Where is my pelvic floor and what are Kegels?

by Holly Charman April 20, 2021

If you didn't already know, Secret Whispers is going to be featured in one of the UK’s top women's magazines, Chat ! To celebrate this feature we are starting a new hashtag campaign with #PelvicFloorChat. Our last campaign, #DontIgnoreThePelvicFloor was a massive success with a reach of half a million people after we were featured in publications Refinery29 and Women’s Running. We want this campaign to be even bigger and even better but we need your help. On the 22nd go out and buy a copy of Chat magazine and post a selfie of you with it with the hashtag #PelvicFloorChat. If you don't manage to get your hands on a copy (we’re sure they’ll be a hot commodity) then you can post a selfie holding a card saying #PelvicFloorChat instead, and don't forget to use the hashtag in your captions to get your post seen far and wide. If you fancy winning a FREE KEGAL KIT then DM us your picture on one of our socials or on our private Facebook group to be in with a chance. The most creative or ingenious picture will be crowned the winner, so why not give it a go?

We wanted to use today's blog to go back to basics and talk about the pelvic floor, kegel exercises and how the Secret Whispers Kegel Weights could change your life. Women across the world struggle with weak pelvic floor issues and they aren't getting the education, support and treatment they desperately need AND deserve. Access to pelvic floor care should not be a privilege or sought after only when problems arise, it's a RIGHT and pelvic floor maintenance should be started BEFORE problems start. The more we talk about pelvic floor issues - and the debilitating effects that come with it - the quicker we will break down the taboo and bring the conversation out of the shadows.

If you’ve been on the fence about investing in yourself with a set of our Kegel Weights or perhaps you're new here and have joined us after finding us through Chat magazine (Hello and welcome!) then this is the blog for you, so sit back and read on about (almost) everything you want to know about your pelvic floor and Kegels.

What is the pelvic floor?

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that runs from the front of the pelvis to the tail bone and coccyx at the back. The pelvic floor looks like and acts like a hammock, holding up the pelvic organs (the bladder, bowel and uterus).

There are openings in the hammock for different parts of your anatomy to pass through. In women the 3 openings are the urethra, the vagina and the anus and the pelvic floor wraps firmly around them.

What are Kegels?

Developed by Californian Gynaecologist Dr Arnold Kegel, Kegels are exercises which are clinically proven as an effective nonsurgical treatment for pelvic floor weakness. They consist of repeatedly contracting and relaxing the muscles that form part of the pelvic floor.

How to do Kegels

The easiest way to describe how to locate your pelvic floor and then do Kegel exercises is to imagine you’re holding in wee and wind at the same time. Follow these steps and you'll be on the road to Kegel success in no time.

Sit on a firm chair or lie down with your knees slightly apart.
Tighten the ring of muscle around your back passage (anus) as though preventing a bowel movement or wind escape.
Then imagine you have to stop yourself passing urine.
Tighten the muscles around your front passages.
Now squeeze and pull up both areas (front and back passages) towards your belly button.
Hold for as many seconds as you can (up to a maximum of 10 seconds) but please remember to not hold your breath.
Relax the contraction and rest for 5 seconds. Relaxing your pelvic floor is equally important.
Repeat this 'squeeze and lift' sequence 10 times.

What are Kegel Weights?

The Secret Whispers Kegel Weights are simply like a dumbbell for your pelvic floor. When you insert the weights, gravity wants them to fall out, so then your correct pelvic floor muscles engage to hold them in. The weights also teach you how to do a correct Kegel exercise. 50% of women, even when told how to do a Kegel exercise will do them incorrectly because they can't see or feel the muscles. Our Kegel Weights take away the guesswork and teach you how to do an effective correct pelvic floor exercise.

The Secret Whispers Kegel Kit comes with a 6 step programme:

You start at the lightest weight combination (40g) where you wear your weights every day for 15 minutes while incorporating the slow and fast Kegel exercises (the full programme comes with it).
Every 2 weeks you then change the weight combination so you are gradually and safely challenging your pelvic floor muscles.
Continue until you have completed the 12-week program.

