Kegel exercises work the pubococcygeal muscles (PC) also called the pelvic floor muscles, by expanding and contracting these muscles through as series of squeezing exercises. These muscles, which run parallel to the perineum, are often weakened with age or after childbirth. Strengthening the PC muscle, according to the University of Michigan Health System, can help you prevent or correct a number of medical conditions, such as urinary incontinence. Strong PC muscles can also increase sexual pleasure through more intense orgasms. These are two of several potential benefits.
Urinary and Fecal Incontinence
Kegel exercises work to stop mild urinary or fecal incontinence--that feeling that you might leak a little when you sneeze, laugh or strain. The stronger your pelvic floor muscles are, the more completely and tightly the sphincter muscles can close. It can take weeks of doing kegels three times per day to see improvement.
Prevents Pelvic Organ Prolapse
According to the Mayo Clinic, kegel exercises, along with other therapies, can improve and prevent pelvic organ prolapse. Pelvic organ prolapse happens when the major lower abdominal organs, like the vagina or bladder, move from their natural position to one lower in the body. Stronger muscles, including the PC muscle, can help keep those organs in place.
Easier Childbirth
Childbirth requires strong thigh, back and abdominal muscles. Doing kegels to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, according to the University of Michigan Health System, makes childbirth easier by conditioning and strengthening some of the primary muscles involved in pushing the baby out. The Mayo Clinic also reports that women with strong PC muscles feel more comfortable toward the end of their pregnancies as pressure increases in the pelvic floor.
Improved Sexual Functioning
According to the University of California, Santa Barbara's Sex Info Beta, strengthening the PC muscles can intensify orgasm and increase sexual performance. The PC muscles are located near the sex organs and are a part of the dance of muscle contractions that occur during arousal and climax. According to the Mayo Clinic, women who are unable to achieve orgasm and who regularly perform kegels in addition to therapy are often able to improve their sexual functioning.
