Incontinence:Kegel Exercises

How do I exercise my pelvic floor muscles?

Kegel exercise is a pelvic floor exercise, named after Dr. Kegel. They are used to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor that support the uterus, bladder and bowels. Kegel exercises are an important step in preventing incontinence.

In order to find the correct muscles, sit on the toilet and try to stop and start the flow of urine. This should allow you to recognize the proper muscles. However, do not use this method during regular kegel exercising. This should only be used to find the proper muscles. Approximately 200 times each day, you should do a basic kegel exercise, which consists of tightening and relaxing the muscles repeatedly. The best thing about these simple exercises is that you can do them anywhere! Yes, you can exercise your pelvic floor muscles while walking, driving, working, etc. To perform correct kegel exercises, you should:

Relax, breathe and concentrate.
Contract the muscles of the pelvic floor that you found while starting and stopping urine flow
Hold for 3 seconds and let go for 3 seconds
Do the same exercise 10-15 times
When you feel more comfortable with the exercise, work your way up to holding each contraction for 10 seconds and relaxing for 10 seconds.

Many people wonder what the importance of kegel exercises are. There are a variety of reasons for exercising your pelvic floor muscles. Some reasons include

Prevention of urinary incontinence
Treatment of urinary incontinence
Easier vaginal birth with a decreased chance of the perineum tearing
Increased sexual pleasure
Decreased risk of pelvic organ prolapse

Comments: Incontinence - Kegel-Exercises

Comments 1 to 7 of about 7.

alfalfa.mendrez@yahoo.com - 433 days ago.
you may begin doing kegel exercise and do it correctly. To get best result you may want to use kegel device.

alexis1983 - 898 days ago.
Vaginal exercises are just as important as Kegel muscles! This is what I've been doing for the past couple of months - http://en.sensual-health.com/VAGINAL-EXERCISE-HOW-TO Keep in mind that you need to do it everyday to get results!

escribo86 - 1030 days ago.
I'm 4 weeks pp and I'm doing the exercises whenever I remember bc I heard that they help make everything normal down there. I recently made myself orgasm to see how it would be when hubby and I can begin having sex again and I was not impressed. It took me forever to achieve orgasm and when I did, while it felt good, I didn't feel my muscles contract like I always had before delivering. I have 2 more weeks before my husband and I will make an attempt at sex and I can't begin to tell you how nervous I am that it will not be pleasurable. So I'm frantically doing Kegels whenever I remember.

KyMMie MuMMy - 1120 days ago.
I have been doing my Kegals religiously and am horrified that I have had two 'Leaks', little ones...but none the less they still happened. I'm really disappointed.

ArcticArlz - 1395 days ago.
I wonder if just doing tiny bursts helps too, I find it easy to do kegels to music while I'm at my desk, haha, the holding ruins the beat :)

athenaB1984 - 1395 days ago.
I did them quite frequently. I did not have an episiotomy, but then again, my baby was also only 5lb 10oz. I also rubbed this lavander..or some wierd oil my mom gave me on my perinnium (sp?). That helped strech my goods down there.lol

slbell - 1395 days ago.
can these exercises really help to prevent having to have an episiotomy????