If you experience stress incontinence, regular pelvic floor training can help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and reduce leaks when you cough, sneeze, laugh, exercise or lift something heavy. However, results vary from person to person. Understanding what influences your progress can help you get the most out of your Perifit Care(+) training.
What results can I expect and when?
Research studies show that pelvic floor muscle training can make a real difference for women experiencing stress incontinence:
Around 3 out of 4 women who practise regular pelvic floor muscle training experience an improvement in their leakage symptoms.
Around half of women stop experiencing leaks entirely.
Some users start noticing the first improvements within 2–4 weeks, but it can take up to 10–12 weeks of regular training to see significant improvements.
Remember that progress takes time, and consistency is key!
What factors can influence my results?
Several factors can affect how quickly you notice improvements:
1. Training frequency
Regular training is essential. We recommend 5 sessions of 8 minutes per week.
Keep your sessions short and allow your pelvic floor muscles enough time to rest and recover. Training more often won't necessarily help you progress faster and could actually slow down your progress if your muscles become fatigued.
2. Kegel quality
Correctly engaging your pelvic floor muscles is just as important as training regularly.
You can practise with the Kegel Coach to make sure you're performing your contractions correctly. Also, pay attention to your Contraction Quality during games to monitor your technique.
3. Physical activity
Physical activity can also influence your symptoms.
High-impact activities such as running and jumping can sometimes trigger leaks, particularly if your pelvic floor muscles aren't yet strong enough to manage the pressure. However, avoiding physical activity altogether isn't the answer either.
Moderate-intensity, low-impact activities, such as walking, can help you stay active while putting less pressure on your pelvic floor.
4. Other factors
Several factors can influence your symptoms and how quickly you see results. These include:
Age: The likelihood of experiencing urinary leaks can increase with age.
Menopause: Hormonal changes during menopause can affect pelvic floor and urinary health.
Body mass index (BMI): A higher BMI is associated with an increased likelihood of urinary leakage.
Depending on your individual circumstances, these factors may influence your progress and mean that it takes longer to notice improvements.
5. Underlying causes
For around 1 in 4 women experiencing stress incontinence, Kegel exercises alone may not be enough to stop leaks. This is because the underlying cause isn't necessarily weak pelvic floor muscles.
If you've been training regularly and have noticed improvements in your pelvic floor strength and endurance but no improvement in your leakage symptoms, there may be another underlying issue contributing to your leaks.
Your training data can also be valuable information to share with your healthcare professional.
Remember: strengthening your pelvic floor is an important step, but urinary leakage can have several underlying causes. If your symptoms persist despite regular training, a healthcare professional can help you identify the cause and explore other treatment options.