Why Do the Pelvic Floor Muscles Get Weakened?

Pelvic floor exercises muscles are the correct ones to use and These pelvis floor exercises can be then do it no more than once a week to practised as soon as you have decided to check your progress, otherwise it may have laparoscopic radical prostatectomy interfere with normal bladder emptying). so you can become proficient at them so that after surgery you will know exactly If your technique is correct each time that how to do them correctly. you tighten your pelvic floor muscles you The floor of the pelvis is made up of layers may feel and see the base of your penis of muscle and other tissues. These layers move slightly towards your abdomen. stretch like a hammock from the tail bone at the back to the pubic bone at the front. Doing pelvic floor exercises A man’s pelvic floor supports the bladder Now you can feel the muscles working you and bowel. The urethra (bladder outlet) can start to exercise them. and rectum (back passage) pass through 1. Tighten and draw in strongly the the pelvic floor muscles. The pelvic floor muscles around the anus and the urethra muscles play an important part in bladder all at once. Lift them up inside. Try and and bowel control. hold this contraction strongly as you count to five, then release slowly and relax for a Why do the pelvic floor muscles get few seconds. You should have a feeling of weakened? ‘letting go’. The pelvic floor muscles can be weakened 2. Repeat (squeeze and lift) and relax. It is by: important to rest in between each • Some operations for an enlarged contraction. If you find it easy to hold the prostate contraction for the count of five then try • Continual straining to empty your and hold for the count of ten. bowels, usually due to 3. Repeat this as many times as you are constipation able to up to a maximum of 8-10 • Persistent heavy lifting squeezes. Make each tightening a strong, slow and controlled contraction. • A chronic cough, bronchitis or asthma 4. Now do 5-10 short fast but strong • Being overweight contractions, pulling up and immediately • Lack of general fitness letting go. 5. Do the whole exercise routine at least You can improve control of your bladder 4-5 times every day. by doing exercises to strengthen your You can do it a variety of positions-lying, pelvic floor muscles. standing or walking for example.

How to contract the pelvic floor muscles While doing the exercises The first thing to do is to correctly identify • Do not hold your breath the muscles that need to be exercised. • Do not push down instead of squeezing 1. Sit or lie comfortably with muscles of and lifting up your thigh, buttocks and abdomen relaxed. • 2. Tighten the ring of muscle around the Do not tighten your tummy, buttocks or back passage as if you are trying to thighs control diarrhoea or wind. Good results take time. In order to build up 3. Relax the muscle again. Practise this your pelvic floor muscles to their maximum movement several times until you are sure strength you will need to work hard at you are exercising the correct muscle. Try these exercises. You will probably not not to squeeze your buttocks (pelvis notice an improvement for several weeks, thrust) or tighten your thigh or tummy but do not get disheartened, your control muscles. will improve. 4. Imagine you are passing urine, trying to • Do your exercises well stop the flow midstream, and then • The quality is important restarting it. (You can do this for real if you wish, but do so only to learn which • These exercises can help you gain control of your bladder after your operation.