Why women need Kegel exercises
To train the pelvic floor muscles, which perform several functions:
- They hold the internal organs in their proper places: the bladder, uterus, rectum and small intestine, preventing their prolapse.
- Provide vaginal tone. That is, they make it narrower and more elastic. And the narrower the vagina, the greater the sensitivity during sex and the brighter the orgasms.
- Protects against accidental stress incontinence (for example, while sneezing, lifting heavy objects, or running).
Without regular exercise, Kegel muscles weaken with age and can no longer effectively perform their functions. The result is a rapid decline in quality of life.
If, let’s say, you can still come to terms with occasional urinary incontinence by using pads, then the prolapse of internal organs is fraught with serious health problems. And a vagina that has lost its elasticity spoils the whole thrill of intimate life.
There is only one way out - to exercise.
What are Kegel exercises
There are more than 600 muscles in the human body, but we do not use all of them in everyday life. Some are undeveloped even among athletes who, by definition, work hard and purposefully on themselves. In particular, the pelvic floor muscles that support the bladder, uterus, urethra and rectum often remain overlooked. At first, this does not affect our well-being in any way, but with age, when muscle tone noticeably decreases, internal organs may sag and their blood circulation may be disrupted, which leads to the appearance of various diseases. In addition, without special exercises, the walls of the vagina lose their elasticity, turning the intimate life of both the woman and her partner into a rather dull experience.
The complex, compiled by gynecologist Kegel on the basis of ancient practices and his own knowledge of female anatomy, is aimed at developing muscle groups that are inaccessible to traditional exercise, and is recommended both for preventing the development of diseases associated with the reproductive and genitourinary systems, and for treating existing ailments, and also to achieve stronger sensations during sexual intercourse. In certain cases, regular “intimate exercise” can replace vaginoplasty (reduction of the size of the vagina through surgery) or TVT surgery, which is one of the methods of treating incontinence. Even men use Kegel exercises to improve their prostate health and restore sexual function!
Kegel exercises allow you to tighten muscles that are not subject to regular exercise.
At the same time, Dr. Kegel’s technique should not be taken lightly. Despite all the health benefits, it has its contraindications and side effects. But more on that below.
How to do the classic Kegel exercise for women
Gynecologist Arthur Kegel, who gave the world knowledge about such important muscles, proposed the simplest possible scheme for training them.
Squeeze your muscles for 5-7 seconds. Unclench. Repeat 10–12 times.
The beauty of the classic Kegel exercise is that you can perform it unnoticed and in almost any conditions: even standing on the bus, even sitting in an office chair, even lying on the couch in front of your favorite TV series.
However, over the 70-odd years that have passed since the creation of the classic exercise, more advanced options have appeared. They tighten muscles faster and more efficiently.
Complex for beginners
- Gradual compression. Tighten the muscles responsible for holding back urination, count to three, relax. After three seconds, tense up again. Continue alternating as long as you have the strength. Over time, increase the tension time to 20 seconds.
- Abbreviations. Everything is simple here: alternately and as quickly as possible, squeeze and relax the muscles of the intimate area.
- Pushing out. The movements are similar to pushing during defecation or childbirth. Perform them with moderate strength so as not to overdo it.
Before you have gained enough experience, you should repeat each exercise every day for 3–5 approaches, 10 times each. Make sure your abs don't tense up and your breathing doesn't get out of whack.
In order to feel the required perineal muscles and note progress in their development, before starting classes, a woman can lubricate 1-2 fingers with Vaseline or lubricant and insert them into the vagina. And to increase the load, you can use a jade egg or other auxiliary object, holding it inside the vagina.
The effectiveness of Kegel exercises has been proven by practicing gynecologists and urologists, who deal with problems of the genitourinary system of patients first-hand.
How to Do Advanced Kegel Exercises for Women
All seven exercises will take no more than 10 minutes. But to achieve the effect, it is enough to choose any three and do them at least once a day.
Most often, the starting position is any comfortable: sitting, standing or lying down. It is important that you feel as comfortable and relaxed as possible.
Quick cuts
Perform the classic Kegel exercise 10 times, with one caveat: you need to contract and relax the muscles as quickly as you can. Give yourself a rest for 7-10 seconds and repeat the high-intensity workout.
