Self Self-Care

Kegel Exercises – There’s an App for That!

OK ladies, it is time to get real here. Seems like since I have hit the age of 50 (three years past now) the need to get to the bathroom has taken on a whole new sense of urgency. Not a good feeling! I love my morning coffee, I try to drink water throughout the day, but hey – I am a teacher and my bathroom breaks are tied to recess and lunch. This was never a problem in my younger days – but now?

I worry about getting to the restroom in time. Not to mention what might happen if I sneeze or let out a belly laugh. Yikes! Seriously ladies, no fun. They are calling this LBL. A kinda cute acronym for Little Bladder Leakage. Cute? I think not. Childbirth and menopause both affect the pelvic floor muscles.

Any woman who has given birth has heard of Kegel exercises. A Kegel exercise is the tightening and releasing of the pelvic floor muscles. I was told that you can isolate the pelvic floor by stopping urination mid-stream. I do these exercises sometimes when I think about it. Clearly my sense of urgency is an indication of my not doing them enough, or not doing them effectively.

The problem is, being a teacher and worrying about getting to the restroom has absolutely affected how much water I drink. That is not a healthy choice. I was just at the eye doctor’s and he even told me that I need to drink more water. I know that I need to, but this sense of urgency is a bit scary. It seems now that I have hit menopause, I need to deal with my weak bladder. Leaking, whether it is a few drops or a stream is common, but not normal. I want to get ahead of any future issues my sense of urgency might lead to, and I want to be able to drink more water without fear of not getting to a restroom in time.

Water

While reading health blogs, I came across a product called PeriCoach. I was instantly intrigued!

PeriCoach – A Personal Trainer for My Pelvic Floor Muscles

Pericoach - A Personal Trainer for my Pelvic Floor Muscles

It’s like a FitBit for your vagina! PeriCoach is a tool that will help you isolate the correct muscles with its three sensors. Then with the app (Yes, there is an app for that.) you can actually see how much and for how long you are contracting the correct muscles. Cool! Like I said I was intrigued, so I reached out to the makers of PeriCoach and introduced myself.

They have sent me my own PeriCoach in exchange for an honest review of their product. I have received my PeriCoach and have registered. I have down loaded the app and I have started working with my own personal trainer for my pelvic floor muscles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFw-I26PdcY&feature=youtu.be

Kegel Exercises – There’s an App for That!

Let me tell you – I love this little piece of exercise equipment! The PeriCoach comes in a little case that is also the charging station. The instructions to set up the PeriCoach are simple enough, charge it up, download the app, and you are ready to go. I did have a little bit of trouble with opening the case at first. Turns out that their child-proofing latch can be a bit tricky. Once I found the sweet spot on the latch, it has opened and closed just fine. I was then ready to try it out.

Inserting the PeriCoach is very much like inserting a tampon. A little bit of water-soluble jell can be helpful. With your phone in your hand just tap the PeriCoach app, and it will automatically connect to the device. The first time the device is used, PeriCoach will run you through an exercise set to get a baseline. From here, it determines your exercising, or squeezing, goals.

PeriCoach recommends three sets a day; I usually get in two. Once in the morning and again once in the evening.  It is really a quick process. The exercise routine only takes two minutes, so with set up and put away – washing it in between each – it only takes four minutes. I wish my cardio exercise could be done so quickly!

So how is it going? Well, I quickly learned that the Kegel exercises that I had been practicing – you know when you are sitting at a stop light – they tell you to squeeze and release? Those were no where near the intensity of what I should have been doing. Turns out all those “stoplight” squeezes were not doing a thing for me. Nada.

The PeriCoach has me squeezing much harder and longer. In order to get that blue line up and staying up on the chart takes more effort than I had ever thought a Kegel exercise required. Right off the bat, the PeriCoach taught me some valuable information. I have found it very motivating to see what is happening in real time via that blue line. Trying to squeeze harder and longer just to make that blue line shoot up and stay up until it is time to relax is my goal with each squeeze. The results are visible right there on the screen.  I love looking at the data and seeing what the strength was of each squeeze as well as my overall average strength for each session. Some days and some sessions are definitely more successful than others.

Kegel Exercises - There's an App for That!

 

I have only been using my PeriCoach for a couple of weeks, but I already feel like it is making a difference. The program comes with a diary, and my goal is to start recording the liquid that I take in and the number of times I visit the restroom. I am a person that loves to compare statistics and review data so I want to see the data.

In the meantime I know that I am feeling much more confident about drinking water during the day and not worrying about getting myself to the bathroom. That in of itself is a win for me!

I will keep you posted – as I said, I am a data girl and I will share with you the changes that doing effective and consistent Kegel exercises with my PeriCoach can bring. In the meantime if you want to find out more, please visit PeriCoach.

Pericoach

Thank you to PeriCoach for providing me with this great exercising tool!  As always, all opinions are 100% honest & completely my own.

(17) Comments

  1. I’ll have to share this with my sister-in-law who just found out she’s pregnant! Thanks for sharing!

  2. These are some simple and great options for UI leak. I know couple of friends who suffer from it on a frequent basis and I’m sure this would give them lot of relief and peace of mind.

  3. Technology can be revolutionary, can’t it. I do Kegel’s when I’m sitting at stop lights waiting. It’s an easy way to remember to do them each day.

  4. I had to laugh when I read your title, but this is seriously some advanced technology!! I had no idea anything like this even existed–it will be really helpful for moms and older women for sure!

  5. Oh wow! This is so neat. I totally get the not staying hydrated as a teacher – it’s a difficult career for daytime hydration. I’ll have to remember this tool after my baby is born!

  6. I’m definitely going to check this out. What a wonderful idea for an app. I’m going to be telling all afternoon my girlfriends about this.

  7. This is so cool and I will have to check it out. After having two kids I definitely know how you have to work out those kegels esp if you don’t want to have any problems with a big sneeze lol. I also, was not aware that eye problems can be linked to not drinking enough water, so I better work on that also!!

  8. I haven’t heard of this yet, but it sounds like a must for every woman!

  9. These exercises are so helpful. Great that they made an app for it.

  10. Thank you for speaking out about this, so many women are unaware of the need for working their Kegels. This app looks like a great addition and would be super helpful!

  11. I have never heard of this or leaky bladder syndrome…I have not had any kids nor have I hit menopause, so I think I will hold off for a few years! Thanks for your honest review!!

  12. Terri says:

    So I am about your age and am experiencing the same symptoms. I didn’t know such a thing existed! I’m intrigued. I snorted pepsi out my nose when you said you found the “sweet spot” on the box. Dear heavens.

  13. I love this so much. I NEED this app after having two kiddos. I bet it makes a big difference.

  14. I did not know you could do this and I definitely did not know that there was an app for that. I think Pericoach could help a lot of women and great that you are talking about it.

  15. I have never heard of Pericoach before. This looks like a great gadget to monitor kegel exercises. I’ve been doing kegel exercises and I think it would make it easier if I have something like this to help.

  16. Debra says:

    I would never have thought this is something you can strength train for. Thanks for all the useful information.

  17. What a great idea! I love this. I really think I could use one of these. I know many women go through surgery for this issue and that is not an option for me. Love that it has an app too

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