Urinary incontinence can affect men and women, although it is more common in women. A frequent cause of urinary incontinence in women is the distension of the pelvic floor muscles during pregnancy and childbirth. Strong pelvic floor muscles help you squeeze your urethra and hold urine inside your body. When those muscles weaken, urine leakage may occur. There is really only one type of exercise, called the Kegel exercise, that you can perform to restrengthen your pelvic floor and restore your continence.
Finding the Pelvic Floor Muscles
One of the trickiest things about performing Kegel exercises to increase bladder control is locating the correct muscles to flex. You can do this by attempting to halt urination in midstream; the muscles used to do this are the ones you want to flex during Kegel exercises. Another way to locate the muscles is to imagine that you are trying to avoid passing gas; the tightening feeling around your pelvic floor indicates that you have flexed the correct muscles. If all else fails, you can insert a finger into your vagina and attempt to squeeze it using the vagina's muscular walls; increased tightness on the finger indicates that the correct muscles are flexed.
An Effective Kegel Routine
Before performing Kegel exercises, empty your bladder, then lie or sit down. Contract your pelvic floor muscles and keep them flexed for five seconds, then relax them for five seconds. Alternate between contraction and relaxation four to five times. As you do this, try to increase the time you keep the muscles contracted to 10 full seconds, with 10 seconds of relaxation time between contractions. It is important to isolate your pelvic muscles completely; do not flex your thighs, abdomen or buttocks at the same time, and be sure to breathe freely as you exercise. Once you are able to smoothly contract and relax your pelvic floor muscles for 10 seconds at a time, perform at least three sets of 10 repetitions each day.
Expected Results and Extra Help
According to the MayoClinic.com, within eight to 12 weeks of beginning daily Kegel exercises you should experience fewer instances of urine leakage and stronger overall bladder control. The results vary per individual; some people will experience dramatic improvement, while others only a little. If after 12 weeks of daily Kegel exercises you do not see any improvement in your bladder control, you may not be using the correct muscles. If you suspect that to be the case, see your doctor. She can use a method called biofeedback to help you isolate the correct muscles. She will attach electrodes to your pelvic floor muscles; when you flex them properly, the electrodes will detect their activity and an electrogram will indicate to you that the correct muscles are working. Your doctor can also pass current directly to your pelvic floor muscles, forcing them to contract and revealing their location to your brain.
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