As women age, they may begin to have trouble with their bladder functions. One problem is stress incontinence, where the bladder leaks during coughing, laughing or physical activity. Also, some women may be prone to urinary tract infections, also called UTIs, and some women may suffer from interstitial cystitis. Kegel excercises are ideal for these conditions, as they help to strengthen the muscles that control bladder function. Men can also benefit from these exercises to help them regulate their bladders after prostate surgery. Kegels can not only help with bladder issues, but can also improve your sex life.
Learning to do a Kegel
According to Peter Chen, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, the best way to start Kegel excercises is to sit on the toilet and begin urinating. Suddenly stop urination mid-stream. Doing this several times each visit to the bathroom will help you to find the right muscle to contract. Before long you will be able to exercise the muscle without having to make a restroom trip.
Before You Start
After you have found the proper way to tighten the bladder muscle, you can start doing Kegels. Do them three times a day--morning, noon and night. It may take some time for you to see a major difference, but it usually takes about three weeks to see minor improvements. Start by emptying your bladder, so that you do not have an accident while exercising.
Kegel Instruction
After you have emptied your bladder, lie or sit, whichever is more comfortable. Tighten your bladder muscle and hold for the count of 10, then release. Make sure you completely relax the muscle, and count to 10. Keep doing this until you have tightened and released 10 times. Do these exercises three times daily for optimum results. A regular excercise routine is also important, since when you are physical, you can work muscles you don't know you are working.