What's the point. Training, the goal of which is to do the maximum number of movements in the minimum time, helps increase muscle endurance.
Inhale-exhale
Take a deep breath, gradually squeezing your Kegel muscles as hard as you can. When you realize that you no longer have the strength to take in air or squeeze your muscles, hold the position for 3-5 seconds. Then slowly and smoothly relax while exhaling deeply. Repeat 4-5 times.
The main thing is to concentrate on the pelvic floor muscles during long inhalations and exhalations.
What's the point. Feel the muscles. This will force the Mind-muscle connection training principle: influence of muscle strength and training experience during a pushing movement. them to work more actively and will make the training more effective.
Pushing
Repeat the exercise from the previous paragraph with one amendment: exhale not slowly, but sharply. And at the same time, just as sharply relax the Kegel muscles, as if using them to push air out of the vagina. Repeat 4-5 times.
What's the point . Inhalation and exhalation help you concentrate on a variety of muscle loads.
Hold
Squeeze your Kegel muscles as hard as you can and hold for 10 seconds. Do 5-7 repetitions, each time increasing the time of muscle tension by 1-2 seconds.
What's the point . Under static load. A classic example of static exercises for the whole body is the famous plank. Statics has the same effect on the pelvic floor muscles: it makes them more responsive and elastic, improves metabolism, and increases strength.
Elevator
Imagine that you are going up an elevator. Tighten your pelvic floor muscles harder as the “elevator” reaches a new floor. Having “climbed” 10–15 floors (as far as your strength allows), begin to “descend”, also gradually and consistently relaxing your muscles. Do 3-4 full ascents and descents.
What's the point. Prolonged graded tension is also a kind of static load with all the ensuing consequences for muscle strength.
Gluteal bridge
Lie on your back, bend your knees. Without lifting your feet and shoulders from the floor, lift your pelvis as high as possible. There is no need to squeeze the Kegel muscles. Hold for 5-10 seconds. Get down. Do 15–20 reps.
What's the point. During this exercise, a lot of blood flows to the pelvis. This nourishes the pelvic floor muscles and female genital organs, which can ultimately give you a magical feeling during sex. In addition, the bridge perfectly strengthens the buttocks.
Dancing for your hips
Feet are shoulder-width apart, palms are on hips. Move your hips from side to side, bending your knees slightly. At the far left or right point, squeeze your Kegel muscles as hard as you can. And relax them when your hips begin to move in the opposite direction. Do 20-30 dance moves.
What's the point. This exercise improves blood circulation in the pelvic muscles and genitals. And it strengthens the buttocks and lower abdomen, making it flatter.
Kegel exercises for prostate adenoma - for men
Gymnastics are successfully used in the complex treatment of prostate adenoma, to get rid of prostatitis, hemorrhoids, and erection problems.
- Alternately squeeze and relax your buttocks at a fast pace; when squeezing, you need to tense the muscles in the anus and pelvic floor as much as possible; the greatest effect is achieved if you perform it while squatting, but you can start standing or sitting on a chair.
- The same actions, but when squeezing, a delay is made for 10 seconds, then relaxation for 4 seconds.
- Lie on your back, legs bent at the knees, feet together; alternately spread your knees apart and bring them together; During mixing, tense the muscles of the pelvis and buttocks.
You can start with 10 repetitions of each group of movements, 4 sets per day.
How to do Kegel exercises with exercise machines
Exercise machines designed specifically for the pelvic floor muscles will increase the effect of the exercises.
Vaginal balls
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Your job is to prevent the balls from falling out of your vagina during exercise. This creates additional stress on the muscles and makes the workout more effective.
Both regular vaginal balls and balls with programmable vibration, which makes the muscles work even more intensely, are popular.
What to buy:
- Balloons NS Novelties Inya, 2,200 rubles →
- Silicone balls with a shifted center of gravity Silicone Ben Wa Balls, 1,908 rubles →
- Metal balls of different sizes California Exotic Novelties Graduated Orgasm Balls, 1,690 rubles →
- Small balls with a shifted center of gravity Love Balls, 477 rubles →
- Balls with vibration and control panel Jelly Pink, 1,368 rubles →
Smart Kegel trainers
These devices, which look like small silicone vibrators, will make your muscles work harder. Many models of smart trainers are synchronized with mobile applications for Android or iOS. The application allows you to program the frequency and frequency of vibrations.
