The pelvic floor muscles support the uterus, bowel and bladder. When these muscles become weakened, incontinence can occur. With proper exercise, incontinence can be reduced. Proper technique and appropriate consistency can lead to an improvement in pelvic floor muscle strength and a decrease in incontinence.
Causes
There are a number of causes for incontinence. Most people know that pregnancy can cause incontinence. Other causes include aging, being overweight and childbirth. This condition occurs because the pelvic floor muscles are weak, contributing to pelvic organ prolapse or the organs falling and bulging into the vagina. Correct exercises can reduce or prevent this.
Pelvic Floor Muscles
Identification of the correct muscle group is very important. If you find yourself contracting the thigh or perhaps abdomen muscles, incontinence could worsen. Identify the correct muscles by stopping your urine flow midstream. The muscles used to accomplish this are the pelvic floor muscles. If this technique doesn't work, you may also use a finger in your vagina and tighten the muscles to squeeze the finger. A final alternative is to have a therapist assist you with biofeedback to locate the correct muscle group.
Technique
After locating the pelvic floor muscle group, empty your bladder, then sit or lie down. Contract your pelvic floor muscles and hold the contraction for five to 10 seconds, followed by five to 10 seconds of rest. Rest allows the muscles to recover and cannot be left out of the routine.
Sets
The Mayo Clinic recommends people complete three sets of 10 repetitions per day. Kegel exercises are exercises that can be done while sitting, lying or standing. They are discreet, so they're easy to fit into your schedule. You can do them at home, at work or in the car.
Warning
Don't overdo the exercises. Stick with the recommended sets and repetitions to avoid overworking the muscles and hindering their ability to control incontinence.
