What are Kegel exercises and can they prevent or help control urinary incontinence?

Kegel exercises strengthen the pelvic muscles that support the uterus, bladder, small intestine, and rectum. They are also known as pelvic floor muscle exercises. Kegels can prevent or help control urinary incontinence and other pelvic floor issues.

There are many factors that weaken pelvic floor muscles, such as these conditions:

1. Pregnancy and childbirth.
2. Surgery, like cesarean section for women.
3. Aging.
4. Excessive strain from constipation or chronic coughing.
5. Weight gain.

You might benefit from doing Kegel exercises if you have:

1. Leaking drops of urine when you sneeze, laugh or cough
2. Feeling like you can't control peeing.
3. Leaking stool.

You can do Kegel exercises during pregnancy or after giving birth to ease the symptoms.

Kegel exercises are not helpful for women who have heavy urine leaks when sneezing, coughing or laughing, or for those who leak small amounts of urine because their bladder is full.

How to do Kegel exercises:

1. Make sure your bladder is empty, then lie on your back.
2. Lift your pelvic muscles up.
3. Tighten your pelvic muscles and hold the squeeze for 5 seconds.
4. Relax the muscles again.
5. Repeat this exercise 10 times.

Once you locate your pelvic floor muscles, you can exercise them by tightening and relaxing like this:

1. You should first make sure your bladder is empty before the exercise. Then sit or lie down comfortably. Tighten the pelvic floor muscles for a few seconds, then relax them for a few seconds.

2. Repeat the exercise 10 to 15 times, twice a day.

3. You can increase the number of times over time to reach 20 reps, done three times a day.

4. Take a deep breath and keep your body relaxed.

5. Pregnant women can do Kegel exercises every two days, but avoid tightening your chest, butt, and stomach muscles during the exercise. Focus on tightening the pelvic floor muscles.

If you feel pain when doing Kegel exercises, stop immediately, you might not be doing the exercise right , or Kegel exercises might not be right for you. Don't hesitate to ask for help. Your doctor can give you useful feedback to learn the correct way to do them.

Benefits of Kegel exercises:

1. Kegel exercises help your overall fitness:

A lifestyle of sitting long hours, repetitive movements, injury, and pregnancy can wear down your body over time. Your pelvic floor weakens from sitting too much and during childbirth, so Adding Kegel exercises to your routine Athlete It can reduce the risk of injury.

Tightening abdominal muscles during pregnancy can weaken pelvic muscles. Also, carrying the baby’s weight pulls gravity forward and causes lower back pain. Pregnancy hormones relax ligaments which ups the chance of injury. So sticking to these exercises can ease some of these effects and help you get back in shape faster after birth.

2. Kegel exercises help your pelvic health:

Fluctuations in estrogen levels reduce blood flow to pelvic floor muscles, which can cause menopause symptoms. So it’s useful in many cases.

3. Kegel exercises help you heal after birth:

Whether you gave birth naturally or by C-section, your pelvic floor muscles get weak. This weakness is more likely to increase with natural birth, leading to muscle tears.

The good news is these muscles heal fully because they respond well to Kegel exercises. So you can start Kegels before pregnancy and keep doing them during if you don't have uterine contractions while doing them. It's important to discuss your exercises with your doctor to avoid any injury.

4. Kegel exercises reduce pelvic organ prolapse (POP):

Pelvic organ prolapse happens when one or more pelvic organs push against the vaginal walls. This usually happens after straining or weakening of the pelvic floor muscles or ligaments, like what happens after pregnancy and birth.

Pushing for more than two and a half hours during labor, and tearing of the pelvic floor during birth, can all lead to prolapse.

Women who had a C-section can also be affected, especially if they pushed during labor before the C-section.

5. Kegel exercises help treat urine leakage:

Stress urinary incontinence is when urine leaks during tough moves like exercise, heavy lifting, coughing, sneezing, or laughing. Kegels are the best treatment for this.

The pelvic floor muscles support the bladder, uterus, and rectum. When these muscles aren't strong or coordinated, the bladder neck is less supported and closed. This can cause urine leakage.

6. Kegel exercises help strengthen your back and buttocks better:

The pelvic floor muscles are one of the most important muscles controlling your movement. They support the trunk and buttocks. These muscles work with the deep layers of abdominal muscles to support the spine and connect with the deep glute muscles for stability.

If pelvic floor muscles aren’t strong and well-coordinated, they can affect hip joints and lower spine. Studies show 38% of women with urinary leaks also have lower back pain. Kegel exercises treat both issues.

To get results from Kegel exercises, make them part of your daily routine. You’ll see results in a few weeks to a few months.