Kegel exercise is a voluntary and controlled contraction of the muscles of the pelvic floor aimed at making them more effective. The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that cover the lower part of the pelvic cavity in between the legs and support the pelvic organs like the bladder, bowel and the uterus, and as such prevent them from falling below their Anatomical positions. They also form a string around them helping to keep them closed.
Who needs Kegel exercise?
Both men and women need Kegel exercise, but we will be focusing more on women here. Defective functioning of pelvic floor muscles can result in problems like urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, or pelvic organ prolapse.
The aim of Kegel exercise is to strengthen these muscles and improve their functioning.
Factors that can weaken the pelvic floor include pregnancy, child birth, chronic cough and advancing age. If you occasionally experience drops of urine or faeces during coughing or laughing, It's an indication your pelvic floor is already weak. It's important to note that anyone spontaneously leaking faeces or urine or with pelvic organic prolapse already will not benefit from Kegel exercise and as such need to visit a doctor for treatment.
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When do you do Kegel exercise?
It can be done any time and any where; at home or in the office; while sitting, standing or lying down. However it is preferable done initially while sitting or lying at home. Then after mastering the exercise, you might choose to do it when ever and where ever you wish.
How to identify your pelvic floor muscles
There are few ways you can identify your your pelvic floor muscles. Such ways include
- Holding your urine: While urinating try holding your urine at midstream, then continue. If you successfully did that, what you just used is your pelvic floor muscles. Don't make this your routine exercise as this can cause incomplete emptying of your bladder and urinary tract infection.
- Holding an inserted finger in your Vagina: Insert a clean finger into your Vagina and try using your Vagina to hold it. You will feel your pelvic floor muscles moving inwards and up ward as you contract them (hold your finger) and backwards as you relax them.
- hugging your partner : you can try holding/hugging your partner with your vagina during sex. Ask him if he can feel you hugging him. If the answer is yes, then you just contracted your pelvic floor muscles.
Having identified your muscles, and mastered how to contract and relax them, you can now carry out Kegel exercise whenever and whereever you want.
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Kegel exercise can be done anywhere source: wikipediacommons
How to do Kegel exercise
- Empty your bladder and get yourself in a comfortable position.
- contract your pelvic floor muscles and hold the contractions for about 10 seconds, then release the contraction.
- Relax for about 10 seconds, then contract again.
- Repeat this cycle of 10- seconds - contraction and 10 - seconds - relaxation until you have done up to 10 cycles.
- you can do this up to 3 times in a day.
- If maintaining contraction up to 10 seconds is difficult, you can start with fewer seconds and relax equivalently, then increase with time.
For effective result, make sure:
- You maintain your breathing during the exercise. Don't hold your breath.
- You are not contracting/tensing other adjacent muscles during the exercise. Your abdominal, buttocks and thigh muscles should all be relaxed. You can feel them during the exercise to be sure they are not tensed.
Thank you for reading
References
Healthline: kegel exercise, benefits, goals and cautions
Mayo clinic: Kegel exercises - A How-To Guide For Women
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