Kegel exercises strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and can support your bladder and bowel function.
Kegel exercises are simple clench-and-release exercises that you can do to make the muscles of your pelvic floor stronger. Your pelvis is the area between your hips that holds your reproductive organs.
The pelvic floor is really a series of muscles and tissues that forms a sling, or hammock, at the bottom of your pelvis. This sling holds your organs in place. A weak pelvic floor may lead to issues such as the inability to control your bowels or bladder.
Once you understand Kegel exercises, you can do them anytime and anywhere — in the privacy of your own home or while waiting in line at the bank.
Why do Kegel exercises?
Both women and men can benefit from Kegel exercises.
Many factors can weaken the pelvic floor in women, such as pregnancy, childbirth, aging, and weight gain.
The pelvic floor muscles support the womb, the bladder, and the bowels. If the muscles are weak, these pelvic organs may lower into a woman’s vagina. Besides being extremely uncomfortable, this can also cause urinary incontinence.
Men may also experience weakening in the muscles of their pelvic floor as they age. This can lead to incontinence of both urine and feces, especially if the man has had prostate surgery.
Finding the pelvic floor muscles in women
When you’re first starting Kegel exercises, finding the right set of muscles can be tricky. One way to find them is by placing a clean finger inside your vagina and tightening your vaginal muscles around your finger.
You can also locate the muscles by trying to stop your urine mid-flow. The muscles you use for this action are your pelvic floor muscles. Get used to how they feel when they contract and relax.
However, you should use this method for learning purposes only. It isn’t a good idea to start and stop your urine regularly, or to frequently do Kegel exercises when you have a full bladder. Incomplete emptying of the bladder can raise your risk for a urinary tract infection (UTI).
Talk with your gynecologist if you still aren’t sure you’ve found the right muscles. They may recommend using an object called a vaginal cone. You insert a vaginal cone into the vagina and then use your pelvic floor muscles to keep it in place.
Biofeedback training can also be very useful in helping to identify and isolate your pelvic floor muscles. In this procedure, a doctor will insert a small probe into your vagina or put adhesive electrodes on the outside of your vagina or anus. You’ll be asked to try to do a Kegel. A monitor will show whether you contracted the correct muscles and how long you were able to hold the contraction.
Finding the pelvic floor muscles in men
Men often have the same kind of trouble when it comes to identifying the correct group of pelvic floor muscles. For men, one way to find them is to insert a finger into the rectum and try to squeeze it — without tightening the muscles of the abdomen, buttocks, or thighs.
Another helpful trick is to tense the muscles that keep you from passing gas.
If you’re still having trouble, practice stopping the flow of urine. As with women, this is a reliable way to locate the pelvic floor muscles, but it shouldn’t become a regular practice.
Biofeedback can also help men locate the pelvic floor muscles. If you’re having trouble locating them on your own, you may want to make an appointment with your doctor.
Goals and benefits of Kegel exercises
Always empty your bladder before doing Kegel exercises. As a beginner, you should find a quiet, private place to sit or to lie down before doing your exercises. As you practice, you’ll find you can do them anywhere.
When you first start doing Kegel exercises, tense the muscles in your pelvic floor for a count of three, then relax them for a count of three. Keep going until you’ve done 10 repetitions. Over the next several days, practice until you can hold your muscles tense for a count of 10. Your goal should be to do three sets of 10 repetitions every day.
Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see the results you want immediately. According to the Mayo Clinic, Kegel exercises may take as long as a few months to have an effect on urinary incontinence.
They also work differently for each person. Some people show great improvement in muscle control and urinary continence. However, Kegels may prevent your condition from getting worse.
Cautions
If you feel pain in your abdomen or back after a Kegel exercise session, it’s a sign that you’re not doing them correctly. Always remember that — even as you contract your pelvic floor muscles — the muscles in your abdomen, back, buttocks, and sides should remain loose.
