The pelvic floor muscles, which support the uterus, bladder, rectum and small intestine, also known as the "Kegel muscles", were first described in 1948 by Dr. Arnold Kegel, a gynecologist who invented the exercises as a non-surgical treatment. against genital relaxation. Incorporating Kegel exercises into your daily routine can help you avoid pelvic floor problems, including urinary and fecal incontinence, and can also improve your sex life. The most important thing is to learn how to isolate the Kegel muscles and commit to exercising daily.
Men can also strengthen their pelvic floor muscles by doing PC muscle exercises.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Preparing to Do the Kegel Exercises
Step 1. Find the pelvic muscles, halting the flow of urine
Before doing Kegel exercises, it is important to find those muscles that make up the so-called pelvic floor. The most common way to spot them is to try to stop the flow of urine, to get a better sense of where those muscles are. This contraction is also the basic movement of Kegel exercises. Be sure to consult a doctor before starting the routine if you have any medical problems that may prevent you from exercising safely.
In any case, it is not good to stop the flow of urine as a daily exercise. Performing the routine while urinating could actually have the opposite effect, weakening the muscle
Step 2. If you are still having trouble finding your Kegels, insert your finger into the vagina and tighten the muscles
You should feel them contract and the pelvic floor should rise. Relax and you will feel the pelvic area move again. Make sure your finger is clean before inserting it.
If you are a sexually active woman, you can also ask your partner if he can feel you "hug" his penis and release it during sex
Step 3. Use a hand mirror to find your Kegels
If you're still having trouble finding them, place a hand mirror under your perineum, which is the skin-covered area between your vagina and anus. Practice squeezing and relaxing what you think are the Kegel muscles. If you do this correctly, you should see the perineum contract with each squeeze.
Step 4. Make sure your bladder is empty before starting your exercises
This is important, as you may experience pain and some loss while performing. Before starting your routine, check your bladder to get them done as efficiently as possible.
Step 5. Focus only on contracting the pelvic floor muscles
Kegel exercises should focus only on these muscles, avoiding others, such as the glutes, thighs or abdomen, in order to get the best results. To help you focus and make your movements more effective, be sure to exhale and inhale as you go about them, instead of holding your breath. This will help you relax and make the routine more effective.
- One way to keep the muscles relaxed is to place a hand on your stomach to make sure the abdomen area is relaxed as well.
- If you experience pain in your back or abdomen after completing your Kegel exercise group, it means you are not doing them correctly.
Step 6. Get into a comfortable position
You can do these exercises sitting or lying on the floor. Make sure your glute and belly muscles are relaxed. If you are lying down, you should be flat on your back with your arms at your sides and both knees raised. Keep your head down to avoid straining your neck.
Part 2 of 3: Doing the Kegel Exercises
Step 1. Contract your pelvic floor muscles for five seconds
If you're just starting out, it's great exercise. You don't have to over-tighten them or for too long. If even five seconds is too long for you, you can start with two to three second contractions.
Step 2. Release the muscles for 10 seconds
Theoretically, you should do this every time before repeating the exercise to give them enough time to relax and avoid jerking. Count to 10 before starting the next repetition.
Step 3. Repeat the exercises ten times
This can be considered a Kegel series. Squeeze the muscles for five seconds, another five seconds, and then relax them for ten. Repeat this exercise ten times. You should do this set three to four times a day, but no more.
Step 4. Aim to contract your pelvic floor muscles for ten seconds at a time
You will be able to increase the amount of seconds each week. For the moment it is not necessary to do more series. Once you reach the magic number of 10 seconds, stick to it and keep repeating this series three to four times a day.
Step 5. A variation of the Kegels is the pull-in
Squeeze your buttocks and bring your legs up, then push them towards your torso, as if your pelvic muscles were a vacuum cleaner. Hold the position for five seconds and then release the muscles. Do this 10 times in a row. It will take about 50 seconds to complete the exercise
Part 3 of 3: Getting Results
Step 1. Do Kegel exercises three to four times a day as an essential part of your daily routine
Try doing them in the morning, afternoon and evening, instead of worrying about finding the right time for you.
Step 2. Include these exercises in your daily chores
The best thing about Kegels is that you can do them without anyone noticing. You can practice while sitting at your office desk, having lunch with your friends or just relaxing on the sofa after a long day at work. While it is important to stretch and focus to isolate these particular muscles, especially for beginners, once you have mastered them you can do them practically anywhere and at any time.
- You can also make it a habit during your daily activities, just like checking your mail or writing an email.
- Once you figure out which set of exercises works best for you, stick to this routine instead of trying to do something different or more complex. If you overdo it, you may experience pain when you urinate or bowel.
- Remember that while stopping the flow midway through urination is a great way to locate your Kegel muscles, you shouldn't do the exercises while urinating - you may suffer from problems associated with incontinence.
Step 3. Expect results within a few months if you do them regularly
For some women, the results will be spectacular, while others may only be able to prevent further problems. Some, however, will not notice any difference: they will have to stick to the exercises long enough to be able to feel changes in their body. Scientific studies state that the first results should be seen as early as 4 - 6 weeks.
Step 4. Ask your doctor for help if you are unable to perform the exercises correctly:
Your doctor can help you identify and isolate the right muscles, especially if you've been exercising for months and haven't seen results yet. Here's what your doctor can do for you:
- If needed, he can provide you with biofeedback training. What does it mean? That will insert a device into your vagina that through external sensors will monitor the movements, in order to understand if you perform each exercise well and for how long you contract the muscles.
- Doctors can also use an electrical stimulus to help you find the pelvic floor muscles. After a few applications you will be able to replicate the contractions yourself.
Step 5. Keep doing your exercises if you want to keep incontinence at bay
If you want to keep those muscles strong and keep incontinence away, you will need to keep exercising your Kegels. If you stop, even after months of exercise, you will return to your incontinence problems. You will have to work to keep your muscles in shape and you should be ready to put in the effort.
Advice
- You can perform Kegels wherever and whenever you want, without anyone noticing. Some women do them while driving, reading, watching TV, talking to someone on the phone or sitting at the PC.
- Try not to hold your breath, squeeze your buttocks or thighs, stretch your stomach in or push down instead of contracting and lifting your muscles.
- With experience, you will learn to perform them while standing. In this way, you can really make them wherever you are, incorporating them into your daily routine.
- Also try to eat healthier food.
- Even pregnant women can do them.
- Imagine that your lungs are located in the pelvic area; relax the perineum as you inhale and tighten it as you exhale.
Warnings
- Exercises should always be performed with an empty bladder or you run the risk of weakening the pelvic floor and contracting a urinary tract infection.
- Don't do Kegels while in the bathroom. At first, stopping urine will help you locate muscles, but in the long run it could cause urinary tract infections.
