouth-watering goodness. Chocolates, gingerbread houses, mince pies, and that main event of Christmas dinner. It’s undoubtedly inescapable. Unfortunately, we have to be the bearers of bad news here at Kegel8. This little bit of extra weight can seriously impact on your pelvic floor. In fact, most of us gain 2lb over Christmas and never lose it! Obesity chronically stresses the pelvic floor because of elevated intra-abdominal pressure, and this can lead to incontinence.
• Drinking the night away – The season of being merry often includes a tipple or two, but yet again, you should be aware of the effects of alcohol consumption on your pelvic floor. Alcohol can have the same effect on your bladder as caffeine, so it’s best to avoid it, or at least reduce your intake. Alcohol increases the amount of urine that you produce, and when you drink alcohol in excess, the muscles of the bladder tend to relax more, making your more susceptible to leakage.
• Perfecting your décor – One event that truly marks that start of the festive season is hauling out those boxes and dusting off your decorations. Although you shouldn’t be a Scrooge and completely ditch the décor, you should also take caution when transporting your decorations and putting them up. Heavy lifting is a risk factor that can stress and weaken your pelvic floor.
• Mixing and mingling – It wouldn’t be Christmas without meeting up with those you love, and sometimes those you dislike. But whoever you’re making small talk with, you’re going to be exposed to all sorts of bacteria and illness. It’s inevitable isn’t it? You get hit with a cold or flu just as Christmas swings around, and there’s no way you can avoid mingling. And what’s worse, each time you sneeze and cough you have an accidental leak!
• Getting caught up in the Christmas spirit – First you’ve got to buy presents, then it’s the decoration, then wrapping presents, food shopping, the list goes on… It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the Christmas spirit and completely forget to take care of yourself. Understandably, you may even completely forget to do your Kegels, but read on to learn how Kegel8 can help.

How Can You Prepare Your Pelvic Floor for Christmas?

• Kegels - Performing your pelvic floor exercises are the first line defence to tackle a variety of pelvic floor issues. If your pelvic floor muscles are particularly weak, you may need a helping hand to strengthen them. Try using an electronic toner to automatically locate and strengthen those vital muscles for you within a matter of minutes!
• Learn to lift properly – Reducing stress on your pelvic floor combined with Kegel exercises is a sure start way to improve the strength of your pelvic floor. Learn to lift properly here, and try performing a Kegel each time you lift to support your pelvic floor.
• Pace yourself – Try to, at least, reduce your alcohol intake over the festive period if you suffer from incontinence. This can help to prevent any of those embarrassing oops moments. Alternatively, make sure your pelvic floor is fit for Christmas by strengthening it with a Kegel8 pelvic toner.
• Keep fit – During the festive period, we have a tendency to hibernate; after all, our bodies are always going to be covered in a heap of winter warmers, aren’t they? As tedious as it can be, it’s important that we keep fit and healthy, especially during winter. Losing just 5% of body weight can reduce your urinary leakage by 50%!
• Set up a reminder – Forgetting to do your Kegel exercises over Christmas can lead you on a downward spiral of then forgetting them in the new year, spring and so on. So, it’s vital that you start and maintain your progress. You only need to set aside a few minutes per day to perform your pelvic floor exercises, perhaps whilst brushing your teeth or during the advertisements on television. If you still struggle to remember to Kegel, try using the NHS Squeezy app to give you helpful reminders.
• Give the gift that keeps on giving – What better way to celebrate the festive season with Kegel8 than to gift your knowledge of pelvic health to someone else. Whether it’s informing your nearest and dearest of the risk factors, or even treating them to a toner, celebrate Christmas with the reassurance that your pelvic floor won’t be causing any issues.

 

Get your pelvic floor ready for Christmas with Kegel8!

 

Reviews for the Kegel8 Ultra 20 Electronic Pelvic Floor Toner

Mrs KL - Recommended by Physio

"This was recommended to me by my physiotherapist after I was diagnosed with a bladder prolapse. I use it in the mornings and I can safely say that after 3 months of daily use, there is definite improvement. The heaviness is not as bad as it was, and I am not leaking as much, although this does vary according to the time of the month. I feel so much better that I am taking control and doing something for me, it has empowered me and I recommend it to you all. Please do not suffer like I have for months on waiting lists. My physio said to me 'Why not try it, you have nothing to lose' and I am so pleased I did. I am hoping that if I continue to improve I can avoid surgery - that is my next goal. I find the wider probe good for me vaginally and I have recently purchased the anal probe too and use it anally after I read that a bladder prolapse can be quickly followed by a rectal prolapse. I try and talk about my condition as much as possible to educate other women, we sisters must spread the word!"

Sue C - Thanks Kegel8

"I haven't used the cones much but I did use the ultra 20. It's brilliant. No more pads for dribbles lol and climax, well now I can hit the roof, hee hee. Thanks Kegel8. On a serious note however, I had stopped going out because I was so embarrassed wetting myself when laughing. The last 2 parties that happened to me and I went home and cried. I haven't been out since. I bought a Kegel8 and used it every night ceremoniously for about 4 months and haven't had to use it since. In fact I used it so often I need new wires to connect the probe to the machine . My confidence is growing again, I'm hoping to get a new job, meet people and start going out again, this time with the assurance that I can laugh and cough and sing out load without wetting myself. Thanks again Kegel8!"

 

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