Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises and Core Exercises in Menopausal Women

Training for PFME will be given orally and will cover the importance of FME and how to do the exercises, as well as the conditions and frequency of doing the exercises. You will be told that the exercise should be done when the bladder is empty, three times a day (morning, noon and evening) and repeated 10 times in each set. In the first week of exercise, the pelvic floor muscles will be contracted for 3 seconds and relaxed for 3 seconds, and will be increased by 1 second each week. It will be explained that from the 8th week onwards, it will be done by contracting for 10 seconds and relaxing for 10 seconds and will continue. It will be stated that the learning process of pelvic floor muscle exercise may take 6 weeks to 6 months. It will be stated that this exercise should be applied throughout their lives for the sustainability of PFM strength. The training is planned to last approximately 20 minutes. PFME will last for two months. Women in menopause will be given an exercise chart.

Activating the contraction of the deep core muscles TrA and mutifidus without disrupting breathing forms the basis of core stabilization exercises. To teach the \"abdominal hallowing\" maneuver, which enables the activation of these muscles, patients will be shown a picture of the TrA muscle and asked to contract their lower abdominal muscles while lying on their back in the hook position. During the maneuver, care will be taken to ensure that no movement occurs in the trunk and pelvis and that diaphragmatic breathing continues. After the abdominal hallowing maneuver is taught, the exercises will be progressed gradually. A home exercise program will be given for this. The 7-level exercise program recommended by Hagins et al. will be used as a home exercise program. The movements in this program load more moments on the muscles that stabilize the lumbar spine as the levels progress. The stages of the exercise program are shared in the brochure to be given to the patients.