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Kegel exercises strengthen the pelvic floor muscles that support the uterus, bladder, small intestine, and rectum. Kegel exercises are also known as pelvic floor exercises. Interestingly, you can do them almost at any time. Read what Kegel exercises are and how to do them properly.
Kegel exercises (also known as pelvic floor exercises) are one of the best ways to improve and maintain bowel and bladder function. Kegel exercises simply strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. These muscles control the flow of urine and help keep the pelvic organs in the right place.
Kegel exercises can be performed by both men and women to increase pelvic floor strength and help reduce or even eliminate urinary incontinence. Kegel exercises can also help improve sexual health and sensations by:
- relaxation of the vaginal muscles. This is helpful if you have pain during intercourse, pelvic exam, or both.
- improving blood circulation to the vagina and pelvic floor. This can help increase sexual arousal.
- facilitating the achievement of orgasm,
- increase in vaginal lubrication (moist).
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Like other muscles in our body, the pelvic floor muscles can also become damaged. One of the main causes is long-term constipation, regardless of gender. Constipation occurs in both women and men. Pelvic floor muscles can also be weakened by surgery in the pelvic area.
In women, the most common cause of pelvic floor damage is the tension and stretching associated with childbirth – large children and the use of forceps may increase this damage. A muscle tear or an incision in the perineum (where a muscle is cut to facilitate childbirth) can cause further damage.
In some men, the lower intestine may leak out through the anal canal, which can affect bowel control. In women, weak pelvic floor muscles can lead to the prolapse of one or more of the pelvic floor organs – the bladder, uterus or intestine. Prolapse occurs when these organs are not properly maintained and begin to press against the vaginal walls. Prolapse symptoms may include a bulging or strong vaginal pull, pain or discomfort during intercourse.
See also: Is beetroot red urine a symptom of a disease?
Kegel exercises are an excellent option for many people, whether we want to reduce the symptoms of urinary incontinence or we just want to maintain the proper function of the pelvic floor muscles. Increasing the strength and endurance of the pelvic floor muscles can help relieve many symptoms, such as urinary incontinence, bladder prolapse, and the urge to urinate and stool.
Kegel exercises are often recommended for women or men whose pelvic floor simply needs support. Kegel exercises, like any other strength training program, can help strengthen the muscles and restore their natural role in supporting the pelvic organs and keeping it stable.
However, keep in mind that Kegel exercises are not intended for everyone. In fact, some of us may even do more harm than good to ourselves when we do too much Kegel exercises.
Some pelvic floor muscle disorders are the result of an overly active or tight pelvic floor. When this happens, the pelvic floor muscles cannot fully relax and so cannot rest. As a consequence, pelvic floor muscles can become overactive.
See also: What is pelvic pain syndrome?
The first step in doing pelvic floor muscle training is identifying the correct muscles. There are several ways that can help you correctly identify the different parts of your pelvic floor muscles.
One way is to try to stop or slow the flow of urine halfway through emptying your bladder. Keeping urine in the toilet repeatedly is not an exercise, but a way to identify your pelvic floor muscles. This should only be done to determine which muscles are needed for bladder control.
If you can, stop the flow of urine in the toilet for a second or two, then relax and complete the emptying effortlessly. This “stop-test” can help identify the muscles that control urine flow. It is not recommended as a regular exercise.
Another method of identifying pelvic floor muscles is to visualize the urine flow stopping and the gas being stopped at the same time. This can be done lying down, sitting or standing with your legs shoulder-width apart:
- relax the muscles of the thighs, buttocks and abdomen,
- squeeze the muscles around your genitals as if you are trying to stop the flow of urine
- during the above-mentioned pressure, just try to feel the pelvis,
- squeeze the muscles around the anus as if trying to hold back the gases,
- the muscles around the front and back (genital) canals should put pressure on the inside of the pelvis,
- women who are familiar with the use of tampons can imagine squeezing the vagina as if squeezing the tampon higher in the vagina,
- identify the muscles that contract when you do all these activities together. Then loosen them and let them relax.
Identifying and getting to know your pelvic floor muscles is actually the most important part of the exercise because there is no point in doing them unless you know your body and where it is located.
