How to Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor

Some women experience pelvic floor weakness after menopause. Kegels and other exercises can help strengthen the pelvic floor.

Some women experience pelvic floor weakness during or after menopause. The pelvic floor is a set of muscles that support the pelvic organs like the bladder and bowels. A strong pelvic floor helps with urinary control and sexual functions.

However, as women produce less estrogen during menopause, vaginal tissue may lose lubrication and elasticity, causing the pelvic floor to weaken.

This weakening can lead to symptoms like incontinence — urine leaks when you laugh or sneeze — or uncomfortable sex. Some women may experience vaginal or uterine prolapse, which is when organs slip from their normal position due to a lack of support.

Luckily, there are pelvic floor exercises that can help reduce the risk of incontinence, improve sexual health, and reduce the risk of prolapse.

Here are some pelvic floor exercises you can try at home.

Kegels

These are a common pelvic floor exercise that involve tightening and holding the muscle that we use to control urine flow. Kegels are discreet and can be done mostly anywhere, anytime.

The key to kegels is to correctly identify the pelvic floor muscles and tighten them repeatedly.

Think of the muscles that would stop urine. Actually stopping your urine flow midstream isn’t a good idea and holding in your urine for longer than necessary could increase your risk of urinary tract infections. Once you identify the muscle, doing a kegel is simple.

Simply tighten the pelvic floor muscles, hold for 3 to 5 seconds, then release and rest. Repeat for 10 reps, 3 times a day.

Remember that you’re trying to tighten only the pelvic floor muscles, not your glutes or or any other nearby muscles.

Bridge

This exercise involves lying on the floor and raising your hips.

First, lie on the floor with your back on the ground, the soles of your feet on the ground, and your knees at a 90-degree angle.

Raise your hips off the ground while engaging your glutes, hamstrings, and pelvic floor muscles. Hold that position for 10 seconds then lower your hips to the ground and release the muscles.

You can do 10 to 15 reps and 2 to 3 sets, resting between each set.

Squats

Squats are a classic bodyweight and strengthening exercise as they utilize many muscles.

The key to squats is proper form. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Then bend your knees as if you’re about to sit on a chair, pushing your hips and butt back as you do so.

Keep bending until your thighs are parallel to the ground.

Then straighten your legs and return to a standing position. You can do 10 to 15 reps.

Squats can also be done with your back against a wall. These wall squats can be done while engaging your pelvic floor as you bend, then releasing after you stand up.

Menopause comes with a lot of changes that may take some getting used to. The good news is that if you’re going through the menopausal transition, you’re not alone. There is support out there and lots of advice, tips, and even treatment options for uncomfortable symptoms.

If you’re experiencing menopausal symptoms that are causing discomfort or interruption to your daily life, Alpha can help. Alpha Medical provides treatment for hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, and vaginal symptoms. If you’d like to learn more or sign up to receive medical treatment online, check out their website today!

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