Sex efficiency through exercises : special physical culture for women / by Th. H. van de Velde ; [photos, by E. Steinemann].
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which the perineal muscles are contracted and relaxed ? We shall enumerate appropriate exercises of this region in dealing with physical exercises after child-birth, and there are some which can be performed during pregnancy as well. And there are a few gentle indirect exercises for the muscles of the pelvic floor, such as that recommended by Sieber,{S6) which is as follows : " Exercise for the muscles of the pelvic floor while seated on the floor.—Stretch the legs out from the body, separate the legs as the breath is drawn into the lungs, close the legs as you breathe out." Again, another exercise is for the same regions, but standing upright: " The left thigh is raised until it is horizontal, then the knee is grasped by the hand and drawn sideways so far as possible and then returned to its former position and the thigh lowered. Repeat with the right leg. Breathe in as the knees are moved sideways, and breathe out as they are brought forward again. Do not attempt this exercise without a firm support." But we must not forget that however useful these movements may be, they only deserve the name of exercises for the pelvic floor if the perineal muscles, especially the levator group, are consciously contracted and relaxed. If this effort is not made, the levator group is quite inactive, and unaffected by the combined movements recommended by various authorities on physical culture, as may be easily proved by sensation or inspection. So most of the indirect and secondary perineal exercises only become effective by becoming direct, and this means that the direct exercises are preferable, because attention is concentrated on the tension and relaxation of the local muscles and these movements are more effectively mastered. I have described these exercises of the pelvic floor in detail, and there is no objection to their performance by the expectant mother so long as they are not carried out with extreme frequency or force, and there is no tendency to uterine haemorrhage and/or miscarriage. And, of course, to benefit fully by these exercises they should have been mastered before pregnancy begins.