Pelvic floor muscle exercises

How to feel pelvic floor muscle exercises for women

Where are the pelvic floor muscles?

The pelvic floor muscles are like a hammock that slings across the base of your pelvis around the area where you sit (shown here below). These small muscles wrap around the vagina, urethra (urine tube) and anus (bowel outlet). This is where women should feel their pelvic floor exercises – in and around the area where they sit.

pelvic floor muscle exercises

7 tips for how to feel your pelvic floor muscle exercises

Key tip- pelvic floor muscle exercises for women feel like a lift and a squeeze in and around the anus, vagina and urethra (urine tube opening)

Use a small mirror to look at the entrance of your vagina (preferably lying on your side). When you tighten your pelvic floor muscles you should see a tightening of the opening of your vagina and an inwards movement of the area between your anus and vagina. If your muscles are really weak, you may not see much movement at all.
Gently insert your clean lubricated index and/or second finger into your vagina up to about the length of a tampon (preferably lying on your side). Rest your fingers against the back wall of your vagina. This is the wall of your vagina that is closest to your rectum or back passage. As you tighten your pelvic floor muscles you should feel the back wall of your vagina move forward even slightly against your fingers. You may also feel the walls of your vagina squeeze inwards around your fingers and lift upwards inside your vagina.
If you feel uncomfortable touching inside your vagina, instead lie on your side with your knees bent and use your index finger to touch the area of skin between your vagina and anus (this is called the perineum). You can also feel this same area by feeling through your underwear. Try to feel this area lift inwards away from your finger as you contract your pelvic floor muscles.
Roll up a hand towel and sit it on a firm chair and then sit astride the rolled towel with it positioned between your legs so that it presses up against your vagina. Now try to feel the sensation of your pelvic openings lift up and squeeze in and around where you sit.
Imagine that you need to pass wind in a public place and that you really don’t want to let it go. Try to squeeze and lift the muscles in and around your anus to prevent the wind from passing. You may feel a tightening and lifting sensation around your back passage and your vagina as you do this. Don’t become confused by squeezing your buttocks. A pelvic floor exercise is not the same as squeezing your buttocks which should stay relaxed.
Stop or try to slow the dribble of urine as you finish emptying your bladder. Only use this technique occasionally − perhaps once a week to help you test your ability to contract your pelvic floor muscles. Do not perform this as a regular exercise and never do this if you are someone who has difficulty emptying your bladder.
If you use tampons you can practice finding your pelvic floor muscles. You can imagine lifting and squeezing your pelvic floor muscles to resist withdrawing a tampon from your vagina.

So there you have them − 7 top tips for finding and feeling your pelvic floor muscles working. If you can feel your pelvic floor muscles, well done you are well on your way to a stronger more supportive pelvic floor.

For expert detailed information on pelvic floor exercise refer to Inside Out – The essential women's guide to pelvic support by Michelle Kenway Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist & Dr Judith Goh Urogynaecologist

If you just can’t feel your pelvic floor muscles working, then maybe it’s time to get some extra help. You can find a specially trained physiotherapist or continence nurse advisor in your area by contacting Continence Foundation of Australia (free call 1800 33 00 66) or The Australian Physiotherapy Association find a Women's Health Physiotherapist.

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This information is provided for general information only and should in no way be considered as a substitute for medical advice and information about your particular condition.
While every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate, the author accepts no responsibility and cannot guarantee the consequences if individuals choose to rely upon these contents as their sole source of information about a condition and its rehabilitation.