pelvic floor exercises

Leave a comment Posted on Diet

The Pelvic Floor Diet

‘Your general health is always important but you should increase your intake of certain types of foods to help lower bladder irritation.

Firstly, dairy is essential for the increased need for calcium. Good quality yoghurt is a great choice for all that extra calcium and magnesium needed by the foetus. Opt for the low sugar varieties to help avoid gaining unnecessary weight. If you’re dairy free, you can also find calcium in bone broth and leafy greens.

Water, (not the carbonated or artificially flavoured kind) helps to flush out toxins from your system and keeps your body working at its most efficient. Aim for 6 to 8 glasses a day.

Omega 3 rich foods, found in salmon, anchovies, tuna etc. will benefit both you and your growing baby as Omega 3 naturally decreases inflammation.

Fresh vegetables and fruit will not only bring colour and flavour into your meals, they will also give extra roughage which is vital for maintaining regular bowel movements. Something which in turn impacts on pelvic floor health.

Try to avoid overindulging on foods and drinks that can irritate your bladder. These include salt, alcohol, caffeine, spicy food and highly acidic fruit and vegetables, such as tomatoes, cranberries and oranges.

A healthy diet containing a balance of all the essential food groups is easy to achieve. Try changing one thing every week and before you know it, you’ll have a better diet, better health and a stronger pelvic floor.’

Pelvic Floor Diet

Pelvic Floor Diet

Leave a comment Posted on Musculoskeletal health

Tips to strengthen your pelvic floor

‘The problem of poor pelvic floor muscles might not seem that important, but what you might think is a small issue can have an incredible knock on effect into all elements of your day-to-day life.

Believe it or not a staggering 1 in 3 women in the UK will suffer from bladder problems, and these   problems are starting earlier than ever before. It has long been believed that bladder troubles only impact women going through menopause but even teenagers can experience difficulties, and during pregnancy the condition can become aggravated.

There are lots of pads and liners that can help with leakage and while this keeps you feeling fresh and clean, they don’t deal with the underlying cause of bladder problems. Many women don’t realise that things can be improved, and even completely alleviated with the right exercise and diet.

It might surprise you to know that roughly 70% of women who suffer from pelvic floor problems will do so in silence, believing that the problem is incurable or simply being too embarrassed to talk about it. There’s no shame if you suffer from these issues and your life could be so much better with just a little help and advice. If dealt with correctly, pelvic floor problems can be easily managed and controlled.

Diet and exercise can have a huge impact on your pelvic floor health and a few simple changes to your general eating habits can provide long lasting benefits; Kegel8 have looked into the best tips.’

Pelvic Floor Exercises

Pelvic Floor Exercises

 

 

 

 

Leave a comment Posted on Incontinence

How You Can Still Remain Active Even with Incontinence

Tips for Dealing with Male Incontinence

Tips for Dealing with Male Incontinence

Many people fear and dread the possibility of an ‘accident’ but, remaining active with incontinence should not be an issue. As well as managing with incontinence pads, there are many things you can do about stopping it from happening complete or lessening the impact on your daily routine.

#1 Start taking back control

It’s not easy to talk about incontinence which is researchers found that women wait on average six years before they seek medical help.

Incontinence is not a sign of aging but it can be a sign of something else. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) can cause you to lose control of your bladder in the short term. Easily treatable, once the UTI has disappeared, you may also find urinary incontinence disappears too.


Some types of medication can also cause incontinence, again something that can be easily remedied.

#2 What type of incontinence is it?

Working out the type of incontinence you have is important as this can lend itself to getting the right treatment;

  • Stress incontinence is when you accidentally leak urine when you laugh, cough, sneeze, lift something heavy and so on. This implies that the pelvic floor muscles around your bladder are not strong enough to support it.
  • Urge incontinence is when you need the toilet but accidentally leak before you get there. This is a strong and immediate urge, that comes on with no warning.

#3 Medical help

Your GP or nurse will ask you about your incontinence, its symptoms and how long you have had the problem. They may also ask you to keep a diary of what you eat and drink, as well as when you visit the toilet and how bad your incontinence is at certain times of the day and night.

#4 Looking for the cause

Your GP or nurse will look for what could be causing your incontinence, from testing for any infection to other conditions that may be the root cause. They will look at your medical history too.

For women who have had children, child birth, both vaginal and caesarean deliveries, can cause the pelvic floor muscles to be weakened or damaged. Pelvic floor exercises can make a huge difference.

For men, examining the prostate is usual too as an enlarged gland can impact on your continence.

#5 Pelvic floor exercises

For men and women, pelvic floor exercises can make a huge difference to their incontinence issues can eventually stop the problem completely.




The pelvic floor muscles are sling like, running from the front of your body by your pubic bone to the rear of your body, to the base of your spine. The exercises are ‘clench and release’ type ones and can be practiced anywhere, any time – and no one knows you are doing them!

#6 Getting back in control

Some people with incontinence also find that scheduling toilet visits can also be a great help in reducing leaks or accidents.

This is also known as bladder re-training. Some people schedule bathroom visits every two hours and if they feel the urge to go before, use pelvic floor muscle exercises to ‘hold it in’. Over time, you will develop better muscles and control.

#7 Other aids

If you feel your incontinence is getting worse or you need help to control it, your GP may prescribe you products .

Women for example, can use a cone or pessary which supports the bladder and surrounding muscles. There are also surgical options.

#8 Get the right protective products

Just like sanitary wear, incontinence pads are available in a range of absorbencies. There are also products specifically for men.

Although you may not like the idea of wearing pants or pads, they do provide a layer of protection that will give you more confidence to be able to enjoy life again! Don’t let incontinence hold you back – seek medical help.

 

HARTMANN Direct supply a range of protective incontinence pads and pants for men and women. Offering a discreet delivery service, there are all kinds of products available that give you freedom to enjoy life, without worry about incontinence.