Finally, don’t overdo your Kegel exercises. If you work the muscles too hard, they’ll become tired and unable to fulfill their necessary functions.
Kegels for men?
You’ve probably heard about Kegel exercises for women — but what about for men?
Some research suggests these pelvic floor-strengthening exercises may help restore bladder control after prostate surgery. For some men, they may also help treat erectile dysfunction and prevent premature ejaculation. They might even increase the intensity of your orgasms.
Learn more about these easy exercises and how to add them to your daily routine.
What are Kegel exercises?
Kegel exercises are also called pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) exercises. They target the muscles of your pelvic floor, also known as your pubococcygeal (PC) muscles.
Both men and women have PC muscles. They provide support to your pelvic organs, including your urethra, bladder, and bowel. They help hold your organs in place, promoting good bladder control and sexual function.
What happens to your PC muscles over time?
When you’re young, your PC muscles are typically taut and strong. As you age, they can become weakened and stretched. They can also become too weak or loose as a result of pregnancy or childbirth, surgery for prostate cancer, bladder or bowel problems, or other factors.
This can negatively affect your bladder control and sex life. But just as you can strengthen your arm or leg muscles through regular workouts, you can strengthen your PC muscles with Kegel exercises.
How can Kegel exercises help women?
Dr. Arnold Kegel originally created Kegel exercises in the late 1940s to help women regain control of their bladders after childbirth.
Since then, several studies have found Kegel exercises can help treat several conditions in women. For example, a research review in Actas Urológicas EspañolasTrusted Source suggests they can help improve urinary continence in women. Another study in the World Journal of Urology suggests they can help treat not only stress urinary incontinence, but also pelvic organ prolapse and sexual dysfunction in women.
How can they help men?
Less research has been done on Kegel exercises for men. But early findings have been promising.
For example, a research review in Urology suggests that Kegel exercises can help treat stress incontinence in men after prostate surgery. It may also help relieve overactive bladder and improve sexual function in some men.
Can Kegel exercise improve your sex life?
Kegel exercises might have sexual benefits for both women and men. According to scientists in the International Urogynecology Journal, several studies have linked pelvic floor muscle training to better sexual function in women. Research reported in Sexual Medicine Reviews suggests they may also help treat sexual dysfunction in men. More specifically, they may help improve erectile function, ejaculation control, and orgasm intensity in men with chronic prostatitis or chronic pelvic pain syndrome.
How can you do Kegel exercises?
Both men and women can perform Kegel exercises in basically the same way.
The first step is to find your PC muscles. You can identify these muscles while urinating. Simply stop urinating mid-stream. The muscles you use to hold your urine back are your PC muscles. They’re the same muscles you can use to avoid passing gas. If you’re male, your testicles will also rise when you contract them.
Try the easiest Kegel exercise
Once you’ve found your PC muscles, can practice flexing them. Contract and hold your PC muscles for 5 to 20 seconds. Then release them. You can repeat this simple exercise 10 to 20 times in a row, three to four times a day. Gradually build the number of contractions you complete and the amount of time you hold each contraction for.
Over time, this simple exercise can help strengthen your PC muscles. This might help improve your bladder control and sexual function.
Add variety to your workout
You can also try variations on this basic exercise. For example, contract and release your PC muscles quickly, several times in succession. Or practice contracting them very slowly. You can also vary your position, completing Kegel exercises while standing, sitting, or lying down.
While you’re doing Kegel exercises, try not to tighten other muscles, such as your abs, butt, or thighs. Don’t hold your breath either. Instead, keep the rest of your body still and relaxed, while breathing normally.
They cost you nothing to try
Kegel exercises are low risk, easy to do anywhere, and cost nothing to try. So what do you have to lose?
Ask your doctor if Kegel exercises may be a good fit for you. Adding several sets to your daily routine might help you gain better urinary control, improve your erectile function, and prevent premature ejaculation. In some cases, your doctor might encourage you to combine Kegel exercises with other treatments, such as medication or bladder training.
