Kegel exercises have many benefits. Named after Dr. Arthur Kegel, who invented them in the 1940s, Kegels consist of tightening and relaxing the pelvic floor muscles. Attached to the pelvic bone, these muscles act like a hammock to hold the pelvic organs, uterus, bladder and bowel, according to Childbirth.org. These muscles are also called the pubococcygeus or PC muscles.
Kegels can help prevent prolapses of pelvic organs and help women with bladder issues, childbirth and orgasms, the Mayo Clinic notes.
How To
Here is how the Mayo Clinic suggests doing the exercise: Contract your pelvic floor muscles. Hold the contraction for five seconds and then relax for five seconds. Do four or five in a row. Work up to keeping the muscles contracted for 10 seconds at a time and then relaxed for 10 seconds between contractions.
Do not to flex the muscles in your abdomen, thighs or buttocks, the Mayo Clinic adds, and do 10 repetitions three times a day. Childbirth.org suggests doing 200 Kegels daily.
Factors
A number of factors can cause pelvic floor muscles to weaken. These range from pregnancy and childbirth to being overweight and normal aging. The results of this weakness can be profound: a prolapse of the pelvic organs. When a woman's pelvic organs descend and bulge into her vagina, the effects can have a wide range of consequences. Uncomfortable pelvic pressure to urine leakage can occur, the Mayo Clinic reports.
"Pelvic organ prolapse is not inevitable, however," the Mayo Clinic says. "Kegel exercises can help delay or even prevent pelvic organ prolapse and the related symptoms."
Sexual Satisfaction
Along with counseling and sex therapy, these pelvic floor muscle exercises may also be helpful for women who have persistent problems reaching orgasm, the Mayo Clinic notes. Men can also benefit from the exercises.
"Kegel exercises offer a simple method to help people have more control over their sexual response cycle," says SexInfo Online, a website maintained by students at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Kegel exercises focus on the PC muscles, which are beneath the sex organs, SexInfo Online explains. "(The PC muscles) are involved in the contractions experienced during orgasm. Both women and men can exercise their PC muscles by repeatedly tightening and releasing them. By strengthening this muscle and gaining voluntary control over these muscles, people can improve their overall sexual performance and satisfaction."
Pregnancy
Kegels are encouraged during pregnancy since strong pelvic floor muscles help make pushing during childbirth easier. The exercise also can lower the chances of tears happening during labor, reports Pregnancy-Info.net.
Women should continue doing Kegel exercises after birth. "Doing Kegels can aid in your healing from an episiotomy as well as prevent postpartum incontinence and tone your stretched-out vaginal muscles, thereby making sex better," Pregnancy-Info.net says.
Results
Do Kegel exercises daily, the Mayo Clinic suggests. "Expect results---such as less frequent urine leakage---within about eight to 12 weeks, if you do Kegel exercises regularly," the Mayo Clinic reports. "For some women, the improvement is dramatic. For others, Kegel exercises simply keep problems from getting any worse."
