The Feminine Personal Trainer (FPT), a resistive exercise device that’s a “first”

	Designed specifically for women for their use in strengthening pelvic floor musculature
	The first product to apply the principles of resistive exercise for the pelvic floor muscles of women

The Feminine Personal Trainer (FPT) is designed specifically for women for their use in strengthening pelvic floor musculature and is the first product to apply the principles of resistive exercise for the pelvic floor muscles of women.

The FPT is an hourglass-shaped device made from surgical stainless steel that weighs 16 ounces. After insertion into the vagina, it is held in place by contracting the pelvic floor muscles, and the hourglass shape ensures automatic positioning so that the appropriate muscles are targeted. The weight of the FPT provides resistance as it is gently lifted with each contraction of the pelvic floor muscles, composed predominately of slow twitch fibers (type I). Sustained lifts will target these fibers while quick flicks will target fast twitch fibers (type II) found predominately surrounding the sphincter.

The level of resistance is controlled by the subject’s body angle while exercising. By leaning backward while sitting, the resistance is reduced. As the patient’s sitting angle approaches 90 degrees, resistance is increased. By altering the sitting angle, progressive resistive exercises can be performed.

Unlike strengthening programs that use Kegel exercises, because the FPT provides an overload to the pelvic floor muscles, it is only necessary to perform one-to-three sets with six-to-eight contraction repetitions every other day, as one would do with any weight lifting program. In addition, the FPT provides biofeedback for patients. As they feel the product move up and inward (as much as 1 ½ inches), they receive feedback that they are doing the exercises correctly. Strength gains can be monitored by assessing the increase in the time of a single sustained contraction and additionally by the increase in repetitions.

The FPT comes in three sizes. The Standard FPT weighs 450 grams; the diameter of the head is 1 5/8”. Patients may prefer the Small FPT or the Petite FPT, each weighing 340 grams. The Small FPT has a head diameter of 1 ½”, while the Petite FPT has a head diameter 1 1/8”.