FAQ

Q. How often do I need to do my exercises ?

A. You should try and do your Sniff, Fop & Drop exercise for 5 to 10 minutes at least once per day if weakness is the main problem and twice or more if you have a pelvic pain disorder. It is good to spend even longer than the 10 minutes if you have difficulty letting go tension. The longer you spend the better, there is no such thing as too much time on this exercise.

The strengthening exercises should be done in sets of 10 and they should be done once per day after the release exercise and then two other times in the day as well in lying or sitting or standing. You may not feel as much in these positions but we are better to be practical about it and lying down is not always possible in a busy day.

Q. How do I progress these exercises ?

A. Work on Endurance:

1. You are working on endurance by going from exercise 11 to 12 to 13. By exercise 13 you are holding on for 10 seconds. You should do this 10 times. If you take a rest and do another 10 reps holding each for 10 seconds you are working on better endurance. If you do this 3 times per day you will certainly be training your muscles   
2. By changing your position you are further training the muscles. You should try training the muscles in lying and sitting and standing, this is a form of progression

B. Work on strength:

1. The harder you squeeze the more muscle fiber you will develop and the better the bulk of the muscle, it is important not to squeeze anything else but the muscle groups you are working on i.e. no bracing
2. Try squeezing in to the end of range and then reinforcing 5 times into the end of range , you should feel each squeeze, then Sniff Flop & Drop to let go. Repeat this 5 times, 3 times per day
3. Try using vaginal exercise cones, but DON’T revert back to bracing to hold the cone in, use the techniques you have learned
4. Use other pelvic floor exercise devices as a form of feedback to increase strength

Q. Do I have to be lying down ?

A.The exercises should initially be performed lying down but can be progressed to a sitting or standing position once mastered. This progression to standing exercises is a good thing and fits more easily with the activities of daily living. Note you should only progress to standing when any bad habits are gone and you feel you have mastered the exercises. Later, the more you practice in standing the better.

Q. Can I do this standing or sitting in the car ?

A.If you find you are not getting to your exercises regularly then do them anywhere rather than not do them at all. It is preferable that you would stay lying on your back or side initially to eliminate the complication of gravity and posture until you can feel it. Once you can do them lying down, doing them in the car is a great idea !

Q. Are there any other exercises I should be doing ?

A. The hardest thing you will do is Sniff Flop & Drop, once you have mastered this then you can progress as above, until you have mastered it you should stick to it. Walking is always a good idea as part of you daily plan.

Q. Why do we concentrate on the muscle at the back so much?

A. Behind the rectum is where the bulk of pelvic floor muscle is, so we start here to make sure we are recruiting as much muscle as possible. When you feel the back coming in first you can then contract the muscles around the vagina.

Q. Do I continue to do my other pelvic floor exercises ?

A.You should only do the exercises described and should not continue as you have been doing. The chances are that they were being performed incorrectly if you are still symptomatic.

Q. Can I continue my Pilates ?

A. You can continue Pilates but you must be sure not to overdo the over-holding during exercise and when practicing outside classes as this can be counterproductive. In classes make sure after you have done an exercise that you consciously fully release the pelvic floor before going on to the next exercise. Pilates is a great way to progress your strength and co-ordination once you have mastered the basic techniques. There are some cases where we would advise to stop Pilates just for a short while and this would usually be where there is excessive tension that is not easily releasing.