The last way to identify pelvic floor muscles is one of the simplest and most accurate ways. Imagine you want to urinate or you are letting go of gas while relaxing your abdominal muscles. See if you can squeeze and hold the muscles in your pelvis as you breathe. Nothing above the navel should be tightened or tightened. There will be some tension and a flattening of the lower abdominal wall. This is not a problem as this part of the abdomen works with the pelvic floor muscles.
Try to tighten your muscles really gently to feel just the rising and squeezing of the pelvic floor muscles. If you don’t feel your muscles contracting, change your position and try again. For example, if you don’t feel your muscles contract while sitting, try to lie down or stand up instead.
After contraction, it is important to relax your muscles. This will allow your muscles to recover from the previous contraction and prepare for the next one. Often times you try too hard and too much of your external muscles tense. Then we will definitely not recognize the pelvic floor muscles.
It is an internal exercise and correct technique is essential. Performing pelvic floor muscle exercises incorrectly may be harmful to you, so see your doctor if you don’t feel your muscles are holding on or relaxing.
See: Geisha balls – a helpful gadget when exercising Kegel muscles
Men often face the same problem when it comes to determining the correct pelvic floor muscle group. For men, one way to find them is to put your finger in the anus and try to squeeze it – without tightening the muscles of the abdomen, buttocks or thighs.
Another helpful trick is to tighten the muscles that keep the gases from passing. If you still have problems, practice stopping the flow of urine. As with women, this is a foolproof way to locate your pelvic floor muscles, but shouldn’t become a regular practice.
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Once you learn to correctly identify and tighten your pelvic floor muscles, do 2-3 Kegel sessions daily for best results. It’s best to spread out the sessions throughout the day.
Kegel exercises instruction
Before you begin, find a comfortable position to keep your body relaxed. Most people prefer to do Kegel exercises while lying on the bed or sitting in a chair. Once you are familiar with the exercises, you should be able to do them in any position and place, such as standing and waiting in line.
Once you are comfortable, follow these steps:
- breathe deeply through your nose as you lift your belly, which fills with air. While inhaling, relax the pelvic floor muscles.
- exhale slowly and smoothly through your mouth, gently tensing the pelvic floor muscles while tightening the pelvic floor muscles.
- keep the pelvic floor muscles tense for 3 to 6 seconds (until the muscles tire) as you exhale. This is called a contraction,
- breathe again and release the contraction. It relaxes the muscles
- relax your muscles completely for 6 to 10 seconds. It is very important that you fully relax between each contraction and not hold your breath. Always spend the same amount of time or longer relaxing your muscles as you tightening them.
Repeat this exercise 10 times for one session.
If you experience pain while doing Kegel exercises, stop doing them immediately. Kegel exercises are not harmful, but they are not suitable for everyone. When Kegel exercises are performed correctly, most people find it relaxing. They shouldn’t be painful. If you experience pain during or after a Kegel exercise, you may not be doing the exercise properly or the Kegel exercise may not be suitable for you. Contact your doctor to discuss this.
When to go for longer contractions?
If your pelvic floor muscles do not start to tire after a contraction lasting 3 to 6 seconds, or if your pelvic floor muscles are not tired after doing 10 Kegel exercises in a row, you can make progress by keeping the contractions for 6 to 10 seconds and then completely relax the muscles by 10 seconds. Make sure you breathe while you maintain contractions.
Your goal should be to maintain a strong contraction for 10 seconds 10 times in a row.
Biofeedback and electrical Kegel stimulation
If you have trouble doing Kegel exercises, two techniques can help – biofeedback training and electrical pelvic floor muscle stimulation. Biofeedback is designed to help determine if the right muscles are squeezed – electrical stimulation recreates the impression of what a properly performed Kegel exercise should look like.
Biofeedback training (performed by a healthcare professional) involves inserting a probe into the vagina. When prompted to perform a Kegel exercise, the monitor shows whether the correct muscles are squeezed.
With electrical stimulation, the pelvic floor muscles are touched with a small, painless amount of electric current. This causes these muscles to squeeze. This sensation mimics what a Kegel exercise should look like if done correctly.