Table of Contents
What are
Kegel exercises are simple voluntary contractions useful to tone and strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor and of the perineal area. The pelvic floor is formed by a set of muscles and ligaments positioned at the base of the abdomen, from the pubic bone to the coccyx, and serves to support all the organs of the urinary and reproductive system, therefore the bladder, urethra and uterus, as well as the rectum and the anus. The perineum it is instead located between the vagina and the anus in women and between the pubis and anus for men and are involved in the regulation of urination and the expulsion of stool, in pregnancy and during childbirth, as well as contracting during intercourse sexual.
The pelvic floor muscles tend to weaken as we age, after pregnancy and during menopause as well as in case of constipation, overweight and obesity, too sedentary life. A hypotonic pelvic floor can lead to various discomforts and problems such as urinary incontinence, prolapse of the uterus in women, difficulty or inability to reach orgasm and other disorders of the sexual sphere.
Designed by the American gynecologist Arnold Kegel for women’s intimate gymnastics, and in particular to prevent and treat incontinence and prolapse of the uterus, Kegel exercises can also bring benefits to the male sex, for example in case of erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation in men.
What they are for and benefits
Kegel exercises are for strengthen and tone the pelvic floor muscles, bringing benefits to the entire urinary and reproductive system, both in women and in men. Training your pelvic floor consistently can help prevent and treat various ailments and to improve the sexual sphere. In particular, Kegel exercises are recommended for:
- urinary incontinence
- uterine prolapse
- train the muscles for childbirth
- re-educate the post-partum muscles
- difficulty or inability to reach orgasm
- erectile dysfunction
- premature ejaculation
- benign prostatic hyperplasia
Kegel exercises are therefore useful for prevent incontinence o improve the control of urinary leakage, which can occur with advancing age or after childbirth. During pregnancy, pelvic floor training can help prevent the appearance of hemorrhoids, better cope with labor and delivery and, after childbirth, re-educate all the muscles following the physiological stress suffered. Kegel exercises also allow for a better control of erection and ejaculation in men, improving erectile dysfunction and postponing the moment of orgasm. In women, on the other hand, a toned pelvic floor makes the vagina and vulva more sensitive, favoring arousal and reaching orgasm during sexual intercourse.
To get benefits it is important to do Kegel exercises every day, dedicating at least five minutes to pelvic floor training. However, we must not overdo it, so as not to tire the muscles. You can start exercising at any age and results start to show within a few weeks or months.
How to make
As we have seen, the pelvic floor muscles are of great importance. Despite this, few people are aware of these muscles and are unable to “feel” them. The first thing to do is therefore to become aware of these muscles, be able to locate them and understand how to control them. To understand where the pelvic floor muscles are located there is a simple exercise, which consists of block the flow of pee for a few seconds while urinating. This allows you to understand which muscles are involved and which will need to be trained. Once you understand what type of contraction you need to perform, you can proceed with the actual exercises.
Before starting the Kegel exercises it is essential empty your bladder completely. Then we proceed by contracting the pelvic floor muscles – the same ones used to block the flow of urine – and maintaining the contraction for 4-10 seconds. Finally, the muscles are slowly released and contracted again, repeating the contraction ten times, one to three times a day. It’s important proceed step by step: it starts with contractions of a few seconds and repetitions once a day, and then gradually increase the time of contraction and the number of daily repetitions, without exaggerating in order not to over-stress the muscles. While performing the exercises you have to breathe regularly and the abdominal, buttock or thigh muscles should not be contracted.
Kegel exercises are quite discreet and can be done practically everywhere and in any situation, when you become familiar with your body. They can be performed sitting, lying down or in the “bridge” position and can be included in your fitness workouts. Women can also resort to using vaginal balls or cones in silicone to wear during the day to keep the muscles of the vagina and pelvic floor trained.
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