Hypopressives are a breathwork and movement technique, where pressure is reduced in the pelvic and abdominal cavities to create a contraction and lift of the pelvic floor and pelvic organs.
The hypopressives vacuum works deeply to tone and strengthen the pelvic floor, reducing common prolapse and leaking symptoms, and bringing lots of other benefits too like better posture, a slimmer waist and feelings of wellbeing.
How is Hypopressives different from normal pelvic floor exercises (Kegels)?
With a Kegel, you contract and relax your pelvic floor yourself, but with Hypopressives, we're using the natural internal connection between the pelvic floor and the diaphragm to do this strengthening work for us.
How does Hypopressives get the pelvic floor to contract and strengthen?
The Hypopressives vacuum taps into this natural synergy between the pelvic floor and the diaphragm to create a natural, automatic contraction and lift of the pelvic floor: as we inhale, the pelvic floor relaxes, and the diaphragm moves down and then as we exhale and pelvic floor lifts as the diaphragm rises. During the vacuum breath (the breath hold and rib stretch), a deeper, more dynamic lift and contraction of the pelvic floor and pelvic organs is created.
Your pelvic floor will be contracting and relaxing with Hypopressives, but the difference between Hypopressives and a Kegel is that you won't be squeezing your pelvic floor consciously yourself.
Here's picture of the internal lift that Hypopressives will generate in your pelvic organs when you do a Hypopressive vacuum breath (Latorre et al 2011). You can often feel this internal lift which feels amazing when you're suffering from prolapse:
Does Hypopressives help with a hypertonic pelvic floor? My physio says my pelvic floor is too tight!
Yes, Hypopressives are great if you've got a hypertonic pelvic floor. Getting the pelvic floor moving more, and through a greater range of movement ,when it has been stuck and tight, can effectively work out tightness and help normalise tone. We've worked with many clients who have reduced or eliminated symtoms associate with high tone.
How effective are Hypopressives?
There is early research to show that Hypopressives are as effective as normal pelvic floor exercises for common prolapse and incontinence symptoms (Navarro-Brazallez et al 2020). In this randomised controlled trial, hypopressives and pelvic floor exercises were shown to be equally beneficial - neither was shown to be more beneficial than the other, and doing both gave no additional benefit.
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Alice xo
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