What are Kegel exercises?
Kegel exercises are exercises that strengthen your pelvic floor
muscles. These muscles help support your vagina, bladder, and urethra.
The bladder is where your body stores urine. The urine flows out
of your body through the tube called the urethra.
Why should I do Kegel exercises?
Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles will lessen and possibly
prevent stress incontinence. Incontinence is the term used for
frequent or severe leaking of urine from the bladder. Leaking of
urine caused by coughing, laughing, sneezing, or physical activity
is called stress incontinence.
What causes stress incontinence?
Weakened pelvic muscles may allow urine to leak. The muscles may
be weakened by:
- childbirth
- aging
- loss of the female
hormone estrogen after menopause
- diabetes mellitus
- extreme overweight
- frequent heavy
lifting over time
- recurrent urinary
tract infections.
How do I do Kegel exercises?
- You can feel the
muscles to use by squeezing the muscles in your genital area.
You might
find that it helps to pretend you are stopping a flow of urine
or trying to stop from passing gas.
- Tighten these muscles
and hold the contraction for 4 seconds. Do this 10 to 20 times.
Allow the muscles to relax completely between contractions.
- Do these sets of
contractions 10 times a day. Performing fewer repetitions than
this will lower
the effectiveness of the exercises.
- You can do Kegel
exercises anywhere: while sitting at a desk, waiting for a bus,
washing dishes,
driving a car, waiting in line, or watching television. No one
will know you are doing them.
- Do not do these
exercises while you are urinating.
Many women see a change for the better after doing the Kegels
for just a few weeks. However, you may not notice a lot of improvement
until after 3 to 6 months of daily exercises. You should continue
doing Kegels every day to keep the pelvic muscles strong.
You may want to ask your health care provider about cones that
may be used to help you strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. The
cones range in size. You may start with a large cone. You put it
into your vagina and try to hold it in place for 15 minutes a couple
times a day. When this is easy for you to do, you may then try
keeping a smaller cone in place. Your health care provider can
order the cones from a surgical supply company.
If you're over 50, talk to your health care provider about using
estrogen cream. Using the cream and doing the Kegels will improve
the strengthening of the muscles around the vagina and bladder.
Are there any other benefits of Kegel exercises?
An added benefit of Kegel exercises is that they improve vaginal
muscle tone and sensation. This can make you more sexually responsive
and may help improve orgasms. However, the chief benefit of Kegel
exercises is that they may help stop the leaking of urine.
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Information provided by UMHS perinatal education committee March,
2005
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