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Do you pee when you sneeze, cough, or laugh?
Are you being held back by fear of bladder leakage?
Sign up for free access to the 12 Weeks to a Stronger Pelvic Floor program, valued at $79

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Meet our Women’s Health Physiotherapist

Caitlin Dunsford

Created with Women’s Health Physiotherapist Caitlin Dunsford, the Poise Pelvic Floor Strengthening Program will help you understand your leakage better, with tailored advice and education and evidence-based treatment options for your incontinence, plus support accessing the right health professional.

The Poise Pelvic Floor Muscle Strengthening online video program is 12 weeks of physio led, graded pelvic muscle training. Valued at $79. Available FREE when you sign up with Poise. Need to know more? Check out the FAQ’s.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

An online video exercise program you can follow in your own time on your device, from home. The exercises are guided by a physiotherapist and gradually build up over the 12 weeks.
No special equipment is needed to do this program.
Yes the program is free after you sign up.
Once you sign up to the program you have unlimited access and can watch the videos any time.
As the 12 Weeks to a Stronger Pelvic Floor program is general in nature and not supervised we recommend waiting until 6 weeks after birth (Vaginal or C-section). If you are concerned, or want to start sooner you should discuss this with a health care professional.
Yes. Pelvic floor muscle training is especially important during and after menopause.Pelvic floor exercises can differ in regards to how long you hold them for, how strongly you hold the muscle, what position you are in and if you are doing any other exercise at the same time.
Each workout should be done for 2 rounds, 3 times a week. With a rest day in between where possible.
Each workout takes approximately 8 minutes in total to complete and is recommended to do 3 times a week, with a rest day in between.
The program is gentle on the body. If you find any movements are too much, pause the video and take a rest or skip ahead.
We understand that life gets in the way. Just pick up where you left off and continue. Stay on each video for 2 weeks of training, or longer if you feel you need to do more.
It is likely that the first time you do a pelvic floor training program that you will feel tired and possibly some discomfort in the muscle. This is an expected and normal part of strength training. The discomfort or fatigue may stick around for 2 days, however should not be sharp shooting in nature and should not stop you from your activities of daily living.
If you experience sharp, shooting pain when tightening your pelvic floor muscles, or if you are otherwise unsure, seek medical opinion and advice. It is likely you require individualised assessment and education around your pelvic floor muscle contraction.
Many women report noticing improvement in bladder control after 4-6 weeks of regular pelvic floor muscle training. However complete effects of pelvic floor muscle training will take 12 weeks. It is important to note that treating incontinence requires a full assessment and treatment plan from a medical professional. Pelvic floor muscle training has been shown to improve bladder control, under the direct supervision of a health professional.
Yes. Pelvic floor muscle training is also the first line management for pelvic organ prolapse. If you are concerned, experience pain when doing pelvic floor exercises or have a severe prolapse we recommend seeking individualised medical advice prior to starting the program.
Yes. At the end of the 12 weeks, if you have noticed significant improvements in your bladder control, then we recommend incorporating the workouts into your normal routine. This may look like choosing 1 workout and doing it as your warm up before you take the dog for a walk, or at the end of a workout when you are stretching. Aim to do this 1-2 times per week.
Pelvic floor contractions take time and practice. If you can’t feel the contraction it may be that your muscle is not actually switching on, is too weak, is already stuck on and it can’t relax or you might be squeezing it just fine but aren’t quite in tune with the sensation. Practice multiple cues in different positions and remember it takes time! However, if you still aren’t sure it’s important to see a health professional face to face who can assess this and give you independent advice.
When doing a pelvic floor exercise you should notice a subtle tightening and gentle lift upwards/inwards of the pelvic floor muscles (Ie. The area near your urethra, vagina and anus). You can get feedback on this by looking with a mirror or touching with a clean hand the perineum (area between vagina and anus).
The gold standard way to ensure you are performing the exercise correctly is to have this assessed via an internal vaginal exam from your specialist or pelvic health physio. It can also be assessed using ultrasound. If you are unsure if you are doing it correctly it is important to have your pelvic floor coordination reviewed by a medical professional to ensure you get the most out of the program.
The pelvic floor is made up of multiple muscles, however they (for the most part) all squeeze and relax together at the same time. When we use different cues throughout the program, we do this to change the focus of the exercise but you will likely feel the entire pelvic floor contract! This is normal and expected.
A pelvic floor physiotherapist is a university trained physiotherapist with further post graduate training in the areas of pelvic health and continence. When you see a pelvic floor physio they will spend some time getting to know you and ask you many questions about your medical history including your bladder habits, bowel habits and lifestyle. Based on your answers and your main concerns they will use a variety of tools to assess you including a bladder and bowel diary, ultrasound and internal vaginal exam. They may also have a look at how you do certain exercises and movements (especially if you are experiencing stress incontinence). Together with you, they will create a treatment plan to help you achieve your goals. This might be to run 10km without leaking, or to be able to give an important presentation at work without running to do a wee. Treatments may include (but aren’t limited to) pelvic floor exercises, bladder retraining, general strengthening exercises, pessaries and TENS.
If you have any bladder or bowel symptoms that bother you or stop you from doing activities you love, then you should see a pelvic floor physio! Physio can also play a role in prevention, so it is also ideal to see them before big life events where we know women are more likely to experience leaking and prolapse. This includes before and after childbirth and before and after menopause.
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