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Is Exercise Damaging Your Sex-Life? Health & Fitness Magazine 2007
High-impact exercise could lead to damage down there, so protect your pelvic floor!
It's easy to neglect muscles you can't see. But if your pelvic floor is damaged or weak, the consequences can be embarrassing, uncomfortable, or even serious. While childbirth is the main cause of damage down below, prolonged, high-impact exercise can also weaken it.
Workouts that involve jarring movements, such as high-impact aerobics, jogging, trampolining or gymnastics, can put sudden, excessive pressure on the pelvic floor.
But how much is too much?
'It depends on the individual,' says chartered physiotherapist Sammy Margo. 'If you notice any weakness, such as stress/urinary incontinence (leaking urine slightly), take immediate action. Heavy weightlifting or high impact aerobics more than three times a week may cause problems later in life if you've already had slight urinary incontinence after having a baby.
'Be careful of poor weightlifting technique or endless sit-ups too. Before you lift weights, clench your pelvic floor and abdominal muscles and hold them throughout. Tighten your pelvic floor muscles before you do a sit-up.'
Loss of oestrogen after menopause, plus diabetes and obesity, can also cause problems. However, you can protect and tone your pelvic floor by doing a daily 'down there' workout.
Why Your Pelvic Floor Matters
'The pelvic floor is a voluntary muscle, so it needs to be strengthened and toned,' explains Dr Chris Steele of TV show This Morning. 'The average woman has 201b of organs sitting on her pelvic floor. Any "stress", such as sneezing, coughing or a full bladder, pushes these down, increasing the pressure. Weak muscles can lead to urinary incontinence when you cough, sneeze or jump, plus reduced sexual pleasure or even vaginal prolapse [when the womb drops into the vagina because the pelvic floor muscles fail to hold it in place].'
What To DO About It
The best way to treat pelvic floor problems or bladder weakness is to exercise these muscles,' adds Steele. Regain your pelvic floor strength with regular Kegel exercises (see box). Do eight sets of exercises at least three times a day for three months to get results.
Or try the
AthenaFem
(£197.00) pelvic muscle trainer. This remote-controlled, lipstick-sized cylinder is inserted into the vagina, where it electrically stimulates and tones the muscles. Or try non-electrically-powered
pelvic toner
the Kegel Toner, £29.99 .
© Health & Fitness Magazine October 2007, written by Liz Hollis.
The following products will help:
Kegel8 - Exercise made easy!
Do you avoid exercise due to bladder weakness? Feel free to enjoy exercise with the
Kegel8 Pelvic Exerciser
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Kegel8 Pelvic Exerciser
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KE gel - use with all your pelvic exercisers for maximum results
KE gel - the essential pelvic exrecise gel
- KE Gel is a water based formula that supplements the body's natural moisture. It feels silky smooth and is odourless, colourless and non staining. Hormone free, KE Gel will help all women to replace feminine moisture and obtain better results from a pelvic floor workout. KE Gel can be used daily to add comfort and alleviate feminine dryness.
KE gel - the essential pelvic exrecise gel
Athena - Cordless Pelvic Exerciser
See the
Athena
as featured on GMTV's This Morning.
This Morning
(2.7MB download) with Fern Britton and Dr Chris Steele discussing bladder weakness and featuring the Athena Pelvic Muscle Trainer.
Pelvic Toner - Pelvic Floor Exerciser
So you think you are doing your pelvic floor exercises correctly? Think again, with the
The Pelvic Toner
you'll target the precise muscles for better results.
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