After the 12 weeks, you simply wear your weights 3 to 4 times a week as maintenance to maintain the strength of your pelvic floor. Using the weights is just like going to the gym for your pelvic floor, but remember, that you still need to do your Kegel exercises manually every day and get into the habit of doing them every day for life. Honestly, once you get in the habit it is very easy to remember to do and your pelvic floor will thank you for it! Simply, get in the habit when you brush your teeth morning and night.

What happens when your pelvic floor is weakened?

A weak pelvic floor can cause a host of issues, both physical and physiological. Issues with the pelvic floor are common with studies reporting that 1 in 3 women in the UK are affected by pelvic floor disorders. This is a shocking statistic and just highlights the scale of the problem. Let's look at some of the main conditions caused by pelvic floor weakness;

Bladder weakness or urinary incontinence - Urinary incontinence, is any uncontrolled leakage of urine. It is embarrassing and causes huge negative physical, psychological and social well-being impacts for women and their families. It ranges from those who wee a little when they laugh, sneeze, run or jump to those who have such a lack of control they fail to make it to the toilet in time. Incontinence is sadly rising. It is estimated that there are up to 3 million women living in silence too embarrassed to see their doctor and condemning themselves to a lifetime of low self esteem, confidence and lifetime of pads. Not to mention giving up sports and social activities for fear of wetting themselves.

Pelvic organ prolapse - A prolapse occurs when the pelvic floor muscles are weakened and the pelvic organs can bulge (prolapse) from their natural position into the vagina. Sometimes the prolapse can be so severe that it can protrude from the vagina. There are 4 types of pelvic organ prolapse...

The bladder bulging into the front wall of the vagina (anterior prolapse)
The womb bulging or hanging down into the vagina (uterine prolapse)
The top of the vagina (vault) sagging down (vault prolapse) – this happens to some women after they have had surgery to remove their womb
The bowel bulging forward into the back wall of the vagina (posterior wall prolapse)

NOTE: It’s possible to have more than one of these at the same time.

What's the solution?

So now you’ve learned the importance of why we should all be working towards a stronger pelvic floor, but HOW do you get there?

SECRET WHISPERS™ COMPLETE KEGEL EXERCISE KIT

No more wet pants, feeling ashamed, not playing with your children, avoiding social events for fear of wetting yourself. This 6 Step Progressive Weight Kegel Exercise Kit to Strengthen, Tone and Tighten your Pelvic Floor Muscles Fast! From 15 Minutes

✅is UK DESIGNED - Designed By UK mums with lifetime support for any questions you have or support that you need
✅PREMIUM QUALITY - Medical grade soft silicone, latex, BPA & phthalate free, hypoallergenic & 100% waterproof ensuring the highest levels of hygiene. Bonus - Silk pouch & mini instruction card for travel, & eBook covering all aspects of the pelvic floor that you need to know
✅FAST RESULTS - Tighten and tone your pelvic floor with our gynaecology recommended Kegel weight training programme from 15 mins per day - for women who wee themselves when laughing, running, coughing - GET your confidence back!
✅6 Step progressive weight programme to strengthen - tone - tighten your pelvic floor fast with free E-Book- take back control.

Having a strong pelvic floor means no more leaks when you laugh, sneeze or run. Imagine, no more bulky pads. A stronger pelvic floor can also prevent pelvic floor prolapse. Feel sexier, stronger and more confident. Get your pelvic floor strength back today and take back control!

To wrap up

So now you’re more informed about the pelvic floor and it’s importance, why not join us here at Secret Whispers? We have a fabulous community of like minded and supportive women in our private Facebook group where you can be part of a loving community, where people share their experiences and troubles as well as just having a good ole chin wag, because that's sometimes exactly what we all need. Join the group here (Pelvic Floor Education and Support For Women-By Secret Whispers | Facebook) . We also have instagram (@secretwhispersuk) and a Facebook page where we share some great educational and fun content so why not follow us there too ? Our DM’s are always open if you need advice or would like some more information about our products (did you know we also sell reusable menstrual cups?). We hope you enjoyed today's blog and don't forget to buy a copy of Chat magazine on Thursday the 22nd of April and post a selfie with the #PelvicFloorChat.