Kegels the Wonder Exercise for Women
Tell your daughter and mother about them!
Everywhere I look lately someone is talking about the benefits of Kegels. Kegels are exercises that strengthen the pelvic floor. I first learned about them while I was pregnant and preparing for natural childbirth. It only took me about two good pushes; so I thought I was a Kegel expert. Now, I wish I had been told all about them as a teenager along with my mother’s period and sex talk. Come to think about it, why don’t OB-Gyn’s talk about them to girls on their first visit? [One of my pet peeves is the lack of information women get related to their reproductive and urinary health. There is less research and a resultant paltry amount of information available for us to live our best life. Now, back to the subject of Kegel exercises.] The benefits go way beyond a successful natural childbirth experience. A regular Kegel regimen can save us from Depends when we get older and possibly the surgery needed to repair a uterus that has dropped out of place. I think they are as essential as an annual Pap smear, and monthly breast exams.
Let’s talk some anatomy. One of the most obvious reasons that women experience urinary leakage more often and earlier than men is simply because our urethra is much shorter. They have the entire penis for urine to travel through; we do not. The bladder holds concentrated urine. Several levers or sphincters muscles and the Kegel muscles hold urine in the bladder until we voluntarily want to release it. If any of these muscles weaken or the nerves controlling them are dysfunctional, we can release urine involuntarily. A strong pelvic floor can alleviate the most common urinary leakage problems.
Why am I telling you to inform the young ladies in your life about Kegels? A study at Duke University found that female athletes have a greater chance of experiencing bladder leakage compared to girls not participating in sports. I am not sure if these girls would communicate this problem to their friends or parents versus just dropping out of the sport. As we all know, sports participation is self-esteem building in school-age girls. We cannot afford to lose one to incontinence. For this reason, women need to talk about the laugh/cough peeing that women commonly experience. Let them know that they are not alone, even at a young age. Most importantly, girls need to learn how to do daily Kegels to prevent future episodes.
Kegel execises strengthen pubococcygeus (PC) muscles, bulbocarvernosus muscles and other pelvic floor muscles. This muscle group has been described as a hammock like structure that gently carries the bladder, uterus and other pelvic organs. There are three opening in the Kegel muscles for women: the rectum, vagina and urethra. If you keep that in mind, you will understand why all three of those areas will benefit from Kegel exercises. Kegel exercises consist of contracting and relaxing the pelvic floor muscles in varying patterns. When routinely practiced, these exercises can decrease urinary and fecal incontinence, help with child delivery and enhance orgasm.
Kegel exercises are a little tricky in that you must isolate the correct muscles. There are many tips for finding these muscles. They range from imagining you are resisting pulling a tampon out of the vagina to actually placing one finger in the vagina and squeezing. I have also heard people say they are the muscles you use to stop gas from passing. By far, the most commonly mentioned method is to stop your urine mid-stream. This method is not the first choice to find the Kegel muscles. If you use this technique, limit it to only a couple of tries. Finally, check with your doctor to make sure you have found the correct muscles.
Once the right muscles are identified, it is time to exercise. Kegels can be done anywhere at any time. It is best not to do them with a full bladder, and never do Kegel exercises while peeing. This teaches you the wrong way to urinate and could lead to a urinary tract infection (UTI). After you begin your practice, pain in your abdomen or buttocks is a good indication that you are using the wrong muscles.
The following are example exercise regimens:
- Contract your pelvic floor for 3 seconds then release for 3 seconds. Do 15 sets at this pace. Repeat this regimen at least 6 times a day.
- Contract your pelvic floor for 10 seconds and release for 10 seconds. Do 30 sets. Repeat this regimen at least 3 times a day
- Quickly contract and release your pelvic floor. Repeat 20 times.
- Incorporate Kegels into lifting and jumping activities.
No one knows you are doing your Kegels. Some people use traffic lights or commercials as a trigger to remind them to exercise. Pick what works best for your lifestyle. Remember that these are regimens that one can progress through. If you experience pain or discomfort, slow down your program. As you develop your Kegel muscles, you may want to use vaginal weights to challenge yourself. It may take up to six weeks of consistent exercising to realize the benefits. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
If you or someone you know is really struggling with incontinence, physical therapy is also an option. This was a WOW moment for me. I know so many of our elders who rely on Depends when bladder physical therapy might actually fix the problem. Women suffer in silence on so many issues. We drink less water, stop exercising or playing the sports we love. Use the links below to find more information, or, google it to find a bladder physical therapy center in your area. Physical therapy provides a structured regimen for optimum results.
- 1. Decreases the risk of urinary incontinence (uncontrolled peeing)
- 2. Decreases the risk of fecal incontinence
- 3. Increases female sexual health
- 4. Increases strength and length of vaginal contractions
- 5. Prevents vaginal atrophy
- 6. Prevents uterine prolapse
- 7. Helps with vaginal childbirth
From 13 to 83, all women should do their Kegels!
http://www.pennhealth.com/obgyn/news/05spr/kegel.html
Posts
