ITQ 2

Your pelvic floor muscles do a lot for you; they support all of your pelvic organs, they help stabilise and support your spine, they help guide your baby during childbirth, they even contribute to your relationship by being responsible for intimate sensation for women and erectile function for men. So isn’t it time you gave these muscles a little TLC?

We all know that Kegel (pelvic floor) exercises are essential in maintaining a strong pelvic floor. But did you know there are other things you can introduce into your life to improve the health of your pelvic floor muscles. Here are 5 things you can do, starting right now:

1. Improve Your Posture...

The pelvic floor muscles form the base of your pelvis. They act as a hammock reaching across from your coccyx (tailbone) at the back of your pelvis, to the front at the pubic bone. They are also attached to both sides of your pelvis so they can support all the pelvic organs staying in their naturally elevated positions. Your vagina/penis, urethra and anus all pass through the pelvic floor muscles to the outside. For them all to function correctly, you need a strong pelvic floor.

The pelvic floor muscles themselves cannot be seen from the outside but their effects can be felt by you and your partner. For women try the finger test; insert a couple of fingers into your vagina and squeeze your pelvic floor muscles. You should feel a gentle squeeze on your fingers if you are contracting your muscles in the right way. Your partner should be able to feel this squeeze when you have penetrative sex. Another way to be aware of these muscles is when you go to the bathroom; try stopping your...

Now you know how to do your pelvic floor exercises and you are prepared with the right tools, you will be wondering how often to do them to suit the condition of your pelvic floor. There is a wealth of clinical studies and online guidance about how often you should do pelvic floor exercises, with the original Kegel exercise routine, from Dr Arnold Kegel, recommending 500 contractions a day! Below we have brought together this guidance, to help you tweak your exercise plan to better suit the condition of your pelvic floor.

Pelvic floor exercises are right for everyone regardless of age, gender and health, and should be part of any healthy lifestyle. As with any exercise, you will need to find a balanced routine that works for you. One that keeps you motivated with the progress you see, but...

The benefits of completing daily pelvic floor exercises can be categorised into: lifestyle benefits, health benefits and long term benefits with much overlap. There are specific exercise routines you can do manually or with an electronic toner (which have specific programmes) to reach a partilcar goal faster. But you will see improvements in all areas as long as you do a pelvic floor exercise consistently.

Lifestyle Benefits

• Improved sex - Both you and your partner will become aware of your stronger pelvic floor during penetrative intercourse. The vagina passes through the pelvic floor muscles, and as a result you and your partner will feel you tense these muscles during penetrative sex. If you have a tighter 'love-grip' you will have more frequent and stronger orgasms, with increased sensitivity throughout. For men, having a strong pelvic floor can reduce the symptoms of erectile...

Like all muscles, your pelvic floor muscles need regular exercise to remain strong. Within 4-12 weeks, depending on your commitment and starting strength, you can reach your optimum pelvic floor health through pelvic floor exercises, when combined with lifestyle changes.

A pelvic floor disorder should be considered as a life-time condition. Even if it seems resolved, it can return if your pelvic floor muscles are allowed to weaken. Therefore it's essential that, like any other muscle, you concentrate on maintaining it's strength throughout your life. Following the 12 weeks of intensive exercise, manually or with an electronic toner, you should begin a maintenance programme. For advice on times when your pelvic floor is at greater risk of weakening, and you should step up your exercise programme, visit our How...

In the same way as all the other muscles in your body, your pelvic floor muscles need to be exercised to keep them strong and toned. However, they are not exercised through traditional exercises such as running. In fact, high impact exercises such as running and gymnastics cause damage to the pelvic floor muscles, weakening them further.

Strengthening you pelvic floor muscles is especially important if you:

• are overweight or obese
• are menopausal or postmenopausal
• suffer from a pelvic organ prolapse or are genetically more likely to experience one
• are trying to conceive or are pregnant
• have had one or more children
• have a lung disease which results in a chronic cough
• are a smoker
• take part in high impact exercises
• are frequently constipated
• have undergone a pelvic surgery
• have a job which involves lifting...

In the months or years leading up to your menopause, you may experience a handful of symptoms that are pre-warning what's to come. This process is known as peri-menopause, and the symptoms affect up to 75% of peri-menopausal women.

What are the Symptoms of Menopause?

Menopause is a natural process, but the symptoms may affect your emotional health. In the months or years that lead up to menopause (perimenopause), you may experience:

Menopause is often referred to as a natural part of older life. Yet sometimes the transition into menopause can be far from natural. The average age of menopause in UK women is 51-52 years, but women who undergo certain surgical procedures can induce a premature menopause.

How Can Surgery Cause Menopause?

The transition into menopause usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55. Yet, in some cases, menopause can occur before the age of 40, and this is known as premature menopause. There are a variety of reasons that can cause your body to enter an early menopause, read on to learn about these.

What Causes Premature Menopause?

• Ovarian failure - If a woman's ovaries stop producing normal levels of certain hormones, particularly oestrogen, then early menopause can naturally occur. This condition is also referred to as primary ovarian insufficiency, and its cause is often unknown. However for some women, it can be caused by; chromosome abnormalities; autoimmune disease; or infections such as malaria and mumps. The condition can also run in families.
• Cancer treatment - Radiotherapy or chemotherapy can cause temporary or permanent premature ovarian failure.
• Surgery - The removal...