Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Locate the pelvic floor
• Method 2 of 3: Perform Kegel exercises
• Method 3 of 3: Exercise your pelvic floor
• Tips

The pelvic floor is a muscle group, present in both men and women, that supports your spine, helps regulate your bladder and has a function in sexual contact. Locating your pelvic floor, doing Kegel exercises (a popular pelvic floor exercise), and other pelvic floor exercises can help you train that muscle group. In time, you will benefit from the strong pelvic floor. This way you will have less urine leakage, less back pain, more control over your trunk and more sexual pleasure.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Locate the pelvic floor

1. Lie on your back and bend your knees. If you've never exercised your pelvic floor, you need to locate and isolate those muscles first. Place your hands in a V shape on your pubic bone.
   • Your thumbs and index fingers should touch, while your hands rest on your hipbones and pubic mound.
   • This particular method of locating your pelvic floor is suitable for both men and women but may be easier for women.
2. Press your back against the floor. Don't forget to contract your lower abs when you press your lower back against the floor. Hold that position for 3-10 seconds. Relax your muscles and repeat the exercise several times.
   • Your fingers should still rest on your pubic mound and drop a few inches when you press your back against the floor.
   • If possible, try to relax your glutes, upper abs, and legs.
3. Change the position of your hands and repeat this exercise. Now open your legs and place two fingers in the space between your urethra and your anus (your perineum). Press your lower back against the floor again and try to create a feeling of tension and resistance in that place.
   • When you tighten your abs, your fingers should move upward toward your pelvic muscles.
   • If you still don't feel those movements, you can try to stop the flow of urine while urinating. Experience the effort you have to put in when you contract the muscles near your bladder and try to mimic that movement when you perform the above exercise. We recommend only trying this once when you get to know your muscles. Do not repeat that method as an exercise as it can lead to urinary problems.
4. If lying down doesn't work, look in a mirror. If you are a man, it is not always appropriate to lie on your back if you want to locate your pelvic floor muscles. Alternatively, you can stand naked in front of a mirror. Watch your body as you try to contract your pelvic floor muscles. If you contract your muscles correctly, you will see how your penis and scrotum are tightened. When you relax your pelvic floor, you should see those body parts sink back.
5. Go to the bathroom before trying pelvic floor exercises. We recommend that you perform the exercises with an empty bladder, especially if you suffer from urine leakage. Look at it positively, if you keep doing pelvic floor exercises, you will probably have much less urine leakage in your life.

Method 2 of 3: Perform Kegel exercises

1. Find a space where you are alone to perform your Kegel exercises. When you get started for the first time, concentration helps you to perform the exercises more efficiently. Once you've mastered the exercises, you can do several sets in the office, in the car, or at home without anyone noticing.
2. Lie on your back or sit on a chair. Start in a comfortable position that will help you maintain good posture. Examples include sitting straight on a chair or lying on your back. Give yourself a moment to get comfortable before you start.
3. Do the Kegel exercise where you contract your muscles. Tense your pelvic muscles for three seconds and then relax them again for three seconds. Repeat that exercise ten times. Do a few Kegel exercises every day and increase the number of sets you do per day as you get stronger and stronger.
   • Do one set during the first days, then do two or three sets during the following days.
   • After you have been doing Kegel exercises for a number of weeks, tighten your muscles for ten seconds. Rest again for ten seconds between exercises. Switch to three sets a day or three consecutive sets a day.
4. Contract your muscles quickly. When you manage to tighten your pelvic floor, you can try tightening your muscles quickly. Rather than contracting and holding, contract your muscles and immediately relax them. Do this ten times in a row and then let your muscles rest.
   • In the beginning it is difficult to find a certain rhythm to tighten and relax your muscles. Make sure to contract your muscles firmly and quickly. Things should get easier after a week or two.
   • Switch to three sets of ten contractions a day. Then try doing three sets in a row.

Method 3 of 3: Exercise your pelvic floor

1. Perform bridge exercises. Kegel exercises aren't the only way to strengthen your pelvic floor. You can do a lot of exercises and the bridge exercise is an excellent example of this. First, lie on your back with your knees bent. Keep your feet about a fist distance apart. Then tighten your lower abs and lift your hips slightly off the floor. Your buttocks should barely lift off the ground and your core muscles should remain tense. Hold for three seconds and gently bring your hips back down.
   • Repeat three times. Evolve to three sets of ten reps. When you can do three sets, start increasing reps to ten at a time.
   • Try not to turn your head while your hips are tight. After all, this can lead to neck complaints.
2. Try wall squats. Sit in front of a wall with your feet about hip-width apart. Take a deep breath and tighten your pelvic floor. Then slide your back down the wall into the squat position (as if you were sitting in a chair). Hold for ten seconds and then stand up again.
   • Do 10 reps.
3. Do some dead bug crunches. First, lie on your back, with your knees bent and your feet at knee height. Extend your arms straight out towards the ceiling. Take a deep breath, tense your pelvic floor muscles and stretch your right arm and left arm in opposite directions. Return to the starting position and repeat on the right.
   • Make sure to perform this exercise with the opposite leg / arm for optimal results, such as your right arm with your left leg or your left arm with your right leg.
   • Do 10 reps on each side.
4. Repeat these exercises every day for 12 weeks. Get into the habit of exercising your pelvic floor. If you exercise regularly, you will usually see the first results after 12 weeks. The results will be more visible if you increase the intensity of the exercises every week.

Tips

• Repeat the exercises every day to strengthen your muscles and make them less limp.
• Make sure you drink a lot of water.
• When you first start exercising, it is normal for the pelvic floor to feel slightly irritated. Make sure to rest between sets or do the sets at three different times during the day.