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Kegel exercises are simple exercises that can help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. These muscles support your bladder and rectum and help control your urine flow. Doing Kegel exercises can help prevent or manage incontinence, which is the leakage of urine or stool. These exercises can be done by both men and women and are especially beneficial for those who have undergone prostate cancer treatment, as the muscles that control urine flow may be weakened. Kegel exercises can be performed in any position and place, making them a convenient way to improve your pelvic floor strength and overall health.
How to exercise Kegel muscles
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| What are Kegel exercises? | Simple exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. |
| Who are they for? | Men and women. |
| What do they help with? | Preventing or stopping incontinence, i.e., leakage of urine or stool. |
| How do they work? | By strengthening the muscles that support the pelvic organs (uterus, bladder, bowel, and rectum). |
| How often should they be done? | 2-4 sessions per day, with each session consisting of 10-20 repetitions. |
| How long should each contraction be? | Work towards holding each contraction for 10 seconds. |
| How long should the relaxation period be? | Relax the muscles for 5-10 seconds between contractions. |
| How to find the right muscles? | When urinating, tighten the muscles used to stop the urine stream. These are the pelvic floor muscles. |
| What else to keep in mind? | Keep the abdomen, hips, and buttocks relaxed during the exercise. Breathe normally and avoid holding your breath. |
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What You'll Learn
Identify the correct muscles by imagining you're stopping urine flow
To identify the correct muscles for Kegel exercises, imagine you're urinating and then try to stop the flow of urine. These are your pelvic floor muscles. It's important to only contract your pelvic floor muscles and keep your abdomen, leg, and buttock muscles relaxed.
While this is an easy way to identify the correct muscles, it is not recommended to practice Kegel exercises while urinating regularly. This is because stopping your bladder from emptying completely could increase your risk of a urinary tract or bladder infection.
Instead, you can try to identify the correct muscles by inserting a finger into your vagina or anus and squeezing as if you were trying to hold in your urine. You should feel a "pulling" or "tightness" sensation in your vaginal or rectal area.
Kegel exercises are a great way to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and improve your bladder control. They can be done in any position and place, and it is recommended to do 2-3 sessions of Kegel exercises every day for the best results.
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Keep your body relaxed and still
To exercise your Kegel muscles effectively, it's important to focus on keeping your body relaxed and still. Here are some detailed instructions to help you achieve this:
Begin by finding a comfortable position, either lying down or sitting. Ensure your body is relaxed and still, with no unnecessary tension in your muscles. Focus your attention on the Kegel muscles, which are the ones you use to stop the flow of urine mid-stream. Contract these muscles slowly and deliberately, keeping the rest of your body completely still. You should feel a distinct lifting sensation as you do this. Hold the contraction for a few seconds, maintaining a slow and controlled breathing pattern throughout. Then, slowly release the contraction, allowing your Kegel muscles to relax completely. Keep your body still and maintain awareness of those muscles.
It's important to isolate the Kegel muscles during these exercises, so be mindful of your body. If you find yourself tensing other muscles, such as those in your buttocks, thighs, or abdomen, consciously relax them. Focus on keeping your body still and only moving the necessary muscles. This isolation is key to ensuring you're effectively exercising your Kegel muscles.
As you continue these exercises, aim for consistency and regularity. Aim to perform several repetitions of these exercises throughout the day. For example, you could do a set of repetitions in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Consistency is key to seeing results and strengthening these muscles. Remember, it's normal to feel some fatigue in these muscles as you begin, but with time and practice, you'll be able to perform more repetitions and build strength.
Throughout these exercises, always pay attention to your body and its signals. If you feel any discomfort or pain, adjust your technique or consult a healthcare professional for personalized advice. Everyone's body is different, so tailor your approach to your own comfort and progress. By keeping your body relaxed and still, you'll effectively target and strengthen your Kegel muscles.
