Strengthening your bladder with Kegel exercises can help reduce embarrassing urine leakage. Although urinary incontinence can happen to anyone, the problem is more common in women. Approximately half of adult women say they have had urine leakage at one time or another.
Identification
Urinary incontinence can occur when the pelvic floor muscles that support the bladder weaken due to the effects of pregnancy, childbirth or aging. When pelvic floor muscles weaken, the opening to the bladder may stretch, allowing urine to leak out. Kegel exercises strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, allowing them to fully support the bladder. People who suffer from incontinence perform the exercise by contracting and holding the muscles.
Isolating Pelvic Floor Muscles
Learning how to isolate and control the correct set of muscles takes some practice. The American Urological Association recommends finding the right muscles by squeezing the muscles of the anus as if you were trying to prevent the passage of intestinal gas. Women can determine if they are using the correct muscles by inserting a finger into the vagina when lying down and contracting the pelvic floor muscles around the finger. If you are a man, you can try to move your penis up and down without moving any other muscles. Once you are confident that you can control the pelvic floor muscles, you can begin the exercises.
Performing Kegel Exercises
You can perform Kegel exercises lying down, standing or sitting. It may be more comfortable to perform the exercises if you empty your bladder before beginning. Begin by squeezing your pelvic floor muscles for three or four seconds, then relaxing the muscles for the same time. Breathe normally as you do the exercises and avoid tightening any other muscle except your pelvic floor muscles. Repeat 10 times, eventually working your way up to holding the contraction for 10 seconds. Perform the exercises several times per day in all positions until you can do approximately 50 to 60 repetitions.
Considerations
Watching yourself in the mirror while you contract your pelvic floor muscles can help you ensure that you aren't using other muscles. Stand and contract your muscles. If you notice any movement in your thighs, you aren't isolating the pelvic floor muscles. Sit on the floor to determine if you are squeezing the muscles of your buttocks. If you notice that your body seems to lift slightly as you do the exercises, you are not performing them correctly.
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