Kegel exercises are designed to help strengthen the muscles in the pelvic floor. These muscles provide support for the bowels, the bladder and the uterus and are great for those who are looking to make impending childbirth easier or prevent urinary incontinence in the future. Learning the right way to perform Kegel exercises can take a bit of time and practice, but the benefits of these exercises can go a long way.
Finding the Pelvic Muscles
The first step in beginning a Kegel exercise routine is to actually find the pelvic floor muscles. Luckily, this isn't too difficult. While you are on the toilet urinating, stop the flow of urine. The muscles that you contract to stop your urine flow are the pelvic floor muscles that you are looking for. The Mayo Clinic warns that doing this too often while urinating can actually weaken the pelvic floor muscles and may lead to an incomplete urination, leading to infection. Only try this when attempting to find the right muscles for your Kegel exercises.
Contract and Release
After you have emptied your bladder, it is safe to begin. Find a comfortable place to recline and contract the pelvic floor muscles. Hold the contraction for three to five seconds, then release. Repeat this up to ten times, three times per day for best results.
Getting Stronger
As it is with any muscle in your body, repeated exercising of your pelvic muscles will cause them to become stronger. This will allow you to hold your contractions for longer, and perform more of them at a time. The Mayo Clinic recommends working up to keeping the muscles contracted for ten seconds with ten repetitions at a time.
Remember to Breathe
Kegel exercises are no different from other exercises in that your body needs oxygen to perform them properly. Don't forget to breathe. Inhale when contracting the muscles and exhale when releasing them.
