Benefits of Kegel Exercises
The term “Kegel” may be a familiar
one to a mother. Often doctors recommend Kegel
exercises during pregnancy to help strengthen
the pelvic floor. The pelvic floor includes muscles
between the hips that support the bladder and
other organs above the pelvis. These muscles
may weaken after childbirth, which can cause
urinary stress incontinence
-- accidental urination -- when you laugh, cough,
sneeze, jump or run. If time alone has not healed
your pelvic floor to a satisfactory condition,
you may need to introduce Kegels into your daily
life.
Kegels involve tightening the area between the
thighs to help restore the tone of the muscles
that surround the opening of the urethra, vagina
and anus. An easy way to tell which muscles you
should exercise is to perform the Kegel technique
while urinating; if you can stop the flow of
urine when tightening, then you know that you
are contracting the correct muscles. Although
this is a good check for accurate Kegel technique,
it is not recommended that you perform your Kegel
exercises while urinating.
There are several Kegel variations that you
can try:
- The Basic Kegel - Squeeze and release
the pelvic floor muscles. Start gradually and
build up repetitions over time.
- Elevator Kegels - Visualize the muscles
of your vagina as a building, with the base
of your
pelvic floor as the “lobby” and
the top floor at your belly button. Raise the
elevator
slowly (tighten the muscles) from the bottom
floor to the top, give a slight hold and bring
the elevator back down, slowly relaxing your
muscles from top to bottom.
- Sustained Kegels - Contract the pelvic
floor muscles and hold for a count of 10. Repeat
10 times. If you cannot hold them this long initially,
hold them as long as you can. Eventually, you
will be able to do 10-second holds.
- Progressive
Kegels - Squeeze briefly and hold
for five seconds. Then squeeze harder and
hold for five seconds. Squeeze as hard as possible
and hold for five seconds. Release a little,
hold for five. Release a little more, hold
for five. Release completely.
As with any exercise program, start gradually.
When your muscles begin to strengthen, increase
the number of Kegels you do every day and the
length of time you hold each contraction. By
making Kegel exercises a part of your daily life,
you will improve vaginal tone, and even help
prevent urinary incontinence later in life.
If you find that Kegels are not solving your
pelvic floor or bladder issues, then discuss
the situation with your gynecologist or primary
care physician. Your doctor may recommend that
you see a urogynecologist, a doctor who specializes
in bladder and pelvic floor disorders in women.
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