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Breathe properly
It is important to breathe properly while exercising your Kegel muscles. When you breathe normally, your diaphragm and your pelvic floor muscles move up and down together in a coordinated manner. However, when you do Kegel exercises, your pelvic floor muscles lift upwards while your diaphragm moves down, creating pressure on your pelvic floor. This is why many people hold their breath during Kegel exercises.
To breathe properly during Kegel exercises, it is recommended to breathe normally and maintain your usual breathing pattern. You can try counting out loud to help with this. As you breathe out, gently contract your pelvic floor muscles and do a Kegel exercise at the same time before relaxing your pelvic floor muscles.
It may be helpful to start by lying down and noticing the movement of your pelvic floor while breathing normally. On the inhale, there is a slight downward pressure on the pelvic floor, and on the exhale, it gently lifts up. By paying attention to this movement, you can begin to add in the contraction of a Kegel on your exhale.
Practicing coordinated breathing and Kegel exercises helps promote pelvic floor strength, endurance, and coordination. It also helps you contract your pelvic floor muscles strongly when necessary, such as during coughing or sneezing.
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Contract and relax the muscles for 2-10 seconds
To exercise your kegel muscles, you need to locate your pelvic floor muscles. These are the muscles you use to stop the flow of urine. To identify them, pretend you are trying to avoid passing gas or tighten your vagina around a tampon.
Once you have located your pelvic floor muscles, you can start to exercise them by contracting and relaxing them for 2-10 seconds. Start by doing a few Kegels at a time, then gradually increase the length of time and the number of Kegels you're doing in each session. When you are starting out, only do what is easy for you. For example, you could start with five Kegels that you hold for three seconds each, twice a day.
As you gain strength and endurance, work your way up to 10-second contractions and relaxations. Your goal should be to hold a strong contraction for 10 seconds, 10 times in a row. It's important to relax your muscles fully between each contraction and to keep breathing while you hold the contractions.
You can perform Kegels sitting, standing, or lying down. Choose what feels most comfortable for you. In all positions, you should focus on squeezing and lifting, like you're picking something up with your pelvic floor.
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Aim for 10-20 reps, 2-4 times a day
To strengthen your Kegel muscles effectively, aim for consistency and frequency in your exercises. A good routine to follow is to perform 10–20 repetitions of Kegel exercises, 2–4 times a day. This will help you develop a regular practice and ensure you're training your pelvic floor muscles adequately.
When doing your reps, focus on fully contracting and relaxing the muscles. Start by squeezing your pelvic floor muscles, holding for a few seconds, and then fully relaxing. You can also try quick contractions and relaxations, which will help improve your muscle response and strength over time.
If you're just starting out, it's a good idea to begin with a lower number of reps and work your way up gradually. This gives your body time to adjust and builds muscle memory. As you get more comfortable, you can increase the number of reps and sets within the recommended range.
For best results, find a comfortable and quiet space where you can focus on your form and technique. Ensure your bladder is empty before you begin, and always listen to your body, adjusting the number of reps or frequency as needed. Consistency is key, so make it a daily habit, and you'll soon start noticing the benefits of your Kegel exercises.
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Frequently asked questions
Kegel exercises, or pelvic floor exercises, are simple exercises that help to strengthen the muscles that support the bladder.
Kegel exercises can help to prevent incontinence and accidental passing of gas or stool. They can also help with bladder control and may make childbirth easier.
First, identify your pelvic floor muscles. You can do this by stopping the flow of urine mid-stream. Once you know what these muscles feel like, you can do Kegel exercises by lifting and holding, then relaxing these muscles.
You should start by doing a few Kegels at a time and gradually increase the number and length of each contraction and relaxation. Eventually, you should aim for 30-40 Kegels per day, spread throughout the day.
Yes, doing too many Kegels or doing them incorrectly can cause your muscles to become too tense or tight. This may lead to pain during sexual intercourse or difficulty with urination. If you are unsure if you are doing Kegels correctly, contact your healthcare provider.
