Kegel exercises or the chair?
Kegel exercises are the basis of all pelvic floor training. Training in a chair is a way to give the muscles more work. You don't have to choose, they work well together.
How to find the right muscles
Imagine you are holding in wind and stopping the flow of urine at the same time. What you tighten then is the pelvic floor. You should feel a lift inwards and upwards.
Keep your buttocks, thighs and stomach as relaxed as possible. Breathe normally. If you hold your breath or push down, you are working in the wrong direction.
A simple basic routine
- Long squeezes: squeeze, hold for a few seconds, let go completely and rest for as long. Repeat ten times.
- Quick squeezes: squeeze hard and let go straight away, ten times in a row.
- Squeezes in everyday life: just before you cough, sneeze or lift.
- Start lying down. Move on to sitting and standing when it feels easy.
Relaxing is just as important as squeezing. A muscle that is tense all the time gets tired and can cause other problems.
Do the exercises every day. Link them to something you already do, like brushing your teeth or waiting for the bus.
Why it is hard
The pelvic floor is a muscle you can't see. Many people don't know if they are squeezing correctly, and it is easy to lose motivation when you don't notice a difference straight away. It is common to stop after a few weeks.
Give it time. A muscle needs weeks of regular training before it gets stronger, and that applies to the pelvic floor too.
Can't feel the muscles at all, or are you unsure? Ask for help from a midwife or a physiotherapist who specialises in the pelvic floor. They can check that you are doing it right.
What the chair adds
In INSCULPT Chair the pelvic floor is trained by an electromagnetic field. You sit fully clothed for about 30 minutes, and the field activates the muscles with around 12,000 contractions. It reaches about 10 centimetres in.
A session has three phases: build-up, activation and recovery. This set-up lets the muscles work intensively without getting used to the load. It feels like tingling and strong contractions, and the intensity is increased step by step.
You don't need to know how to squeeze for the muscles to work in the chair. That makes the chair a good way to get started if you find it hard to locate the muscles yourself.
How to combine them
- During the course: usually 10 treatments, 2 times a week. Keep doing your Kegel exercises at home.
- After the course: maintenance in the chair once or twice a month, and Kegel exercises every day.
- Use the feeling from the chair. Try to find the same contraction when you squeeze on your own.
The chair does not replace medical care. If your symptoms are severe or new, or you have pain or heaviness, talk to your doctor, a midwife or a physiotherapist first.
Give your Kegel exercises a boost
Find a clinic near you in Sweden or Norway with INSCULPT Chair and book a session. The price is set by the clinic.
