THE WOMAN AND HER BODY; KEGEL EXERCISES

Everyone knows how important exercising is. Doctors, fitness gurus and anyone in the medical keeps talking about how necessary exercising is to a healthy life.

However, most people exercise so many body parts but seem to forget one. The pelvic region or floor, which holds your reproductive organs.

Ever heard of Kegels? Yes, it’s the exercise you do for your nether regions. But there’s more to it, let’s discuss.

The Kegel exercise is also known as the Pelvic Floor Muscle Training (PFMT) exercise is defined by Merriam Webster as the repetitive contraction of the pelvic muscles that control the flow in urination in order to strengthen these muscles and to control or prevent incontinence or enhance sexual responsiveness during intercourse.

So simply put this is the repetitive clenching and releasing of the Pelvic muscles.

PS. This exercise is for women and men. But it will be discussed in relation to women only.

Did You Know?

That this exercise is named after gynaecologist Dr Arnold H. Kegel who developed the exercise.

So What Does This Exercise Do?

The Kegel exercise or PFMT targets the Pelvic muscles that are located between the tailbone and pubic bone in the Pelvis. The Pelvic muscles support the bowel, bladder, uterus and vagina. These organs have a sphincter or muscular band around them.

Now when you contract the Pelvic muscles, these organs are lifted up and the muscular bands tightens the openings of the vagina, urethra and anus. When you relax the Pelvic muscles these organs are released.

Sometimes the Pelvic muscles are weak due to age, pregnancy, childbirth, Crohns disease, obesity and much more. This weakness leads to urine continence, anal continence and Pelvic Organs Prolapse (POP). Let us explain these terms;

Urine Continence and Anal Continence

Urine continence is the loss of bladder control, a person with this problem can pee when the person laughs, sneezes or coughs. There is no control over how and when the bladder can release pee. Anal continence is quite similar, you cannot control the release of gas or poo from the anus.

Pelvic Organs Prolapse

This is a situation where due to weakened Pelvic muscles, the pelvic organs start to droop and can fall or slide out of the vagina.

There are so many issues that can arise from weakened Pelvic muscles. But Kegel exercises or PFMT exercises can help remedy some of these problems. Kegel exercises can help strengthen weakened Pelvic floor muscles.

Thereby improving conditions like urine continence, anal incontinence and POP in pregnant and non pregnant women.

A research conducted in August 2019, had shown that studies carried out on both pregnant and non pregnant women who were doing kegel exercises, had yielded positive results. As there was improvement in the strength of the Pelvic muscles of some of the women involved in the study.

Every woman is different, so Kegel exercises will work faster and more effectively for some women than it will for others. Nonetheless, as long you do the exercises consistently and correctly there may be improvements.

Remember though, moderation is key. If you overdo Kegel exercises, your muscles will get so hard they will be unable to perform their function.

If after Kegel exercises you feel pain in your back and stomach area, you are most likely doing the exercise incorrectly.

So What Is The Correct Way To Perform Kegel Exercises?

To start, let’s identify exactly where the Pelvic muscles are. When urinating try holding back pee for a little while, when you succeed try doing it again but this time do it when you don’t have to pee. You might need to do this a couple of times, to get the hang of it, and that’s okay. You can also insert a clean finger in your vagina to feel when your Pelvic muscles tense up.

However, don’t make holding back your pee a common practice because that can lead to further problems.

If when contracting your newly discovered Pelvic muscles, you move your butt, thighs and stomach you are doing it wrong. Make sure you breathe perfectly fine and move nothing other than your Pelvic muscles while doing the exercise.

Since this is a repetitive exercise, it is best you contract your muscles and count from 1-10, then release and count again. You can do this 10 times with 3 to 4 sets daily.

Once you have mastered the Kegel exercise you can discreetly do them anywhere and anytime. If you do not fully understand how to do the exercise feel free to go to your doctor for assistance.

The Kegel exercise also has sexual benefits, let’s mention a few;

• Kegel exercises cause strong Pelvic muscles which heighten the female orgasm response.
• Kegel exercises relax the vagina making it more penetrable.
• Kegel exercises improve vaginal lubrication, by causing more blood to flow to the vagina.
• With more blood flowing into the vagina, sexual urge is increased and it is easier to achieve an orgasm.

Bottom-line is, ladies it is essential you do the Kegel exercise consistently. Stay pretty and confident.