A Kegel exercise, also called pelvic floor exercises, is essentially what it sounds like: an exercise for your pelvic floor muscles. The exercises are done by contracting the muscles that are located near the base of your pelvis, which can help prevent urinary incontinence and other issues caused by these muscles weakening over time.
It’s not just older people who should be doing this either – even if you’re still in high school, you may want to consider what a Kegel exercise can do for you.
What is a Kegel exercise? How do Kegel exercises work?
Kegel exercise is an exercise for your pelvic floor muscles located near the base of your pelvis which can help prevent urinary incontinence and other issues caused by these muscles weakening over time.
Try peeing, when urine begins flowing squeeze your muscles to hold it down. You will feel a muscle lifting. It is a technique of releasing muscles that prevent gas flow and was Kegel’s first attempt.
Relax the muscles again. Do not eat Kegels while peeing. The problem may also lead to urinary problems. Try pressing down on the pelvis muscle for three seconds and releasing it for two seconds. Make it 10 times at the same time.
If you’re unable to complete 10 attempts, take more steps as soon as you can. Try to work up to 10 Kegels 4-5 times daily. Kegel is harmless, so you can completement it with some light and fun trampoline games.
What is not kegel exercise?
Kegel exercises are not the same as pelvic floor muscle contractions that you may experience when trying to stop the flow of urine. Those are involuntary contractions, and Kegel exercises involve contracting your muscles on purpose.
Types of Kegels
There are two types of Kegel exercises including short contractions and long contractions.
- Short contractions. These involve contracting your muscles for a shorter amount of time, about one second. They’re good to do if you want to improve muscle control or work on body awareness in general – they can also help increase your overall strength by allowing you to do more repetitions.
- Long contractions. These involve contracting your muscles for a longer amount of time, about five seconds. They’re good for improving the strength and endurance of your pelvic floor muscles.
How to do Kegel exercises
There are a few different ways you can go about doing Kegel exercises – what’s right for you may depend on your personal preference, what feels comfortable, and what works best for your schedule.
One way to do Kegel exercises is by contracting your muscles and holding them for a set amount of time – say, five seconds. You can then relax your muscles for a few seconds before repeating the contraction. Repeat this process as many times as you would like.
Another way to do Kegel exercises is by contracting your muscles and then slowly releasing them over a period of time – say, five seconds. Again, repeat this process as many times as you’d like. Ensure to Tighten your pelvic floor muscles and not your stomach, buttocks muscle, chest or thighs.
You can also mix up the types of contractions that you do, doing short contractions one day and long contractions another.
There are many different ways to do Kegel exercises, what’s right for you may depend on your personal preference, what feels comfortable, and what works best for your schedule.
Watch now how you can do Kegel as a beginner:
Meanwhile, if you feel too lazy for Kegel, here are scientifically-proven tips to motivate yourself to exercise.
Who should do Kegel?
Kegel exercises are a good way for anyone to improve the strength and endurance of their pelvic floor muscles, but they’re especially beneficial for people who have problems with incontinence or other issues related to weak pelvic floor muscles. The NHS estimates between 3 and 6 million Brits with some degree of urinary incontinence.
Even if you do not experience any problems with your pelvic floor muscles, doing Kegel exercises can still be beneficial – similar to what we mentioned before about how doing Kegel can help improve your overall strength, you’ll probably find that the stronger your pelvic floor muscles are, the better everything works.
Kegel exercises for women
Kegel exercises are a good way for women to improve the strength and endurance of their pelvic floor muscles. This can help prevent problems such as urinary incontinence, which is leakage of urine that occurs when you laugh, cough, sneeze, or exercise.
It can also help with other issues related to weak pelvic floor muscles, such as pain during sex. Do not forget to visit your preferred UK trampoline park to ease off.
Kegel exercises are a great way for pregnant women to improve muscle control and help with delivery. They can also help reduce the risk of urinary incontinence after giving birth in most women.
Kegel exercises for men
Kegel exercises for men are a little different than Kegel exercises for women, but they’re still just as beneficial. For men, Kegel exercises can help improve bladder control and sexual function.
The best way to do Kegel exercises for men may vary depending on what works best for them – some men may prefer to do short contractions, while others may find long contractions more beneficial. You can also mix up the types of contractions that you do, doing short contractions one day and long contractions another.
It’s important to note that Kegel exercises for men should not be done during urination – instead, they should be done when the penis is flaccid.
Benefits of Kegel Exercise
The muscles in the pelvis should not come into view if they work the way they should. But with time, their strength may weaken. It can cause pelvic muscles to prolapse.
Your pelvic organ starts drooping. It may fall from the vagina to the other part. Depending on your hysteresis it is possible that vaginal cells are releasing themselves out of the skin. Kegel training strengthens the pelvic floor muscles of men. It helps maintain a healthy bowel function and affects sexual function.
Can a child do kegel exercise?
There is no harm in doing Kegel exercises for children provided that they understand what the exercise is and why it is being done. As with adults, the best way to do Kegel exercises for children may vary depending on what works best for them – some children may prefer to do short contractions, while others may find long contractions.
Ensure to complement Kegel with mini trampoline for your lovely kids to keep them physically and emotionally fit. Follow these steps to dismantle your trampoline after use.
How do you find the right muscles?
To find the correct muscles, try stopping the flow of urine while you are on the toilet. The muscles used to do this are your pelvic floor muscles. You can also try inserting a finger into the vagina and tighten around it.
Feel tightening and moving muscles in your stomach or ovary. This is the muscle in the pelvic floor. If they are stiff, it’s time to exercise. It’s best for your buttocks muscles and abdomen to relax.
How do you tell if you’re doing Kegels right?
When you do a good kegel exercise, it will cause your muscles to relax. Practice is perfect like any exercise. The muscles can often get strained and fatigued very quickly.
You can try exercising on a 10ft trampoline for the best result. See your therapist.
What happens if pelvic organ prolapse does occur?
They can vary in severity. Some women experience no symptoms at all, while others may notice some discomfort or feeling of pressure. Other people might feel as if they are sitting on something that is bulging down there, and this could be what the pelvic organs look like to them.
Can you do Kegel with tight pelvic floor muscles?
Kegel can be dangerous but there must be careful use of the product. Kegels are not suitable for all people.
If you have tight pelvic floor muscles you may find that this exercise can actually cause ill health. If the muscle is too tired to contract it will not respond well. Then your medical specialist should tell you the exact reason.
When to call the doctor?
Get help from the doctor for your Kegel exercise routine. Your supplier will check for correctness. It is possible to see a physical therapist specializing in pelvic floor exercises.
The health care professional will help you to identify the pelvic floor muscles and teach you how to do Kegel exercises correctly. If you are pregnant, discuss your exercise plans with your health care professional before starting any new exercises.
Pregnant women should stay off any trampoline workouts during the first trimester.
Final thoughts
A pelvic floor therapist can teach you what muscles are used for Kegel exercise through pelvic floor therapy.
Kegel exercises should only be done by those who do not have any kind of pelvic floor disorder or other medical condition that prevents them from doing these types of exercises. Always consult your doctor if you’re having problems with incontinence, constipation, pain during sex.
Meanwhile, healthcare providers typically recommend pelvic floor muscle training (Kegel exercises) for both men and women to help with bladder control, bowel function, and sexual dysfunction. Kegel exercises are one of the most common treatments for urinary incontinence in women. They can also be helpful for men with prostate problems or after surgery to treat prostate cancer.