What to buy:
- Smart vibrator Adrien Lastic Mini Romeo 2 with remote control, 9,500 rubles →
- We-Vibe Sync smart trainer with the ability to remotely control from a smartphone, 14,900 rubles →
Vibrators for electrical stimulation
In addition to vibration, such a device is equipped with a mode for generating weak pulse currents. They cause additional contraction of the pelvic floor muscles during exercise.
What to buy:
- Intelligent pelvic muscle trainer Mystim Electric Eric, 9,504 rubles →
- Double-sided vibrator with electrical stimulation Nalone Electro, 8,316 rubles →
Exercise technique
You need to do gymnastics at home at least 3 times a day. For beginners, it is better to perform the exercises in the starting position, then they can be performed under any conditions, but as often as possible.
Starting position: lying on your back on the floor or any other hard surface with your knees bent or on your stomach, with one leg bent to the side and bent at the knee joint.
3.1. Exercise No. 1
The first goal for beginners is to contract your pelvic floor muscles and hold them there for 5 seconds. Then you need to relax them for 5 seconds. On the first day, it is important to learn how to do 5 repetitions.
After achieving this result, the duration of contractions increases to 10 seconds, the rest between two subsequent compressions is 10 seconds.
You need to ensure that the muscles of the abdomen, thighs and buttocks are relaxed. You cannot hold your breath; it is important to breathe freely during the exercise.
This complex should be repeated 3 times a day for 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
3.2. Exercise No. 2
To intensify your workouts, you can alternate between the two types of exercises.
- 1The first type is fast short contractions on exhalation (2-3 seconds) followed by relaxation on inhalation. It is important to breathe properly during exercise.
- 2The second type of exercise is slow tension of the pelvic floor muscles, holding the contraction for several seconds with gradual slow relaxation.
At first it is difficult to hold compressions for more than 1-2 seconds. Therefore, it is important to learn to hold it for 10 seconds and then rest for 10 seconds to avoid overworking your muscles.
Improved well-being and the effect are felt after 3-6 months of regular exercise.
To increase the force of contraction, you can additionally use vaginal balls or simulators inserted into the vagina.
Artificial resistance will give greater tone and effect. The need to use additional items must be agreed with your doctor.
When not to do Kegel exercises
Do not exercise or stop training if you:
- Do you want to go to the toilet? Before starting exercise, you must empty your bladder and bowels.
- You are experiencing discomfort or pain. This may be due to the fact that you are doing the exercises incorrectly Kegel exercises: A how-to guide for women, and in this case you should not expect any benefit. Consult your gynecologist about this.
- You do not notice improvements with Kegel Exercises 3-4 months after starting regular exercise. This point is also worth discussing with your doctor.
If you are pregnant, have recently had a miscarriage, premature birth, surgery, or have been diagnosed with tumors, consult with your gynecologist before starting exercise just in case.
How to do Kegel exercises
- Learn to feel the work of the desired muscle group. This will be easier to do while urinating. Try stopping the flow of urine until your bladder is completely empty. Those muscles whose tension you feel when you stop will be your goal. Remember this feeling. Then relax and continue urinating. For better memorization, you can repeat these steps several times. Then try to tense the same muscles outside of the process of urination.
- Gradually squeeze the muscles that were involved in stopping the flow of urine, slowly counting to 5. Then just as slowly relax the muscles, counting to 5. When you can easily perform this exercise, try to complicate it a little: make sure that the wave of tension goes upward along the urethra. canal or along the vagina, and try to direct the wave of relaxation from top to bottom. This is a variation of Kegel exercises called the “Elevator.”
- Remember about regularity. Perform 10 repetitions of each exercise and try to repeat the complex 2-3 times a day.
- Focus on one muscle group only. While squeezing your pelvic muscles, try not to tense the muscles in your stomach, legs, or buttocks, and don't hold your breath.
- The exercises can be performed sitting, lying down or standing. Therefore, it is easy to use any free moment to benefit your health.
