There are many people who support the philosophy that as long as your mind is healthy, your body will be healthy as well. However, the truth is that to have a healthy body you need to do more than just fill your mind with positive thoughts.
For this to happen, it is also necessary to follow a balanced diet that includes nutritious foods that help strengthen the body. Likewise, an appropriate exercise routine should also be followed.
When I use the word “appropriate” I mean an exercise routine that is consistent with our age, abilities, pace of life and physical health.
Although it is true that young people, in general, exercise because they want to look good, when they reach a certain age the needs change and now it is not enough to look good, it is also necessary to feel good.
Hence the importance of doing exercises to strengthen specific areas of the body, in order to avoid certain conditions that would reduce our quality of life, such is the case of prolapse, which occurs when both the muscles and the ligaments that make up the pelvic floor they stretch and weaken to the point that they no longer support the uterus well, causing it to slip into or protrude from the vagina.
Since this is a condition that can affect women of any age, what can you do now to avoid it? If you have no idea what to do, you have nothing to worry about. In this short post you will learn about the best exercises to prevent prolapse.
In this way, you will be sure that you are exercising your body in the correct way. That is, not only the muscles that everyone can see, but also those that allow you to enjoy a normal and pleasant life.
Instructions
Mild uterine prolapse is usually asymptomatic, that is, it produces no signs or symptoms. In the case of moderate to severe, they can present:
- A feeling of heaviness in the pelvis.
- The presence of a tissue protruding from the vagina.
- Urinary problems, such as retention of urine.
- Difficulty in evacuating the intestines.
- Sensation of sitting on a ball.
- Sexual problems.
These symptoms usually start out mild at the beginning of the day and intensify as the hours go by. As you have been able to realize, it is an uncomfortable and even painful situation. Therefore, in order to avoid it, practice Kegel exercises.
These exercises involve contracting and relaxing those muscles that control urine and that were invented by the sexologist Arnold Kegel in the 1940s and that, today, continue to be a direct reference for postpartum physical recovery. Some of these exercises are:
- The slow: it consists of keeping the muscles that make up the pelvic floor tense and keeping them that way for about 5 seconds. Then they relax for another 5 seconds and the exercise is repeated.
- The fast: in this case, you must perform the same contractions, but without pausing and as quickly as possible.
- The lift: consists of contracting and relaxing the three muscles that make up the pelvic floor, simultaneously in different types.
- The wave: as its name indicates, it is about contracting and distending the muscles as if it were a wave, that is, first, the ring that surrounds the urethra, then the one that surrounds the vagina and finally the that surrounds the anus.
Now that you know what the exercises to do to prevent prolapse consist of, what else do you need to know related to this topic?
What do you need
When you go to do these exercises, you should try to do it in places where there are no noises or any type of distraction so that you can concentrate better and not disturb the intimacy of the moment.
While you get used to these exercises, you can wear comfortable clothing, perhaps loose and vary the position in which you do them. That is, on some occasions you can do them while lying on the ground; other times standing and a few more when you are sitting.
As you practice, you will gain better control of the muscles that make up the pelvic floor and, therefore, it will be possible for you to perform them during everyday situations, such as while watching television or traveling by bus.
Now, what other recommendations should you take into account to be able to perform these exercises successfully and thus prevent the presence of a uterine prolapse?
Tips
It is advisable that you do Kegel exercises every time you have made a significant physical effort or after you have climbed stairs, since these movements can cause urine loss.
In order to exercise the area correctly, you must make an effort not to contract the abdominal muscles, the glutes or the thighs. In addition, these exercises must be performed for at least 4 weeks and the benefits will begin to be noticeable after a few months. However, it is best to continue doing them to prevent the initial symptoms from reappearing.
Try not to exceed the number of repetitions per day, since if you exceed it you can cause muscle strain when urinating or evacuating. Also, you should avoid doing them by applying a very large force, since the muscles of the vagina could become very tense and you could feel pain during sexual intercourse.
On the other hand, in order to improve muscle elasticity and achieve a better recovery after giving birth, it is advisable to massage the perianal area with almond oil during pregnancy in the prepartum period.
Now, after giving birth, this practice is necessary in order to help prevent urinary incontinence and other similar problems.
As you have been able to realize, these are simple exercises that you can put into practice from today, but that require a certain degree of concentration so that you can perform them effectively. So the more you practice, the better you’ll be at prolapse prevention.