Glow Below Part 2 – Strengthening the Pelvic Floor with the BTL Emsella Chair

Like many of us, I have always been a bit half-hearted about pelvic floor exercises – I now wish I hadn’t and would tell any woman to do these daily from the age of 30. After all, we think nothing of toning up our thighs and butt, but I’d say strengthening the pelvic floor is even more important – especially as we age. 

Beauty below the waist is rarely mentioned but a few weeks ago, I wrote about my Glow Below and broke that taboo by talking about how I’ve managed to get the drought in my lady garden to a level of comfort which is almost pre-menopausal.  Along with my GP prescribed vaginal oestrogen cream, soothing and pampering intimate products from Luna (check this brand out – they’re lovely!) and NanoCell Care things are feeling way more lush. But I knew there was still some work to be done below the belt because I had the sneeze pees to contend with – a sudden cough, sneeze or fit of the giggles and I would often end with damp pants. I didn’t want to give up giggling or my beloved, joy-giving skipping, but if there wasn’t a toilet within shuffling distance, this meno mama was in trouble (I guess I could always blame the puddle on the dog?)

When my friend Dorota from Dorota’s Lifestyle in Chiswick, asked me if I wanted to ‘double down’ on my glow below with her studio’s new addition – the BTL Emsella Chair (not to be confused with Bacon Tomato and Lettuce) I jumped at the chance – and yes, I had to cross my legs when I jumped.

Pelvic Floor Palava

The muscles that support pelvic muscles and affect bladder control are called your pelvic floor and can be compromised by various factors including pregnancy and childbirth, strenuous exercise, and hormone changes in menopause. You might have personal experience of what a weakened pelvic floor can mean:

• Leaking urine when you exert yourself through exercise, during sex, when you laugh, sneeze, cough or even when you’re walking.
• An urgent need to wee or poo
• Getting up frequently at night to pee
• Painful sex or decreased satisfaction
• A feeling as if something is bearing down around the pelvis and anus area.

BTL Emsella Treatment

One of the brilliant things about this chair, is that you can keep your clothes on while sitting on it and there is literally no discomfort – in fact Dorota said a few of her clients have re-named it the Happy Chair. I’ll leave that to your imagination, but you might understand ‘the vibe’ when I explain that the technology uses high intensity focused electromagnetic technology (HIFET) to cause deep pelvic floor muscle stimulation and restore neuromuscular control.

How does it work?

As the muscles are targeted by the HIFET they contract up to 11,200 times in just a 30-minute treatment. All you need to do is sit there and go with the flow! I would say that the sensation takes a little getting used to as your pelvic floor contracts without you doing anything and it feels a little weird and tingly – like a fizzy pins and needles. I got the giggles at first, but thankfully I didn’t feel the need to wee. After each set of contractions there’s a gentle tapping below which is when the special technology changes course from inducing contractions to helping release the lactic acid which our muscles build up through exercise.

My verdict

Before my Emsella sessions, I didn’t consider my weakened pelvic floor particularly troublesome – it wasn’t severe, it was just a nuisance. Like a lot of midlifers, I needed to know where the nearest loos were when I was out, and I got increasingly fed up with waking up at night for the toilet. It was only after the recommended course of 6 treatments, 2-3 days apart, that I realised just what a difference strengthening these muscles made. Some people may only need 2 or 3 treatments but I decided to go for the full caboodle and I now feel like I did in those days when a spontaneous bout of laughter wouldn’t be cut short just in case I couldn’t hold myself. I rarely wake at night for thloo, I am skipping for much longer before I need a wee break and everything feels a lot firmer and tighter inside – good news for me and #StressedHusband!

Update: It’s been almost 4 months since I’ve finished my course of Emsella and I’m starting to feel the effects wearing off, which means a top-up every few months may be required.

If you’d like to find out more about the Emsella Chair you can contact Dorota’s Lifestyle Studio and you can try a free session first to see what you think.

Disclaimer: My course of treatments was complimentary but I wasn’t obligated to write about the treatments. My honest review is not an advert, it’s something that I think would be of interest to my readers and could be really beneficial too. As usual, I’m open to any questions you may have – let’s keep the conversation going!