Kegel Exercise - A Complete Guide On How And When You Should Do Them

Written by: wasimsiddiqui

What do You Understand by Kegel Exercises?

Simply put,  Kegel exercises are nothing but clench and release exercises that help to strengthen the muscles in the pelvic floor region. Pelvic region is the area between the hips where the reproductive organ is located. With growing age, weight gain, after prostrate surgery or post pregnancy, people may develop fecal or urinary inconsistencies.

 

This can lead to uncontrolled dribble or urine leak due to lack of bowel control. Nerve or brain disorders, overactive bladder and diabetes can also cause such problems. Kegel exercises make your pelvic muscles stronger, thereby helping you overcome these disorders. This is achieved as Kegel exercises build up the muscles supporting the bladder, uterus and large intestine. 

Who Should Do Kegel Exercises and When?

As seen above, bowel problems aren't specific to any gender and can occur due to several reasons. Kegel exercises are simple contraction and relaxation exercises that just about anyone can easily do. They can be done while you're lying or sitting, driving or resting. You can do them inside the house or even outside in a meeting or in a supermarket queue. The only important thing is to understand the correct way of doing these exercises!

The Basics.

In order to understand the basics of Kegel exercises, you must first know your own body's system. As brought out above, these exercises make your pelvic floor stronger. So, before proceeding ahead to know more about these exercises, it's pertinent to know some basic facts about the pelvic floor itself. What's a pelvic floor and how is it arranged ?

 

Pelvic floor consists of a string of tissues and muscles, which are joined together to create a hammock-like floor that holds your reproductive organ stable. These intertwined muscles forming the sling need to have adequate strength to support your organ. If and when the pelvic floor weakens, your bowel and bladder becomes inconsistent causing the problems highlighted in the above sections. 

How Do Kegel Exercises Help?

Just like bowel inconsistencies can affect anyone irrespective of gender, Kegel exercises can help men as well as women. While weight gain and aging can affect both men and women, women also face these issues during pregnancy and after childbirth.

In women, the pelvic floor, in addition to supporting the bowel and bladder, also holds the womb. Weak muscles fail to provide adequate support to these organs. This can result in lowering of the organs into the vaginal area. This can cause a lot of discomfort and pain as well as urinary and fecal inconsistencies.

Similarly, men can have such problems after prostrate surgery, which can weaken the pelvic floor. Fecal and urinal leakages are common in aging men, especially who've had radical prostatectomy. 

How to Locate the Pelvic Floor Muscles?

In order to gain maximum benefit from the Kegel exercises, you must first locate your pelvic floor muscles that need to be targeted. This is the most difficult part and you'll need to be careful while doing it. Following are the methods recommended to find the correct pelvic muscles in men and women :-

- In Women. There are several ways in which women can find their pelvic floor muscles.

A simple method is to place a clean finger inside the vagina and then contract the vaginal muscles. The portion of your finger that experiences least amount of grip is the weakened muscle.

Another method to locate the weak muscles is to stop your urine while urinating. You'll feel the contraction of the pelvic muscles and hence, you can identify them. By doing this a few times, you'll get a fair idea about how it feels when these muscles relax and contract.

It's important to note here that the above method shouldn't be used too often. As a matter of fact, you should avoid doing Kegel exercises with a full bladder. This method should only be used in the beginning when you're trying to find your pelvic muscles. Remember that if your bladder isn't emptied completely, you're exposed to getting UTI (Urinary Tract Infection).

If you're still not able to convincingly find your pelvic muscles, you must seek expert help from your gynecologist. He/she may use a vaginal cone, which is to be inserted inside your vagina and then you've to contract your pelvic muscles to hold it there.

The other medical procedure to locate your pelvic floor muscles is the Biofeedback Training. In this method, the medical practitioner either sticks adhesive electrodes onto the outside wall of your anus or vagina or inserts a probe inside your vagina. The probe or the electrodes, as the case may be are connected to a device which reads your muscular contraction.

Once the device is attached, you'll be told to do a Kegel exercise. The reading on the monitor will reflect whether you're able to contract the right set of muscles or not. It'll also display the time for which you were able to contract.

- In Men.

Finding the correct pelvic muscles is no easier in men either. Similar problems are faced when trying to locate the pelvic floor muscles, as in the case of women.

One method to find these muscles is to put a finger deep into the anus, so as to reach the rectum. Then, without utilizing the muscles of buttocks, abdomen or thighs, try and squeeze your finger.

You can also find out your pelvic floor muscles by tightening the muscles that stop you from passing gas!

The last resort that you can take is to stop midflow while urinating. This is a dependable method, but should only be used in the beginning. You must remember that this shouldn't be a regular practice because it could cause UTI, as discussed above.

If you're not able to find your pelvic muscles on your own, contact a doctor. Biofeedback Training can be used just like in women.

Finding the right muscles is a very important step before commencing the Kegel exercises. You must make sure that you've identified them and know exactly how it feels to contract and release these muscles. 

What do You Achieve Through Kegel Exercises?

Kegel exercises are extremely helpful in strengthening your pelvic floor muscles and hence avoid involuntary urine leaks and other related issues. If you're facing any such issue, try doing Kegel exercises, which have proven to be effective.

The effects may take some time; Mayo clinic reports show that it may take even a few months before you can feel a change. Don't give up! Keep practicing in the correct manner.

The results have also been seen to vary in different persons. While some people may completely get rid of the urinal and fecal inconsistencies, few others may not see any noticeable improvements. However, even if you don't see any remarkable improvement, it'll surely prevent your condition from deteriorating.

Few Important Points. Given below are a few important things that you must remember when doing Kegel exercises :-

- Your bladder should be completely empty.

- Initially, you must practice these exercises at home and preferably in a sitting or lying position.

- Start by contracting your pelvic muscles and keep them contracted for a three-count. Then release them for the same duration. This is one repetition.

- Do ten reps everyday for the first few weeks, gradually increasing the time for which you contract and release the muscles.

- Once you've achieved the ability to hold for a ten-count, then you can be confident of doing these exercises anywhere.

- Aim to do three sets of ten reps everyday. 

What Points Should I be Cautious About?

Kegel exercises are very effective in making your pelvic muscles stronger and thereby treating fecal and urinal inconsistencies. There are no known or established negative side-effects of these exercises, if done properly. However, that's the important point; you must do the exercises correctly!

However, there may be some undesirable effects of doing these exercises incorrectly. If there's some abdominal pain or back ache after a session of Kegel exercises, you must recheck your method of exercising. An important thing to note is that while contracting the pelvic muscles, other surrounding muscles such as those of buttocks, sides, back and abdomen shouldn't be used.

You must also ensure that your not overdoing the exercises; an overdose of anything can be harmful! An overworked pelvic floor won't be able to do its work as efficiently and effectively as is needed.

Conclusion.

Pelvic floor is a set of muscles and tissues arranged like a string that supports the reproductive organs in men and women. A weakened pelvic floor can be the cause of not only discomfort and pain, but even humiliation. It affects your bowel control and can lead to urinal and fecal inconsistencies.

Kegel exercises are effective in curing this condition as they strengthen your pelvic muscles. These are simple and easy contraction and release exercises, which you can do just about anywhere. If you follow the points given in this article, you'll be able to achieve optimum advantage from these exercises.