Life's events such as pregnancy, childbirth, and being overweight can weaken pelvic muscles.. The good news is that when these muscles weaken, you can help make them strong again.

Pelvic floor muscles are just like any other muscles. Exercise can help to make them stronger. Women with bladder control problems can regain control through pelvic muscle exercises, also called Kegel exercises.

Factors which may cause your pelvic floor to weaken:

• Continual straining to empty your bowls (constipation)
• Persistent heavy coughing or a chronic cough (such as a smokers cough or chronic bronchitis and asthma)
• Being overweight
• Changes in hormone levels at menopause
• Lack of general fitness

The signs

• You leak urine when you cough or sneeze
• You leak urine with the sudden urge to urinate
• You have already had a prolapsed pelvic organ
• You have had a previous episiotomy or vaginal surgery

What to do about it!

The first thing to do is correctly identify the muscles that need to be exercised. Imagine that you are trying to stop the flow of urine midstream and passing wind at the same time.

The feeling is one of ‘squeeze and lift’. The muscles that you would contract to stop the flow of urine are the Kegel muscles. You can now perform these exercises anytime, anywhere - and no one will notice that you are doing them!
The exercises

Quick Moves

Simply squeeze the muscles in a set of 5 repetitions. Try not to squeeze your buttocks or thighs. As your muscle tone improves you can do groups of 10 repetitions. Keep repeating this exercise until you can’t feel your muscles anymore or until you have reached 100 repetitions.

The Tightening exercise

While tightening your Kegel muscles, you should now hold the muscle tightly for 1 to 2 seconds. Release the tension and repeat for a set of 10 repetitions. Try to hold the tension for up to 10 seconds. Try to do this tense and release exercise at least 100 times a day.

The Elevator exercise

This is the next step. Begin with a relaxed muscle and think of it as the first floor. Slowly tighten the muscles as an elevator would go up to each floor, and hold the tightness as you go, increasing it slowly with each floor. When you reach the top floor of your muscle, slowly return the elevator to the first floor.  The number of floors you can add will depend on the strength of your muscles. The number of floors is not as important as doing the exercise properly.

How do I know if I’m doing it right?

If you are doing your exercises correctly, you will not be tightening other muscles like your buttocks or your thighs, pulling in your tummy or holding your breath. You will be isolating your internal muscles and not straining the others in the process.