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Kegels and stairs and such

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Posted 9/22/2007 6:49 AM (GMT -7)
I've been doing the Kegels regularly for 2 months now, and have been fairly regular on the stair-stepper, although it only allows for a 6 inch step.  The exercise room I use has a stepper with a 16 inch stroke, and I have been using it some.  But after my regular treadmill, airbike and recumbant bike work, I can't get much work on that stepper.

Is this stepper machine what I need to be doing, when exercising by following the recommendation of Kegels and stairs?  I am thinking maybe I need to be on actual stairsteps, and these steppers aren't as effective.  Also, the recumbant bike is programmable, with a bike course routine of varying strengths and speeds, and really gives me a workout.  Anyone have any experience in the effectiveness of this type of exercise room equipment for strenghtening the pelvic floor and external spincter?  It feels like it is doing some good on that, but I feel it most in the thighs and hips, of course. The exercise trainer suggested the recumbant would be the kind to use after surgery, since it isn't placing the pressures on the pubic bones and straddle that an upright bike would do.   Does this sound right to you? 

Anyone have a routine to suggest that will accomplish strenghtening of the external spincter and pelvic floor, maybe something I am missing.  Maybe I need to find a 6 story building that allows people on the stairs.  cool

Posted 9/22/2007 12:43 PM (GMT -7)

James,

I am sure it was most likely coincidental, but my big "dry up" event occurred between weeks 8 and 9 at which time I was doing (besides kegals) a LOT of ladder climbing up/down working on our new house project...  I was major leaking before and during, changing pads all the time, even at the top of the ladder...  Then one day overnite things really dried up...  go figure... 

This is also the "average" time frame doctors mention for the change to occur also...  so really do not know if it was the ladder,  but I know the excercise probably helped...  Maybe my brain->sphincter communication also telling it to shape up as it was getting tired of it wetting my body while on a ladder....  :-)

Another interesting observation, was that after the major dry up event, I was down to just an occasional dribble and was only using one small pad a day...  At a doctor's visit, he told me to quit pads cold turkey and see what happed...  I did not follow this advice as I did not want to get dribbles on my underclothes while I was working on house again...  just changed the small pad at night for about the last 7-8 weeks.  Recently, I had run out of pads one day, so didn't wear one and interestingly enough, DID NOT have a dribble all day!  Should have listened to the doctor earlier...  Anyway, I found myself and kegals "background thinking" about "hollding" and it worked fine...  but I needed the LACK of the security blanket pad to get there...   Maybe our brains/bodies respond better to necessity/discomfort to keep from getting wet than subcontiously lazy and depending on pads...  Anyway, I am now pad free and enjoying it...  

These have been my experiences and observations for me...  everybody is diifferent,  but felt I would pass on my experiences to you...   For me, knowing better how my mind seems to work, I would have tried ladder excercises in the nude w/o pad to have "visual" feedback...  :-)

God Bless!

Ray

Posted 9/22/2007 12:51 PM (GMT -7)
James,

Fortunately I have a two story house so I used an actual set of stairs. My guess is that it doesn't really matter whether you use stairs or exercise equipment that simulates walking up a flight of stairs. You're training the external sphincter and pelvic floor muscles either way. Here's the routine I followed after surgery which I had great success with:

Monday - Stairs for 30 minutes, non-stop (I was usually able to get 90 flights in 30 minutes) followed by 30 minutes of brisk walking.
Tuesday - Brisk walk for an hour and a half
Wednesday - Stairs for 30 minutes followed by 30 minutes of brisk walking
Thursday - Brisk walk for an hour and a half
Friday - Stairs for 30 minutes followed by 30 minutes of brisk walking
Saturday - Brisk walk for an hour and an half
Sunday - Rest

I also did 75 to 100 sets of Kegels every day (holding each one for 10 seconds, resting 10 seconds until I hit 25).

Good luck next week with your surgery.
Posted 9/23/2007 6:48 PM (GMT -7)
Hey ~ James... We continue to use the stair machine at the Y and feel strongly that our recovery is due to kegels, stairs, walking and (no sit down machines that would hinder the healing of the sphincter)... again ~ a personal opinion! We hope "Our Journey" helps with a few of your stepping-stones that will be in your path. We continue to stay close.... even while traveling!!! We're home now so will be extra close. Keep reaching out ~ you're doing great!!!!! Hugs from Lee & Buddy
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