A common question is “how can I strengthen my pelvic floor without kegels?”. This isn’t surprising as research shows that the majority of us don’t do kegels consistently, correctly or intensely enough to really make lasting change. We are all guilty of this scenario…we commit to doing our kegels to strengthen our pelvic floor and about 3-4 kegels in we get distracted and move on the next item on our to-do list.
When someone asks “how can I strengthen my pelvic floor without kegels” it’s important to first know if strengthening is actually what your pelvic floor requires. This important set of muscles can be in a state of weakness or a state of too much tension. Both can cause symptoms of incontinence, but a key sign of tension is pain with intercourse. If you are in a state of weakness (very common as we age, after childbirth, with menopause, after a hysterectomy, etc) then pelvic floor muscle training is important. If you are in a state of tension, then exercises to lengthen and relax the muscle are required before strengthening.
If weakness is what you are dealing with, then the question “how can I strengthen my pelvic floor without kegels” is a valid question. Here are four alternatives:
- The Kegel Throne: Pelvic floor muscle training at UROSPOT is our favourite method as it is 100% non-invasive. No one is touching you. Nothing goes inside your body. You sit comfortably on a medical device that looks like a big chair. This chairs uses high intensity electromagnetic energy to force your pelvic floor to contract (or kegel) over 11,000 times in just 28 minutes. You build back the strength of your pelvic floor while you watch Netflix or read a magazine. There is no forgetting to do your kegels. This is outsourcing kegels and it’s the future of women’s healthcare. The best part is no pain, no downtime, and the only side effect is more pleasure during sex. Yes please!
- Vaginal Lasers: This is an invasive treatment where a device is inserted inside the vagina. It uses laser stimulation that develops collagen. The hope is that it will rejuvenate tissue and add plumpness. There is bleeding sometimes for weeks and you have avoid intercourse until healed.
- Vaginal Weights: These are sometimes known as kegel balls or jade eggs. This too is an invasive approach as you need to insert these items inside your vagina. By working to hold these items inside the vagina it is supposed to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles without kegels.
- Pessary for Incontinence: While this option isn’t a direct answer to “how do I strengthen my pelvic floor without kegels”, it can provide relief from the symptoms of incontinence. A pessary is a device made of silicone that is inserted inside the vagina to stent up (or hold up) the organs that have prolapsed. In this case a pessary for incontinence is used to prevent incontinence from happening. Pessaries should be fit by a doctor and there is some interesting research being done on bespoke pessaries. Custom designed for your body using 3D printers, because let’s face it, just like our bodies are not all one size, the same goes for our vaginas.
“How do I strengthen my pelvic floor without kegels” is such a common question. The femtech industry (where female healthcare and technology collide) has finally made significant strides with innovation like the Kegel Throne. How refreshing to see true innovation for women’s healthcare. It’s about time.
To learn more about UROSPOT and the Kegel Throne visit www.urospot.com
