Kegel Exercises
Kegel exercises are the type of exercise that helps to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Your pelvic floor muscles are the set of muscles you use to stop the flow of pee. Strengthening these muscles helps you prevent leaking pee or accidentally passing gas or poop. It has benefits for people with vagina and people with penis.
What is a Kegel exercise?
Kegel exercises (also called pelvic floor exercises) help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles . Your pelvic floor muscles support organs in your pelvis, like your bladder, bowel and vagina. Your pelvic floor muscles hold your organs in place while also assisting with bodily functions like peeing, pooping and sex. Kegels involve tightening and then releasing the muscles in your pelvic floor to strengthen them.
NOTE:
Kegels can also improve your sexual health and help improve your orgasms. Everyone can benefit from Kegel exercises.
What do Kegel exercises actually do?
Kegel exercises help keep your pelvic floor muscles “fit.” Much like you can strengthen other muscles in your body by lifting weights, doing Kegels is a way to keep your pelvic floor muscles strong. Kegel exercises can give you better control over your bladder and bowels and prevent your pelvic muscles from getting weak.
Weak pelvic floor muscles can cause you to leak pee and poop, or accidentally pass gas. Your pelvic floor muscles can weaken with age or due to things like pregnancy, childbirth or surgery.
Pregnancy and Kegel exercises
If you're pregnant, you may find that delivery is easier if you do Kegels during pregnancy. This is because it can give you greater control over your pelvic muscles during labor and delivery. It can also help with:
Bladder control.
Strengthening the muscles that support the weight of the fetus.
Urinary incontinence or leaking pee.
Pushing during child birth
Perineal healing after delivery.
How do I find my pelvic floor muscles?
To find your pelvic floor muscles, try stopping the flow of your pee when you're sitting on the toilet. Only do this until you learn how it feels (otherwise this stopping and starting can lead to infection). You can also imagine you're trying to prevent yourself from passing gas.
You can also insert a finger into your vagina and squeeze the muscles in your vagina around it. You should feel pressure around your finger. The muscles you feel 'lifting' inside of you when you're trying these activities are the same ones you strengthen during Kegel exercises.
It might be helpful to imagine your pelvic floor as a claw vending machine game you may have played as a child. In a claw machine game, a metal claw extends downward and opens up. Once open, it picks up a toy, ball or pieces of candy, then closes. Once it closes around your prize, the claw stays closed and goes back up to its starting position. The closing and drawing upward motion the claw makes is nearly identical to a Kegel.
How do I perform Kegel exercises?
You perform Kegel exercises by lifting and holding and then relaxing your pelvic floor muscles. Start by doing a few Kegels at a time, then gradually increase both the length of time and the number of Kegels you're doing in each 'session' (or set). You should perform at least two to three sets of these exercises per day.
How do you know if you are doing Kegels correctly?
Doing Kegels shouldn't hurt. If your stomach, lower back or head hurts after doing Kegels, you're probably holding your breath or clenching the wrong muscles.
If you're having trouble finding your pelvic floor muscles or experiencing pain and discomfort, you may be doing Kegels wrong. It might be helpful to contact a healthcare provider for help.
If you're doing Kegels correctly, you should notice your symptoms improve gradually over several weeks. For example, you may find you don't leak pee as often.
How do I know if my pelvic floor is strong?
Signs your pelvic floor is strong may include:
None or very few “accidents.”
Not feeling a frequent urge to pee or poop.
Feeling like you're in control of your bowels and bladder.
You're able to perform Kegels easily.
How hard should I squeeze for Kegels?
You need to tighten or squeeze enough to feel Kegels working. However, be careful not to bear down on or squeeze the muscles of your inner thighs, back, buttocks or stomach. Squeezing these muscles means you aren't doing the exercise correctly.
You also shouldn't squeeze so hard that you hold your breath. Continue to breathe normally through Kegels. It may help to count out loud to maintain your usual breathing pattern.
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Is it better to do Kegels sitting or standing?
You can do the Kegel exercises while lying down, sitting or standing. If your pelvic muscles are weak, you may want to do them lying down at first.
How many seconds should you hold a Kegel?
When starting out, only do the number of Kegel exercises that are fairly easy for you to do. For example, five Kegels that you hold for three seconds each twice a day. Slowly increase these numbers as you gain strength and endurance. Ideally, you'll work up to holding your Kegels for five seconds, then relaxing your muscles for five seconds. Repeat this up to 10 times, at least two or three times per day.
What are Kegel balls?
Kegels balls are special devices you wear inside your vagina. Sometimes called Kegel exercisers, these mostly round or circular devices help tone your pelvic floor muscles. Much like you insert a tampon, you place Kegel balls inside your vagina. The muscles of your pelvic floor hold the Kegel ball in place while you continue with your daily activities. You start by wearing a Kegel ball for a few minutes per day, then gradually increase the amount of time it's in.
How long does it take to notice changes?
You can expect to see results after six to eight weeks. How long it takes to notice changes depends on how consistent you are with Kegel exercises and how weak your muscles are.