New Lily

A Must Read…Key Reasons We Can’t Ignore the Pelvic Floor

elizabethPelvic floor health is crucial.  As a mother of nine and an exercise enthusiast, I realize that probably one of the most important things that I can do is to strengthen my pelvic floor muscles. For women especially, the pelvic floor should always be thought of as key to the core muscles.  While  it is far too under-emphasized, it has gained attention since our mothers were giving birth.  For that we should be grateful!

I remember being told by my ob/gyn, Dr. Tommy Megremis, after the birth of my sixth child, that I should seek out the help of a physical therapist who specialized in pelvic floor therapy because I was having symptoms of a weak pelvic floor.   I actually had no idea what he was talking about!  I had figured that I would simply have to bide my time before a surgical procedure would become a necessary and “normal” part of the aging process.  I am grateful to Dr. Megremis for sending me in a better direction, and after working for about 4-5 months with the physical therapist, I really noticed a change.  I was so encouraged. [Read more…]

No One is Going to Remind You, So Remind Yourself…Do Those Kegels!

It ocurred to me recently that I have been lackadaisical about pelvic floor exercises. I had been doing them regularly for some time, but I have gotten lazy. Wouldn’t it be nice if we had someone reminding us to do them? We can pretty much count on most group exercise classes ending with some sort of stretching routine. Don’t you wish they did that with pelvic-floor exercises? “Ok everyone, some quickie Kegels to end the class”… [Read more…]

How many Kegels Should We do Everyday?

I think there is a lot of confusion these days about how many Kegel exercises we should be doing.. I was told long ago that I should be doing at least 30 and as many as 60 Kegels everyday! In looking into this question, I recently came across an archive blog from physical therapist Tasha Mulligan’s Hab It blog. She describes a “quick flick” Kegel that is very efficient – you might be surprised at the number of exercises she suggests!

By Tasha Mulligan
I was asked a great question the other day regarding Kegel exercises and the confusion caused from some recommendations to complete 80+ repetitions per day vs. my recommendation to complete only 8-10 repetitions per day. [Read more…]

An Improved Kegel Exercise

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to do more Kegels. I have never liked to do these exercises and I figured it was because I couldn’t really see the results. But I came across an article by physical therapist Tasha Mulligan, who explained another reason many women don’t like to do Kegels. She also gives us a tip on how to do them better. Hopefully others can benefit from reading this article as well! You can also check out Tasha’s excellent “Hab It” Blog!

By Tasha Mulligan
So many women have been told to “do your Kegels.” They may do hundreds each day with no results. Talk about frustration! What they need to recognize is the importance and key role of their transversus abdominus (TA) muscle in relieving symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction (including both prolapse and incontinence). This isn’t so much the fault of the women receiving the message but, rather, the fault of the health care provider giving this incomplete instruction. [Read more…]

A Few More Exercises For the Pelvic Floor and the Core

womanI have written about the pelvic floor on this website before. As I research and talk to professionals about this topic, I am amazed at the importance of this complex group of muscles, especially for women. Most of us know about Kegel exercises, and are hopefully already doing them regularly. I know I need to be even more consistent about doing them! However, there are many other exercises that can be done before or even during other core exercises that target the pelvic area as well. The following are some that strengthen the pelvic floor and the core, and can be done in just a few minutes while you are working out, or even right before bed: Core/pelvic floor exercises.