An overactive bladder can cause embarrassing leakages of urine at any time with little warning. Healthy nerves tell the bladder when it is an appropriate time to urinate, which the bladder then interprets as a need to squeeze the pelvic floor muscles and release urine. An overactive bladder has damaged nerves that tell the bladder to let go of urine at the wrong time, leading to frequent urination throughout the day, hard to resist urges and leaks. Bladder training is a treatment option for an overactive bladder. This includes Kegel exercises.
Bladder Training
Bladder training including Kegel exercises helps increase the amount of time between having to urinate. Keeping a journal of how much you drink and how often you go may reveal a pattern you can manage. Going to the bathroom at set times whether you feel like you need to or not helps you manage your timing and prevent accidents. This could be every half hour or up to every two hours. Work up to going to the bathroom only every three to four hours. People with overactive bladders experience a strong need to go that comes on suddenly throughout the day and can interfere with bladder training. Kegel exercises to strengthen the muscles that hold urine in help give you the control to be able refrain from urinating immediately when the urge happens.
Kegel Exercise 1
Kegel exercises strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. Women feel these muscles contract around the rectum and vagina and men feel them around the anus and penis. One way to identify and exercise the pelvic floor muscles is to first remember a time you tried to stop yourself from passing gas in public. Use that memory to help you locate and squeeze the correct muscles. You should feel a pulling or lifting sensation around the anus if you are doing the exercise correctly. Keep your glutes relaxed.
Kegel Exercise 2
You also exercise the pelvic floor muscles through Kegels targeted toward the vagina or penis. Women have a Kegel exercise specific to them for this purpose: Lie on your back and insert one or two fingers into your vagina. Use your muscles to squeeze the finger, or two if you can't feel anything from using one. The abdominal muscles stay relaxed. You can place your other hand on your stomach to check that your abs are not tightening.
Kegel Exercise 3
When a man tightens his front pelvic floor muscles doing Kegels, it causes the penis to move. Perform this exercise to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles near the urethra to control an overactive bladder. Stand naked in front of a mirror and squeeze the muscles that make your penis move. No other part of your body moves. Do not tense your thighs, abs, glutes or even your hands. Just isolate the pelvic floor muscles.
