Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have found that using Kegel exercises to strengthen the pubococcygeal (PC) muscles can be an effective way to control the common problem of incontinence in elderly men and women. Kegel exercises have been shown to improve the symptoms of incontinence in 50 to 75 percent of elderly patients who perform the exercises for at least three months, experts at Health Central's Incontinence Network report. There are several variations to the exercise, but each variation isolates and strengthens the muscle through contract/relax repetitions.
Finding the Right Muscles
The PC muscles can be identified by trying to stop the flow of urine while using the bathroom. The muscles that contract when stopping the flow are the PC muscle. If this is ineffective, researchers at the University of California at Santa Barbara recommend that women insert a finger into the vagina and try to grip the finger using the muscles of the vaginal sphincter. Men can find the PC muscle by inserting a lubricated finger into their anus and gripping it with the anal sphincter muscle.
Exercise One
Tighten the PC muscle group and hold the contraction for five seconds followed a five-second rest. The contract/release cycle should be repeated at a steady pace for five to 10 minutes until it becomes easy to complete. Researchers at the University of California at Santa Barbara suggest the contraction time be increased to 10 seconds when necessary to gain the benefits of the exercise.
Exercise Two
Count from one to five while slowly tightening the PC muscles a little more with each count. This is followed by slowly relaxing the muscles while counting backwards to one. The UCSB researchers recommend 10 repetitions of these exercises. One variation on this method, suggested by doctors at the Mayo Clinic, involves visualizing an elevator rising four floors while tightening the PC muscles slowly at each floor and relaxing them a little as the elevator descends.
Exercise Three
Rapidly tighten and release the PC muscles. UCSB researchers recommend that beginners start using 10-second increments, slowly working up to 30-second exercises at they become more comfortable. This method can be varied by counting rapidly to 10 or 20, with a repetition at each number.
