So, how do you know if your incontinence is caused by a weakened pelvic floor? The first step is to create a bladder diary. This consists of recording your food and liquid intake and monitoring the number of times you need to urinate, actually leak urine or the amount of urine passed at each void. When examining the bladder diary, a doctor can see any patterns that might suggest a cause of your incontinence. The cure can be as simple as timing when you use the bathroom to train your bladder. Additional behavioral measures include monitoring your fluid intake, learning not to strain when voiding and using Kegel exercises to increase the strength of your pelvic floor muscles.

Ironically, most women have been told at some point that Kegel exercises help maintain muscle strength and increase sexual pleasure, yet many cannot isolate the proper muscles or perform the contraction correctly. As a result, the contractions don’t really do anything to improve muscle strength.
The first step is isolating the proper muscles. Try imagining that you are sitting on top of a marble. If you wanted to pick up the marble with your vagina what would you do? Visualize sucking the marble up into your vaginal canal. Do not squeeze your buttocks, stomach or thigh muscles. If the wrong muscles are used, it can actually put more pressure on the pelvic floor muscles. Simply tighten the pelvic muscles. Breathe slowly and deeply.

Repeat several times, but be careful you don’t overdo it as this can lead to muscle fatigue.  In the beginning, pick a quiet place to practice where you can lie down. This is helpful in the beginning so you don’t have to fight gravity. Contract your pelvic muscles and hold for a count of three. Release the contraction and rest for another count of three. Do as many as you can and try to increase your Kegels to three sets of 10 repeats. As your strength increases, begin exercising while sitting or standing. In these positions gravity will add resistance which helps you increase your strength.

And remember, you must be patient. You don’t lose 30 pounds in a day. You can’t give up. In only 3-6 weeks you will see results. And you only need to spend 5 minutes a day. For some, the addition of Vaginal Weights or Cones will help to keep your motivation. Whatever you do, just keep at it. Isn’t 6 weeks of patience better than a major abdominal surgery or drugs for the rest of your life?

The emWave 2, like previous Heartmath products, teaches you to control your body with breathing and focus on positive emotions.  The great thing about this new product is the combination of portability and connectivity. This new machine will work on the go with a finger or ear sensor.  Both sensors quickly read your heart rhythms and translate the information into LED displays on the machine.  A breathing pattern is generated that will help you to bring your measured heart rhythms into coherence.  The great thing is the new machine then stores the data for future analysis.

And it gets even better.  The emWave 2 will connect to your computer and allow you to download your sessions into a desktop application included with the machine.  The easy to use display will allow you to see details about previous sessions.  You will be able to see your session history and chart your progress. You can also use the emWave 2 in real time and see your coherence levels displayed on the computer screen as you use the machine.  There are even different challenge levels ranging from beginner to advanced. You will be entertained and challenged while keeping your body and mind in harmony.  The emWave 2 is much simpler and easier than other desktop products with the added ability to be fully portable while saving your data.

The addition of storage and real time data visibility really enhances this wonderful product.  You can use your session history to track your progress and even print out the data to share with your health professional.  The ability to take your machine on the road and review the data later will help you stay motivated and allow you to take control of your stress and emotional well being no matter where you are.

If you choose to visit your doctor, the first step will be to determine the type of incontinence you are suffering from.  The most common diagnosis is stress incontinence. When pressure is exerted on the bladder when you cough, laugh or sneeze, urine can leak out.  It can also occur when lifting or exercising.  This is a symptom of the weakening of the pelvic floor muscles.  This can be an effect of aging but can also result from child birth in women and prostate surgery in men.  Strengthening these muscles will usually reduce or eliminate this problem.  There are many incontinence products available to assist in building up the muscles of the pelvic floor.

Another common form of incontinence is Urge Incontinence.  This is an intense demanding need to urinate that occurs so suddenly that you cannot make it to the bathroom.  These sudden urges can be a symptom of other diseases, including bladder infections, Parkinson’s, or injury to the nervous system.  Treating the underlying problem will usually eliminate this type of incontinence.  If, however, the cause is unknown, there may be pharmaceutical remedies to help.

Overflow incontinence occurs when you continually leak a small amount of urine.  This can be caused by an inability to fully empty your bladder.  This is most often the result of damage to the bladder, a blockage in the urethra or nerve damage.  EMG biofeedback and surgeries are the most common treatments for this type of incontinence.

The last form is functional incontinence.  Often this is the result of a mental or physical impairment that prohibits you from getting to the bathroom or recognizing the need to go. This is most common in the elderly or infirm.  Treatments for this type of incontinence are poor due to the fact that the issue is caused by problems that don’t actually have to do with the urinary system.

Whatever the type of incontinence you are troubled by, there are many treatments available.  It is a good idea to discuss the issue with your doctor so a treatment plan can be developed for your particular form on incontinence.

