In this article, you will find out:
- How to use a pelvic floor trainer step by step, for relaxed pelvic floor training at home.
- The most common mistakes during training, and how to avoid them.
- How Emy Trainer supports you, and what the clinical study on Emy Trainer shows.
Why strengthen your pelvic floor?
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles at the base of the pelvis. It supports the pelvic organs, helps you control your bladder and bowel, and plays a role in intimate comfort.
Over time, after childbirth or through lack of training, the pelvic floor can lose tone. A weakened pelvic floor can then lead to urinary leaks, a feeling of heaviness or discomfort, or even pelvic pain. If symptoms persist, talk to your GP, a midwife or a pelvic health physiotherapist.
You still need to know how to contract your pelvic floor correctly. This is where a pelvic floor trainer can help: it lets you feel the movement better during your exercises.
What types of pelvic floor trainers are there?
There are two main families of vaginal pelvic floor devices, which work in different ways:
- Biofeedback devices detect the muscle contraction and display it in real time. This is active rehabilitation: you contract your pelvic floor yourself.
- Electrical stimulation devices send a mild electrical current that triggers an involuntary contraction. This is passive rehabilitation.
The choice of method is made case by case, preferably with a healthcare professional. The rest of this article covers using a biofeedback pelvic floor trainer.
How should you prepare before a session?
Take a moment for yourself before you start. Choose a quiet place where you will not be disturbed and allow 5 to 20 minutes. This calm helps you focus fully on your pelvic floor.
How do you use a pelvic floor trainer, step by step?
- Prepare: wash your hands and clean the trainer with lukewarm water and mild soap.
- Switch on and connect: switch on Emy Trainer and pair it with the Emy app via Bluetooth.
- Find the right position: lying down or sitting, relaxed, without tensing your abdominal muscles, buttocks or thighs at the same time.
- Insert the trainer: take a deep breath and insert the trainer gently into your vagina, without forcing. It should be neither too deep nor too close to the entrance. If needed, a water-based lubricant makes insertion easier.
- Train: follow the exercise in the app. It guides you to contract and relax your pelvic floor and shows you in real time whether you are activating your pelvic floor.
- Clean: after each use, gently remove the trainer, wash it with lukewarm water and mild soap, dry it and store it somewhere clean.
With Emy Trainer, the difficulty of the exercises adjusts automatically to your strength on the day and your previous results. The mini-games in the app are based on rehabilitation protocols used by physiotherapists and midwives in clinic. Emy Trainer comes with its own transport and charging case, which is handy when you are travelling. To find out more, read our article about Emy Trainer.
How often should you use a pelvic floor trainer?
We recommend 3 to 5 sessions a week, each lasting 5 to 20 minutes. To build up the muscles gradually, consistency matters more than intensity: it is often the hardest part of training.
What are the most common mistakes, and how can you avoid them?
- Tensing other muscles: at first, your abdominal muscles, buttocks or thighs often tense without you meaning them to. Concentrate on keeping them relaxed.
- Holding your breath: keep breathing calmly. This way you hold the contraction in your pelvic floor without tensing your whole body.
- Training irregularly: short, regular sessions are preferable to long sessions at wide intervals.
- Giving up too soon: pelvic floor training takes time. Allow several weeks of regular training before expecting changes.
What precautions should you take before your first session?
Emy Trainer is a CE-marked medical device. It must not be used during pregnancy. After giving birth, you can use it from 7 weeks after the birth at the earliest.
A pelvic floor trainer is also not suitable if you have a urinary tract infection or a vaginal infection, significant pelvic pain or recent surgery in the pelvic area. If in doubt, ask your midwife, a physiotherapist or your GP before you start.
How long does it take to notice progress?
Pelvic floor training does not work overnight. With regular training, you gradually become more aware of your pelvic floor and can control it in a more targeted way.
A clinical study carried out at Strasbourg University Hospital assessed Emy Trainer with more than 50 patients experiencing stress urinary incontinence. After 3 months of using Emy Trainer, 98% of participants reported an improvement in their quality of life, and 91% an improvement in their urinary symptoms (Jochum et al., 2021).
A pelvic floor trainer does not replace medical care, but it can usefully complement it between appointments.
Find out more about Emy Trainer
How can you combine the trainer with professional support?
It is often helpful to combine training at home with appointments with a midwife or physiotherapist:
- an initial assessment to evaluate your pelvic floor and rule out any contraindication;
- regular sessions at home with the trainer, between appointments;
- classic pelvic floor exercises, to make voluntary contraction part of everyday life.
This way you stay supported by a healthcare professional while continuing to train regularly between appointments.
Frequently asked questions about using a pelvic floor trainer
How often should I use a pelvic floor trainer?
We recommend 3 to 5 sessions a week, each lasting 5 to 20 minutes. Consistency matters more than the length of a single session. Setting a fixed time in your week, for example in the evening before bed, helps you keep it up.
How do I insert a pelvic floor trainer correctly?
Lie down or sit comfortably, then take a deep breath. Insert the trainer gently, without forcing, using a water-based lubricant if needed. If you feel pain, stop and ask a healthcare professional for advice.
Which mistakes should I avoid during training?
The most common mistakes are tensing your abdominal muscles, buttocks or thighs at the same time, holding your breath and training irregularly. Keep the surrounding muscles relaxed and breathe calmly. Short, regular sessions are preferable.
Can I use a pelvic floor trainer during pregnancy?
