If you're experiencing pelvic floor symptoms like prolapse or incontinence - I know how important it will be for you to see an improvement in your symptoms. Hypopressives are AMAZING for your pelvic floor and core - and usually, with the right support, you should notice symptoms improvements starting to build within 3-4 weeks.
If you're not sure whether you're doing it right, get some one-to-one support from an experienced Hypopressives trainer who can help you troubleshoot your practise, and monitor your symptoms. Here are a few pointers that might be helpful if you feel a bit stuck:
Are you 'bearing down'? It can be difficult to resist trying too hard especially if you're desperate to see progress - but this often throws your breathing out. Exhaling too fast or too hard can mean you end up putting pressure through your pelvic floor before you reduce it - which can stall your progress
You're pulling your tummy in - make sure you're letting the rib stretch drive the vacuum movement, and that you're not pulling your tummy in - it's a really easy error to make because of the way the vacuum looks - but one that you can correct easily
Line up for symptoms improvements - alignment is SO important. You should start feeling a noticeable improvement in your posture, core strength and symptoms within a few weeks of practising Hypopressives
Practise makes perfect - yep - consistency is key. Putting in some focused practise with one-to-one support from an experienced trainer will help to ensure you get the most out of the technique, with your symptoms either greatly reduced or eliminated
Poses poses - getting in a variety of loaded, unloaded and neutral poses will make a huge difference to your symptom improvements - we're aiming to get your pelvic floor moving and functioning as well as possible - and the different poses each add something unique into your practise. Using some advanced poses to specifically target your symptoms can make a huge difference to your recovery too - so it's well worth adding in some more difficult poses, once you're confident with the foundational ones.
I hope that's helpful - feel free to email me if you have any questions, or need some one-to-one support!
Alice