You will find the results amazing. Using these weights as part of a pelvic floor exercise program will yield positive results.  The variance in weight of each piece will help you to track your progress over time.  Starting with the lightest weight and progressing through to the heaviest. These weights are a wonderful addition to any program and offer a lifetime of self a paced treatment.  No more accidents.  Side effects?  How does increased sexual pleasure grab you?

Lady Care Vaginal Weights are very discreet. The weights are inserted like a tampon and can be cleaned with ordinary anti-bacterial soap.  They are a safe and natural way for women to take control of their sexual and urinary health. Once inserted correctly the muscles almost automatically contract providing you an easy way to isolate the pelvic floor.  You don’t need to worry if the correct muscles are being used.  Simply contract to hold the weight inside.  It’s easy to do and you can find time to fit this workout into your routine easily.

An even greater idea is to begin using the weights before you experience a problem. Stronger pelvic floor muscles will aid in child birth and will help
support your uterus and bladder during pregnancy.  And the stronger the muscles, the better the sexual activity will feel.  It’s a win-win situation.

Even if you have had several pregnancies or are feeling the effects of age, incontinence doesn’t need to rule your life.  Vaginal weights are appropriate for women of all ages.  You can even use them during pregnancy with your doctor’s permission. Best of all, you can find these weights online and have them delivered discretely, right to your doorstep. There’s no better time than right now to start the path towards a healthier urinary system!

In the past, doctors would recommend Kegel exercises primarily for women but also for men.  A Kegel contraction is a contraction of the pelvic floor that is held for up to 10 seconds.  To isolate these muscles, try to stop the flow of urine while going to the bathroom.  These are the muscles used when performing a Kegel. Kegel exercises must be performed in sets of 10 up to 5 times a day, every day.  Unfortunately, most women are not motivated to carry out the contractions and over time, and rarely see a significant difference.  For men it can be hard to isolate the pelvic floor muscles and often the contractions are not done properly. 

However, most people don’t realize that Dr. Arnold Kegel never intended that these exercicses be done without some resistance.  In women this means inserting a weight or probe into the vagina or for men, in the rectum.  Over the years, a number of products have been developed to support building the pelvic floor muscles with resistance training.  One of the best and most sensitive of these devices is the Pertiron Perineometer.  This machine can be used with either a vaginal or anal sensor.  Because the sensors are removable, it makes a great device for clinics and doctor’s offices.  The sensor’s can also be used with other products making them a great investment in pelvic health.

How does it work?  The Peritron Perineometer comes with a medical grade silicon sensor which can detect the even the weakest of muscle contractions.  This means it is suitable for women who have extremely weak pelvic floors as well as men and women recovering from surgeries or other trauma. The unit provides feedback  in both visual and audio forms.   Light-up bars show the increases and decreases in the strength of the contractions.  In addition, audio tones compliment the visual display.  The measurements from this machine are much more accurate compared to most other units on the market making this a great tool for both professionals and individuals seeking relief.

Did you know that an irregular heartbeat, a condition known as atrial fibrillation, is the leading cause of strokes? When the heartbeat is irregular, blood pools in the smaller heart chamber called the atrium.  The pooling blood allows clots to form.  If a clot forms and is pumped from the heart into the body, it can cause a stroke.  A stroke is loss of brain cells due to a lack of blood flow.  Strokes can be relatively minor or completely devastating, causing otherwise healthy individuals to lose functionality of the body and mind.  We’ve all seen the footage of Dick Clark and Kirk Douglas.  Years after their strokes they still have issues walking and speaking.  A stroke definitely has a negative impact on the individual, the family and caretakers.

So, how does the medical community treat atrial fibrillation? I bet you can guess.  Medications and invasive procedures.  Most people who are diagnosed with this condition are given blood thinners and sometimes surgery.  The surgeries are painful and can take significant time for healing.  Medications increase bleeding risk.  In addition, both options have dangerous side effects.  As you can imagine, this is a difficult and scary condition to live with. And, it is more common in the elderly who are often isolated from friends and family due to other medical issues.  A significant proportion of those with this condition are suffering from stress and depression.  If we could treat this condition without drugs and invasive procedures, imagine the fiscal and emotional savings to our society.

Well, a recent study found that yoga reduced atrial fibrillation by up to 50%.  A relatively simple exercise can have this much impact on a body!  Amazing. The study also concluded that Yoga helped minimize the depression and anxiety associated with the condition. Science is always surprised by findings such as these.  I’m not sure why they continually dismiss the body/mind connection, but those of us who meditate or do yoga know how good the body feels when the mind is relaxed and stress free.  So, grab your water and yoga mat, it’s time to workout, feel good, and promote heart and mental health.