Not Emy Trainer: it must not be used during pregnancy. After the birth, you can use it from 7 weeks after giving birth at the earliest, after talking to your midwife or doctor. If you have a urinary tract infection or significant pelvic pain, also seek advice before you start.
How soon can I expect the first results?
Pelvic floor training takes time and consistency. In the clinical study carried out at Strasbourg University Hospital, 91% of participants reported an improvement in their urinary symptoms after 3 months of using Emy Trainer (Jochum et al., 2021). According to a survey of our users, some notice the first changes after around 3 weeks.
Key takeaways on using a pelvic floor trainer
- After cleaning it thoroughly, switch on Emy Trainer, connect it to the app and insert it gently while lying down or sitting.
- 3 to 5 short sessions a week are preferable to long sessions at wide intervals; avoid the most common mistakes.
- Emy Trainer is a CE-marked medical device: after 3 months of using Emy Trainer, 98% of participants in the clinical study reported an improvement in their quality of life (Jochum et al., 2021).
Sources
- Pelvic Floor Muscle Rehabilitation Using Biofeedback, Diane Kaschak Newman, July 2014, Urologic Nursing 34(4):193-202 – pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25233622
- Prospective evaluation of the connected biofeedback EMY Kegel trainer in the management of stress urinary incontinence, Jochum F et al., February 2022, Journal of Gynecology Obstetrics and Human Reproduction 51(2):102280 – pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34861424
There perineal rehabilitation is a essential step for many women. In this context, the use of a perineal probe can therefore prove to be a valuable tool for the rehabilitation of this area, which is too often neglected!
Why strengthen your perineum?
The perineum is a set of muscles located at the base of the pelvis. Also called pelvic floor, he supports the genitals, intervenes in urinary and fecal continence, and plays a role in intimate comfort.
Over time, after childbirth or due to lack of activity, the perineum can become fragile and lose tone. And that’s often when the problems start…
Indeed, a weakened perineum can lead to the appearance of urinary leakage, a feeling of heaviness or discomfort, pelvic pain…
Working your pelvic muscles therefore allows to avoid these inconveniences And to improve your daily life.
But you still need to know how to contract them correctly. And this is where a perineal probe can be useful for rehabilitation.
What is a perineal rehabilitation probe used for?
Some women have difficulty feel their perineum or to contract it correctly. A probe then helps to become more aware of movement and to ensure that the exercises are performed effectively.
There are several types of rehabilitation probes:
- THE biofeedback probes detect muscle contraction and display intensity in real time. They allow a real active rehabilitation and to have a real-time feedback on the muscular activity of his perineum.
- THE electrostimulation probes send a slight electric current to cause a involuntary contraction and help reactivate a very relaxed perineum. In this case we are talking about passive rehabilitation.
How to properly use a perineal probe?
Perineal biofeedback probes are most used for rehabilitation. They allow the perineum to work thanks to voluntary contractions.
These devices are also very easy to use to do your rehabilitation exercises independently, directly at home.
1. Prepare for the session 🧽
To begin, it is important to wash your hands and of clean the probe with lukewarm water and mild soap. This helps limit the risk of infection.
2. Find a suitable position 🛌
The ideal is to be in lying or sitting position, in a quiet place. You should also avoid contracting other muscles (such as the abdominals or glutes) to target the perineum well.
3. Insert the probe 💦
To begin your rehabilitation, take a deep breath then insert the perineal probe gently and delicately in your vagina.
It should neither be too deep nor placed too close to the entrance. If necessary, a water-based lubricant can be used for more comfort.
4. Start the workout 🎮
If you use an electrostimulation probe, the device sends electrical impulses to trigger muscle contraction.
With a connected probe, simply follow the instructions on the app. Generally, the exercises consist of contract then release the perineum several times, adjusting the intensity.
With the Emy connected perineal probe, the difficulty of the exercises is automatically adjusted depending on your strength of the day and your previous training results, rehabilitation ideal for progress !
This medical device is, currently, the only one that offers mini-games based on medical protocols used by physiotherapists and midwives in practice.
Its effectiveness has also been clinically proven and the first results are visible quickly, from 3 weeks of training !
Learn more about the Emy probe
5. Duration and frequency of sessions ⌚
A biofeedback session lasts between 5 and 20 minutes. For a session with an electrostimulation probe, you should rather count on a minimum of 30 minutes.
Concerning the frequency of use of perineal probes, it is recommended to practice rehabilitation exercises 3 to 5 times a week to obtain significant results.
And above all, the most important thing will be to stay regular in practice for maintain progress over time. This is, without a doubt, the most difficult part of training!
6. Removal and cleaning 🧼
Once the session is over, the probe should be gently removed, washed with water and soap, then dried before being stored in a clean place.
There Emy probe is for example delivered with its transport and charging case, very practical when you are often on the move!
Precautions to take with a probe
Before you start, it is important to know that using a perineal rehabilitation probe can not be suitable in certain cases:
- urinary infections or vaginal;
- less than 6 weeks after giving birth;
- significant pelvic pain;
- recent surgery in the perineal region;
- of prolapse advance.
If in doubt, don’t hesitate to ask medical advice.
What results to expect?
With a connected probe, improvement can be felt after a few weeks of training. Among the benefits observed:
- better tone of the perineum;
- a reduction of urinary leakage ;
- a faster postpartum recovery ;
- muscle strengthening beneficial to posture and general well-being.
A perineal probe is therefore a tool that facilitates perineal rehabilitation allowing you to better feel and control contractions.
It does not replace medical monitoring but can be a good complement to classic exercises. The main thing is to practice regularly and respect your pace to obtain lasting results.
