Vaginismus Exercises at Home - How to Treat and Overcome Vaginismus

Vaginismus is a common condition among women that causes the muscles around the vagina to contract involuntarily, making it painful or even impossible to have sex. This condition can have physical and emotional effects on a person's life. However, there are several ways to treat and overcome vaginismus, including exercises that can be done at home. In this blog post, we'll discuss vaginismus exercises and how they can help you manage and overcome this condition.

Using Dilators

One effective way to treat vaginismus is through the use of VuVa vaginal dilators. These are tools that are used to gradually increase the size of the vagina to alleviate pain and make penetration easier. It's essential to note that these dilators can be purchased in different sizes and VuVa Dilator Company has one about as thin as a pencil to start. It's advisable to purchase a set of dilators that gradually increase in diameter. This will help your body adapt to the size of the dilators, preventing discomfort.

Dilators can be used under the guidance of a pelvic floor physical therapist. However, if you choose to use the dilators by yourself, start with a smaller size and gradually work your way up to the larger sizes. It's essential to use them frequently, at least five times a week in the early stages, to ensure that your vagina adapts to the process. In addition, it can be useful to use VuVa dilators before sexual activity to make penetration easier.

The Benefits of Dilators

Using dilators offers several benefits compared to others items found in the home, like using your fingers or other toys as alternatives. Dilators are specifically designed for the vagina and are hence more comfortable and safe to use. They also come in various sizes, allowing you to progressively increase their size, making it easy for your body to adapt. Medical Grade plastic dilators are the easiest to clean and keep clean.

If you're considering purchasing dilators, VuVa has a wide range of affordable options. They are highly recommended by health professionals and have a variety of sizes and shapes to fit your unique needs.

How are VuVa Magnetic Dilators better than regular dilators for exercises at home?

When the negative north side of a magnet is placed next to a painful area, it draws fresh oxygenated blood to the nerves and surrounding muscles. This, in contrast, is a positive energy field. The positive energy field creates two results: as magnets are alkaline, it counteracts any acidity in the body caused by disease and fresh blood helps to remove any acidity from the body which, in turn, accelerates healing while reducing pain.

Five Vaginismus Stretches to loosen up Pelvic Floor before Dilating 

by Dee Hartmann, DPT

Another at-home exercise that can help manage vaginismus is vaginismus stretches. These involve stretching the muscles around the vagina with dilators in the privacy of your own home.  These can be helpful in the early stages of vaginismus, allowing you to manage the pain and work on strengthening the muscles.

BREATHE

1. Deep diaphragmatic breathing
a. With your hands on each side of your lower ribcage, take a deep breath and focus on bringing air all the way down to your hands. Feel your ribs expand as you breathe in.
b. Don’t focus on guiding the breath to the upper ribcage or abdomen. Only your ribs should expand—not your chest or belly.
c. As you breathe deeply, you will begin to relax which will encourage your pelvic floor muscles to re-lax. Feel your breath all the way down into your pelvis.
d. After you breathe in, hold the breath for a count of 5 then breathe all the air out. Repeat 5 times.

 
STRETCH

2. Stretch your lower abdomen (Use caution if you have IUD)
a. Place the palms of both hands in the middle of your abdomen, just below your belly button.
b. Scoop in and lift up on your belly with your fingers, like you are trying to pull your belly button up and out. It should not hurt! If you have an IUD, be gentle.
c. You are stretching tissues all the way down into your pelvis, encouraging the urethra (carries the urine out), the bladder (holds the urine), and the pelvic floor muscles to let go.
d. Scoop in and hold for a count of 10. Repeat 3 times.

3. Stretch both hips
a. Pull your right knee up toward your left shoulder. Hold it there for a count of 20.
b. Repeat with your left knee to your right shoulder and hold for a count of 20.
c. As you do this, you stretch hip muscles that lie very close to the muscles on the inside of the pelvis. This stretching encourages all the pelvic floor muscles to relax.
d. Repeat each knee stretch 3 times, alternating sides after each stretch.
 

MOBILIZE

4. Active bridging
While lying on your back, lift your knees up toward the ceiling while placing both feet flat on the bed. Let your knees and feet be apart.
Squeeze your buttocks while lifting your hips up toward the ceiling, making your body straight from
your knees to your shoulders. Your weight is balanced between your shoulders and your feet.
To make the bridge, you are using muscles in your hips and low back. When you let yourself go back down, the hip and low back muscles relax. The muscles inside the pelvis tend to squeeze and relax as well.
Lift and hold 3-4 times for a count of 10 with each hold.
 
 
CONTRACT AND RELAX

5. Pelvic Floor Muscle Contract and Relax
a. Tighten and hold inside like you are trying to hold back urine or gas. Let go all the way. You should feel both the squeeze and the release. Do this several times until you feel the movement inside.
b. Pelvic floor exercises (doing the 5-count hold and the quick squeezes = 1 set)
 
1) 5-count hold: Once you can feel the muscles move, squeeze and hold for a count of 5. Re-lease all the way and feel the inside relax.
 
2) Quick squeezes: Then, perform 5 quick squeezes, starting small and getting larger, like climbing a ladder. Release and again feel the inside relax.
 
c. Repeat each set 3 times, feeling the muscles squeeze and relax more each time.

***If you are having trouble or pain while performing this exercise, go back and repeat the first 4 activities before trying again.

Do these exercises before you use your VuVa Vaginal Dilators.
 
Women who experience chronic vulvar pain often hold tension throughout their bodies. In addition, they often have anxiety about being touched, causing even more stress, which can create a vicious cycle of pain and holding. The activities described are meant to help you to decease overall tension, to reduce anxiety, and to help you begin to lessen pain before any type of vaginal penetration. The activities can be performed before and after vaginal penetration (like inserting tampon, during a gynecological exam, or having sex).

Try to perform all 5 of these activities as soon as you wake up and before you go to sleep. It is common for women who experience pain and anxiety to breathe in their upper chest. Try to use the deep breathing pattern throughout your day. Make this your new way of breathing.

These activities in and of themselves do not constitute a complete physical therapy program and are not designed to be the only thing you do to help your problem. Hopefully, you can also begin an active physical therapy treatment program with a women’s health physical therapist to help you continue to make progress.

Is Vaginismus Curable?

While vaginismus can be challenging, it's crucial to understand that it's curable. By practicing exercises and seeking guidance from your doctor or health professional, you can successfully overcome vaginismus. Early diagnosis and treatment can make it easier to manage, and exercises like those mentioned above can make it possible to enjoy sexual intercourse fully.

How to Fix Vaginismus

In conclusion, if you're experiencing vaginismus, it's essential to understand that it's a treatable condition. Through exercises and guidance from your healthcare professional, you can work on gradually overcoming it. Using VuVa dilators and vaginismus stretches are effective ways of loosening up down there and strengthening your pelvic floor muscles. By following a routine of vaginismus exercises and incorporating other forms of treatment, you can overcome vaginismus and experience full sexual pleasure.


Vaginismus can have a significant impact on a woman's life, but it's essential to understand that it's treatable. Dilators are an effective way of managing pain and easing penetration, and vaginismus stretches can help to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. It's encouraging to know that with time, patience, and the appropriate care, it's possible to overcome vaginismus completely. Seek guidance from your healthcare professional and consider purchasing magnetic dilators from a trusted source like VuVa Dilator Company to help you in your journey to recovery.