Kegel Exercises How to Tone Vaginal Muscles

We often associate Kegel exercises with new moms who wish to tone up loose vaginal
muscles after giving birth, or with women with specific medical conditions, such urinary
incontinence or a prolapsed uterus.
But, according to Edwin Huang, M, a gynecologist at Massachusetts !eneral Hospital
in Boston, Kegel exercises are a great idea for all women. Everybody should do them,
says r. Huang. Kegel exercise benefit women regardless of age or medical history, but
for women with certain issues, Kegel exercise is particularly important.
"earn more about the benefits of Kegels, how to do the exercises, and who should ma#e
Kegel exercises a part of their daily routine.
Who $an Benefit %rom Kegel Exercises
Kegels are exercises that strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. &hese muscles support the
bladder, vagina, uterus, and rectum. Kegel exercises are particularly useful to the
following groups of women
Women who are pregnant and post'partum. (ll women who are pregnant or who have
)ust had a baby should do Kegels, Huang says. Kegel exercises help tone loose vaginal
muscles for women who have )ust had a baby. (nd for women who are preparing for
delivery, #eeping their pelvic muscles strong can help prevent urine lea#age at the end of
pregnancy, a common complaint, and can ma#e the later months of pregnancy a more
comfortable experience in general.
Women who have urinary incontinence. *rinary incontinence is defined as the loss of
bladder control. &here are many types of urinary incontinence, and Kegel exercises can
be helpful for some of them. &al# with your doctor to see if Kegel exercises would help
your incontinence.
Women who want to prevent a prolapsed uterus. ( +prolapsed uterus, describes a
condition that occurs when a woman-s uterus starts to slip down from its usual place
inside the body, through the cervix and into the vagina. ( prolapsed uterus is less li#ely
to occur in women with strong pelvic floor muscles. Women who have delivered children
vaginally and postmenopausal women are at higher ris# of developing uterine prolapse.
Women with )obs that re.uire heavy lifting. Women should do Kegel exercises if they
have careers in industries that re.uire heavy lifting, such as delivery and manufacturing.
Huang has recommended Kegel exercise to several patients who wor# for delivery
companies, saying that the lifting and straining re.uired by these )obs can sometimes lead
to prolapse.
Healthy women who are not pregnant. (s we age, our muscles tend to loose tone and
become wea#er, and the vaginal muscles are not exempt. But the good news is that we
can minimi/e this with regular Kegel exercise.
How to o Kegel Exercises
Kegel exercises are done by s.uee/ing the muscles in the pelvic floor and holding for
short periods of time. &o begin you need to
%ind the right muscles. 0ne way to isolate the right muscle is by trying to stop the
flow of urine the next time you go to the bathroom. &he muscle you use to do that is the
muscle you should engage while doing a Kegel. (nother way to test is to put your finger
into your vagina and try to s.uee/e it. on-t be afraid to as# your gynecologist for help if
you-re having a hard time finding the right muscle. &he #ey is to isolate these pelvic floor
muscles and use them alone. 1t-s easy to s.uee/e the muscles in the buttoc#s and
abdomen at the same time, so pay attention to your body and ma#e sure you-re wor#ing
the right muscle.
2tart slow and build up. 1f you-re new to Kegel exercise, start slow. 2.uee/e your
pelvic muscle and hold for two to four seconds, then relax. &ry to repeat 3 to 45 times. (s
this exercise gets easier, you can hold for longer periods of time and do increased
repetitions.
o your Kegels regularly 0nce you have the techni.ue down, you can do Kegel
exercises any time and any place that you li#e. %or instance, you could do a set every
time you chec# your e'mail, or when you-re waiting for the bus, or stuc# in traffic.
While certain women stand to benefit more, all women can benefit from Kegel exercise6
(dd it to you fitness regimen today.