Kegel exercise, also known as pelvic-floor exercise, involves repeatedly contracting and relaxing the muscles that form part of the pelvic floor, now sometimes colloquially referred to as the "Kegel muscles". This exercise is often recommended to help prevent or control urinary incontinence. Dr Arnold H. Kegel was a gynaecologist who invented these exercises during the 1940s as a method to put a stop to urinary leakage. He was also the inventor of the Kegel perineometer which measures the strength of the pelvic floor.
Kegel exercises are rather simple to do. All you have to do is contract and release the pelvic floor muscles and it can help strengthen your control over urinary and bowel function. Often the pelvic floor muscles can be weakened due to certain factors such as pregnancy, vaginal birth, obesity, chronic coughing and even old age. Because of this, it becomes difficult to control the bladder which can lead to urine leak.
One important thing to remember is that not all cases of urinary leaks arise from weak pelvic floor muscles, so while Kegel exercises may benefit some people, others should see a doctor to figure out what the exact problem is.
Kegel exercise for women - try to find the muscles by stopping the flow of your urine. Once you've found the muscles you just have to flex them. Now, make sure you do this exercise three times a day with at least 15 repetitions.
Kegel exercise for men - You'll need to start by identifying the muscles and to do that you can try to flex the muscles in your genital area without using your hands. Once identified you can perform the exercise anytime, anywhere. Make sure to do the exercise at least three times a day with 10-15repetitions.
Now, that you know what Kegel exercises are and how you can do them, the sooner you start the better it'll be for you. Do remember that you'll have to give it time to show results. And even after that if you feel that you're not getting the appropriate benefits then see a doctor as soon as you can to find what other underlying problems could be causing the incontinence. Stay tuned for more updates.
