Kegel Exercises For Women - Benefits and How To Guide

Kegel exercises have become a part of mainstream conversation among women, however many women are still unsure what a Kegel is exactly. Additionally, many are unaware of the many benefits that Kegel for women can have on overall health and wellness.

What Are Kegels?

A Kegel is simply a contraction of the pelvic floor muscles, which are the sling-like muscles that surround and support the bladder, the vagina, uterus, and the rectum.

Performing these kegel exercises women can help train the muscles to treat bladder leaks, pelvic organ prolapse, and low back and hip pain, and can improve sex and Orgasms.

Benefits of Kegel Exercises for Women

1. Kegels can make sex great for you and your partner When it comes to sex, Kegel exercises make the vagina feel tighter and may help improve the intensity of the orgasm. The pelvic floor muscles are vital when it comes to orgasm. They are responsible for the pleasurable contractions felt in the genitals when an orgasm occurs. When the pelvic floor muscles are healthy, orgasms are more intense and last longer. Women who have difficulty achieving orgasm may be experiencing weak pelvic floor muscles. Exercising the pelvic floor muscles results in increased blood flow to the pelvic region. Improved blood circulation increases sexual arousal, lubrication, and the ability to orgasm. Likewise, a strong pelvic floor allows women to grip their partner more tightly during penetration, which is often more pleasurable for their partner as well!

2. Kegels can help overall fitness Lifestyle habits of prolonged sitting, repetitive movements, injury, and pregnancy can wreak havoc on your body in a number of ways. Prolonged sitting can lead to overall deconditioning in both aerobic fitness and strength. The stretching of your abdominal muscles during pregnancy can weaken your core. Carrying the weight of a pregnant belly can pull your center of gravity forward and cause low back pain. And the hormones of pregnancy cause ligaments to loosen, making clumsiness and injury more likely. Also, weight gain is common in busy lives of work, caring for children, and social activities. Regular exercise can mitigate some of the effects and help you get back into shape quicker after a birth. Because the pelvic floor becomes weaker with prolonged sitting, an injury to the hip, low back, or pelvis, and during childbirth, adding pelvic floor exercises to your regular workout routine is essential. A toned pelvic floor can reduce your risk of pelvic organ prolapse, incontinence, and painful intercourse.

3. Kegel Exercises can help overall pelvic health during menopause During menopause fluctuating levels of estrogen can lead to less blood flow in the pelvic floor muscles and overall decrease in muscle tone. Imagine the pelvic floor as a soapy sponge that you’re squeezing under clean running water – you squeeze out soap, and then allow the sponge to fill with fresh water as you loosen your grip on it. This is what Kegels are doing for your tissues – squeezing out the old blood and pulling in fresh blood to help with the restorative and strengthening process.

4. Kegels can help recovery from childbirth Whether you delivered your baby vaginally or by cesarean, the pelvic floor muscles can become weak from pregnancy. This weakness can be exacerbated with vaginal delivery, which can result in tearing of the muscles, and possibly episiotomy. The good news is that these muscles will heal just as any other muscles would, and they will respond to Kegel exercises with improved strength just as other muscles would. You can begin strengthening the pelvic floor prior to getting pregnant and continue strengthening it during pregnancy by performing Kegel exercises as long as you do not experience contractions of the uterus while doing them. If you are pregnant, it is important to discuss your exercise program with your healthcare provider.

5. Kegels can reduce Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a condition in which one or more of the pelvic organs press into the walls of the vagina. This usually occurs after the pelvic floor muscles or their ligaments have been stretched or weakened, such as after pregnancy and childbirth. Women may also develop POP from prolonged heavy lifting for work or exercise and from more chronic conditions such as constipation, periods of heavy coughing, or obesity. Pelvic organ prolapse is not life threatening, but it can cause pain, fear, and issues with the bladder or bowel. It can also lead to overall decreased enjoyment in life. The great news is that Kegels can help to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles for better support of the pelvic organs and reduction of prolapse. Low levels of prolapse can be completely cured, and moderate levels of prolapse can be reduced to the point where they do not interfere with daily life activities.

6. Kegels can cure bladder leakage The pelvic floor muscles support the bladder, uterus, and rectum. When these muscles are not strong and coordinated, the bladder and bladder neck have less support and closure around the sphincter. This can result in incontinence. Stress urinary incontinence is bladder leakage that occurs with strenuous movements such as exercises, lifting heavy objects, or while coughing, sneezing, or laughing. Kegels are the best cure for urinary incontinence. Shop our industry leading premium kegel product and stop bladder leakage.

7. Kegels can help develop better back and hip support The pelvic floor muscles are a component of the inner core, the muscles that support the trunk and hips. These muscles work in coordination with the deep layers of the abdominals to support the spine, and they connect to the deep hip rotator muscles for hip stability. When the pelvic floor muscles are not at optimal strength and coordination, it can affect the joints of the pelvis, tailbone, and lower spine. It is estimated that 38% of women with urinary leakage also experience low back pain, and Kegels address both of these conditions.

Did you know that Kegel exercises are also helpful for men?

It’s true. Men with certain health and sexual health issues can also benefit from doing Kegel exercises. In men, these exercises can:

• Help improve incontinence (depending on the cause).

• Help manage prostate pain and swelling that occurs with prostatitis and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

• Increase men’s sexual pleasure through greater control of ejaculation and improved orgasm sensation.

How to Find the Right Muscles

A Kegel exercise is like pretending you have to urinate and then holding it. You relax and tighten the muscles that control urine flow. It is important to find the right muscles to tighten. Next time you have to urinate, start to go and then stop. Feel the muscles in your vagina (for women), bladder, or anus get tight and move up. These are the pelvic floor muscles. If you feel them tighten, you have done the exercise right. Your thighs, buttock muscles, and abdomen should remain relaxed. If you still are not sure you are tightening the right muscles: Imagine that you are trying to keep yourself from passing gas.

How to do Kegel Exercises

Once you know what the movement feels like, do Kegel exercises 3 times a day:

• Make sure your bladder is empty, then sit or lie down.

• Tighten your pelvic floor muscles. Hold tight and count 3 to 5 seconds.

• Relax the muscles and count 3 to 5 seconds.

• Repeat 10 times, 3 times a day (morning, afternoon, and night).

Breathe deeply and relax your body when you are doing these exercises. Make sure you are not tightening your stomach, thigh, buttock, or chest muscles. After 4 to 6 weeks, you should feel better and have fewer symptoms. Keep doing the exercises, but do not increase how many you do. Overdoing it can lead to straining when you urinate or move your bowels. Some notes of caution:

• Once you learn how to do them, do not practice Kegel exercises at the same time you are urinating more than twice a month. Doing the exercises while you are urinating can weaken your pelvic floor muscles over time or cause damage to bladder and kidneys.

• In women, doing Kegel exercises incorrectly or with too much force may cause vaginal muscles to tighten too much. This can cause pain during sexual intercourse.

• Incontinence will return if you stop doing these exercises. Once you start doing them, you may need to do them for the rest of your life.

• It may take several months for your incontinence to lessen once you start doing these exercises.

A Kegel Exercise App that i often use and recommend is Easy Kegel Pelvic Floor Exercise Trainer