Kegel Exercise, Healthy Exercise On The "Inside" For Your Pelvic Floor Muscles

Kegel Exercise Gives me more than Health Reasons to do it

First, what should I tell you about this exercise?

OK. I'll start from where we're familiar......exercise!

See, if you already have a daily exercise program for your body, you can "kegel" as part of the program.

Simple.

But the trouble for you (and me), though we take interest in our body and exercise to keep fit, healthy and look good, we seem to care only for the "outside", often overlook that it's important for us to "kegel" exercise on the "inside", for health and look good reasons too!

Ah! There! Have I scored the right card?

What's the health reasons I'm talking about?

First, in the beginning, kegel exercise was developed to help control incontinence in women following childbirth, you know the stress incontinence - that involuntary urine leakage that comes when you laugh, cough, sneeze or strain?

That's the prime health reason. If you've a mild incontinence problem, often you can solve this by doing kegel exercise, with your bladder returning to normal funcion.

Then, kegel exercise is found to have given rise to many benefits, other than health ones, such as:

• Makes birth easier and your perineum more likely to stay intact (fewer tears and episiotomies)
• Prevents prolapses of pelvic organs
• Increases pelvic support
• Restores vaginal muscle tone and improves vaginal health
• Protects you from the physical stresses of childbirth
• Restores sexual function and improves sexual response and pleasure
• Increases vaginal-wall thickness and lubrication after menopause
• Relieves you from pelvic pain or pain of vulvar vestibulitis (inflammation of the vaginal opening)
• Enhances sexual enjoyment for both partners

See what I mean, when I say this exercise gives me more than health reasons.....?

You strengthen the muscles of your pelvic floor muscles, hence improving your urethra and/or rectal sphincter function.

The success of this exercise?

You do the proper technique and adhere to a regular kegel exercise program.

Proper technique means contracting the correct muscles. More often than not, you (and I) tend to contract the abdominal or thigh muscles, while not even working the pelvic floor muscles!

So now we move on to locate the correct pelvic floor muscles first before we get to the exercise part.

It may sound simple, but you and I could have a real hard time in identifying and isolating the pelvic floor muscles if we don't know how......

Whoa! These muscles are a lot harder to find than your biceps!

Shhhh.....I must confess I've a problem here.......

You can locate your pelvic floor muscles by these methods:

• Stopping and starting your urine flow to identify the forward pelvic floor muscles
• Squeezing your vagina to identify the back of the pelvic floor muscles
• Squeezing around two fingers placed in the vagina
• Preventing your bowel movement or the passing of gas by tightening your muscles around the anus

You'll feel a pulling sensation when the correct muscles are contracted.

You practise the contractions until you can squeeze your pelvic floor muscles at will.

You've located the pelvic floor muscles ?

Good. Let's go on with the kegel exercise.

When you first start the exercise, do it lying down to reduce stress on your muscles.

So lie on your back, bend your knees or elevate your feet on a pillow.

You should feel comfortable and your legs relaxed since tensing your other muscles or holding your breath will make it hard for your pelvic floor muscles to work correctly.

You work from back to front of your pelvic floor muscles , tightening them and slowly counting to 5. Then releasing them.

You should completely relax the rest of your body. Hey, don't tighten your abdominal, thigh or buttock muscles!

Exhale as you contract, inhale as you release.

You should stop and rest when you sense you're not doing the contraction properly.

For best results, do this kegel exercise for 2 minutes, 2-3 times per day.

To strenghten your pelvic floor muscles , you got to work them harder than they used to.

When you continue challenge the pelvic floor muscles, you should see results in as few as 3 - 4 weeks.

Now you know how to "kegel", figure out a suitable routine just as you would if you were toning and strengthening your muscle groups.

How about doing it 4 times per week, 2-3 times per day for a 2-minute session, to maintain your pelvic fitness?

It's also good for you to "kegel" regularly to maintain the strength of your pelvic floor muscles . This is especially so as you grow older as when menopause sets in, your pelvic floor muscles may change and weaken.

So the stronger they're before this process begins, the better.

Probably some tips will help you to get along smoother in your journey to "kegel"?

• Isolate your pelvic floor muscles when doing the exercise. Regularly check that you're exercising your pelvic floor muscles, and not other muscles
• Avoid contracting your abdominal, thigh, or buttocks muscles. This is something you and I and many would tend to do but it reduces the effectiveness of the exercise
• Concentrate on your breathing and try relaxing yourself and only tense the PC muscles you're using. Try not to tense up your whole body
• Don’t overdo the kegel exercise. Like any exercise, it’s important you build up slowly and pay attention to your body. If you experience pain or discomfort, you could be pushing yourself too hard. Be gentle and slow down!

Whew! I hope I've explained kegel exercise in a way plain and simple and you understand.

Vow! With kegel exercise on the "inside" and toning exercise on the "outside", aren't you heading for a perfect, beautiful body, inside and out?

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