According to a survey conducted by us in 2015 on 1000 women between the ages of 18 and 60 , it emerged that only 1 in 2 women knows exactly what the pelvic floor is.

More precisely , about 1/3 does not know what it is and 1/5 knows it but cannot give a correct definition .

Yet, still half of them suffer from urinary incontinence and as many as 35% – a very high percentage – suffer from it even though they have never had children, a condition that inevitably alters the tone of the pelvic muscles that support the bladder.

Yes, because the pelvic floor or “diaphragm” is just that : a set of muscles, bands and tendons in the shape of a hammock that supports everything on it: the uterus, the bladder, the rectum and the vagina. 

What if the pelvic floor is not toned

A lack of firmness alters the functioning of these organs , causing, depending on the case, urinary or stress incontinence , dyspareunia (vaginal pain during intercourse), hemorrhoids, rectal relaxation, pain during intercourse or difficulty in reaching orgasm. 

Since “the lack of knowledge on the part of women of their own body affects the very availability of preventive information or in case of need”, says Dr. Federica Grassi of the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, the first step to prevent prolapse of the pelvic floor and only ultimately – eventually – rehabilitating it is knowing it and re-knowing it, right positions in hand . 

Read also Ayurveda to support pregnancy >>

How to recognize the pelvic muscles

Are the pelvic floor and perineum the same thing? Yes, even if more precisely the perineum is the whole area that connects the anus and the vagina and that we can feel by taking a chair and leaning on one leg while standing.

The perineum is that portion of tissue just below the buttock and it “hides” part of the pelvic muscles .

After identifying it, you need to understand if and how toned they are : sit on the edge and imagine inflating a balloon focusing on the movement of the muscles of the lower abdomen.

If they contract and rise, it means that the tone of your muscles is very good ; if they go down it is regular but it is still necessary to resort to pelvic gymnastics; if, on the other hand, a few drops of urine are already leaking, we can speak of prolapse. 

Nothing that cannot be dealt with immediately with a few more tricks . Starting with the vaginal balls, which combined with Kegel exercises and the right positions, help both to perceive the muscles and to contract them correctly. 

How to do Kegel exercises

The exercises theorized by gynecologist Arnold Kegel in the 1940s are the easiest and most famous : it is simply a series of voluntary short-term contractions, a sort of “abdominal muscles of the pelvic muscles”, which take place in this way: imagine having to pee and tighten the muscles for 5 seconds; release for 10 seconds and meet again for another 5 for a total of 10 times, 3 times a day.

If you experience the first symptoms of urinary incontinence , keep your legs raised against your chest; if you suffer from hemorrhoids or fecal incontinence, leave your legs straight and parallel; if instead you want to tone the vaginal muscles to obtain a more intense and perceived orgasm or to counteract vaginitis and dyspareunia, then keep them perpendicular to the body with your feet on the ground.

The exercises are always the same , but depending on the position, the pelvic muscles involved change. 

The basic techniques of pelvic rehabilitation

Even if we do not know it and we are not told, yoga and postural gymnastics already teach us , in reality, the most correct positions to strengthen our floor.

Among all the bridge and the cat :

Bridge : you have to lie on your back with your legs together and perpendicular to the body and then raise and lower the pelvis 6 times;

Cat : Get on all fours and repeat this exercise: inhale as you arch your back and lower your belly, exhale as you return to normal position and pull your belly in.

So, slowly, 10 consecutive times . 

The lift technique

Always lie on your back with a pillow behind your back and imagine that there is an elevator inside your vagina.

Tighten your muscles – as if you were to hold back urination – trying to make this imaginary lift go up.

With each contraction , one more floor.

Get to your maximum and then slowly let it down, releasing the muscles. Repeat it every day for 5 minutes and after the first month you will get the first results. 

In case of advanced prolapse – recognizable by a repeated and massive incontinence and by the inability to hold and perceive anything inside the vagina – it is however advisable to contact a specialist who can advise and follow you in a more suitable and structured rehabilitation process. .