Top accessories for strengthening your pelvic floor

The pelvic floor is a muscle located in the pelvic region. Present in both people with a vulva and those with a penis, it takes care of many things in the southern region of our body...

It prevents, for example, organ prolapse, and is also responsible for opening and closing your bladder. Yes, yes, it's the one you should be thanking when the next motorway services are more than 30 minutes away and you're already doing the rumba in your seat!

Oh, and I almost forgot — despite the many articles and discussions on the subject, it's not often said, but the pelvic floor is a fantastic ally for intimate pleasure!

How to re-tone your pelvic floor? 

With Kegel balls, the ideal ally for toning your pelvic floor:

Made of glass, metal or silicone, it is a weighted accessory that will allow your pelvic floor to contract to hold it in place.

The Lina balls are perfect for maintaining your pelvic floor. Their weight requires you to already have a minimum level of pelvic floor tone. To use them, nothing could be simpler: clean your Kegel balls, or geisha balls, before use, apply a water-based lube and then insert them into the vagina. Then simply go about your usual activities for half an hour. Repeat the process 3 times a week for a month.

Another device, and quite a remarkable one at that, is the famous Perifit: a pelvic floor probe that acts as a true coach and allows you to strengthen your pelvic floor while playing on the connected app.

With certain Kegel balls, you can go step by step:

The Delta balls consist of three weights and are very pleasant to wear with their ultra-soft silicone coating. You start by inserting the single ball with some lube. Wear it for half an hour while keeping moving, and repeat the exercise 3 to 4 times a week. When it becomes easy to wear, move on to the medium double ball, and finish with the small double ball.

The Alpha balls are even more progressive. The set contains 6 Kegel balls, used in exactly the same way as the Delta. You start with the palest-coloured ball and finish with the darkest. The great advantage of the Alpha lies in their teardrop shape, which makes it easier to insert and remove the Kegel balls!

When and why should you work your pelvic floor? 

• At any time, regardless of your age and lifestyle:

I can already hear you: "she's lovely but this is anything but clear!". I haven't missed that, don't worry, but in reality there is a reason for being so "vague" in my explanation. The pelvic floor is a muscle like any other; it also needs to be engaged to function effectively. Every day, you walk, you move around, so you engage the muscles in your legs which work without you even noticing. With the pelvic floor it's a different story — it's less easily engaged, so you need to give it a regular little boost!

• When doing sport :

Why? Simply because physical activity puts pressure on the pelvic floor. Over time, if you don't know how to contract it properly, it relaxes and becomes less effective. How can you tell it's starting to cry out for help? If you experience urinary leaks, for example!

• To prepare for pregnancy:

With the weight of your little one growing, along with the weight of the placenta and amniotic fluid, the pressure on the pelvic floor increases too. It is therefore important to work on your pelvic floor to ensure maximum comfort and also avoid urinary leaks.

• To tone the pelvic floor after childbirth :

As I explained, pregnancy weakens your pelvic floor. So does childbirth! That's why it's generally recommended, around 6 to 8 weeks after the arrival of your child, to start working on your pelvic floor again. The timeframe is of course purely indicative; it's essential to discuss it with medical professionals who will be best placed to advise you based on your situation.

• To counteract the weakening of the pelvic floor during the menopause:

With hormonal changes, your pelvic floor undergoes some modifications. Oestrogen levels drop dramatically during the menopause. This is perfectly normal, don't panic! And lower oestrogen means thinning and loss of tone in the pelvic floor. This is one of the reasons that can explain the onset of urinary leaks. It is therefore important to make sure you train your pelvic floor to avoid a few unpleasant surprises!

• To enhance intimate pleasure:

During orgasm, the pelvic floor contracts intermittently. You then feel what are like spasms! The more toned your pelvic floor is, the more intense the sensations during intercourse will be, and the more powerful the orgasms. The pelvic floor also plays a role in the tone of the vaginal walls, so the pleasure will be all the greater for your partner.

Common misconceptions 

While the majority of you know gold have already heard about the pelvic floor, many misconceptions still circulate on the subject. Nothing dramatic — I'm here to help you sort fact from fiction!

• " The pelvic floor is only a concern for women "

Wrong! Dear penis owners, while your pelvic floor is less exposed to pressure and requires less effort to maintain than is the case for people with a vulva, it still needs to be looked after. Your pelvic floor is the primary support for your sphincters. In other words, it helps your urethra and anus close properly. Knowing this gives you the opportunity to act and strengthen your pelvic floor to avoid "embarrassing accidents" — you're welcome ;)

On the sexual side, it also plays a role in helping to maintain an erection and making ejaculation possible!

Now that I have your full attention, let's go for a few muscle tips! First things first, empty your bladder! Then, get into a position of your choice: sitting, standing or lying down. Take a deep breath and contract your pelvic floor (as you would naturally do to hold yourself in) for 5 seconds. Release for 10 seconds and repeat the exercise 10 to 15 times in a row. In the shower or at a red light, it's very quick and not very demanding… it's really worth doing, I promise!:)

• " I'll only need to think about it when I'm pregnant "

Wrong again! As I explained above, the pelvic floor can be worked in any type of situation, regardless of your age and current circumstances.

• " There's no need to buy anything, I can do exercises on my own "

Both true and false!

While exercises that can be done entirely independently do exist, it can sometimes be difficult to know whether you are working your pelvic floor in a truly effective way. There is also some advice you should ABSOLUTELY NOT FOLLOW! It's often said that to strengthen your pelvic floor, all you need to do is practise the "stop wee" technique. This exercise involves interrupting urination. To put it simply, this means that when you need to urinate, you contract your pelvic floor to hold back the urine. Long recommended as a way to check whether the pelvic floor is sufficiently toned, it is actually an excellent way to end up with a urinary tract infection. The bacteria contained in the urine don't drain away normally, and before you know it… disaster!

Pelvic floor rehabilitation: you need to seek professional help!

All the advice you have read in this article will help you strengthen your pelvic floor; it is absolutely not a guide to follow for pelvic floor rehabilitation.

Pelvic floor rehabilitation can only be carried out with the support of medical professionals. Whether it's doctors, gynaecologists, midwives gold physiotherapists, they and they alone will be able to guide you through your rehabilitation.

Let's go and pamper that pelvic floor!

See you soon 💜