You can imagine our excitement when we discovered we aren’t the only people who spend the day talking about vaginas. We’ve been chatting to Maddi Gale, who works for femtech company Elvie. Here she talks all about exercising your vagina and kegels.
So, you’ve heard of the pelvic floor but still have no idea what it does? Or maybe you’ve never heard of it at all? Well, looks like we’ve got some work to do.
Introducing The Elusive Pelvic Floor:
The pelvic floor is a powerful set of muscles. It sits like a hammock between your tailbone and pubic bone. It’s made up of layers of muscle and other tissues. These support your bladder, uterus and bowel, keeping them all where they should be.
So far so good. But, did you know that pelvic floor weakness affects 1 in 3 women in the UK. This can be the result of genetics, high-impact sports (even squats and running), pregnancy, childbirth and aging. Symptoms of a weak pelvic floor can range from a little leakage when you sneeze, to unexpected accidents before you don’t get to a loo in time and in rare cases organ prolapse. Yikes! But don’t worry, we come to you with all the tools for a healthy, happy pelvic floor.
Kegels are a Girl’s Best Friend:
Kegels; now I’m sure you’ve definitely heard of these! From a young age, many women are told to do Kegels by squeezing as if you’re stopping your pee mid-stream. That’s your pelvic floor and just like any muscle, it needs to be exercised (but not while you pee, please people).
While Kegels are especially important after pregnancy, keeping a strong pelvic floor isn’t just for mums or older women! They improve bladder control, back pain and reduce the risk of prolapse. Additionally, they help build core strength, improve control during sex and can lead to stronger orgasms! Building muscle strength increases sensation and boosts blood flow to the vagina. In turn, this helps women to control those muscles and experience stronger orgasms.
However, a lot of women do their Kegels incorrectly. 30% of women push instead of lift, which can cause more damage to the pelvic floor.
Meet the World’s Smallest and Smartest Kegel Trainer:
That’s where Elvie Trainer comes in. It can be difficult to exercise a muscle you can’t see and remain motivated. Especially without the ability to track your progress – we get it. Elvie’s Kegel trainer is a small pebble-shaped pod. It’s inserted like a tampon and connects to an app. The phone app visualises, guides and corrects your technique in response to your muscle movements. It does this through fun, five-minute workouts. Think of it as your most personal trainer.
Prevention is Better Than a Cure:
The problem with this area of women’s health is that not many people know about it! The pelvic floor is such an important part of a woman’s body but unfortunately, women don’t start to think about it until pregnancy or when they begin to experience health issues. A regular and effective Kegel exercise routine can keep the pelvic floor strong and avoid complications later in life. So, time to get squeezing ladies!
Thanks SO much to Maddie from Elvie for writing this blog for us! An important topic, don’t you agree? Drop us a comment below or share with your friends on social. Don’t forget to tag @totmorganic and @helloelvie. To find out more about Elvie, check out their website or pay them on a visit on social.
