Kegel exercises are unheard of by many women and yet they may benefit women’s health in a variety of ways. What are they? Kegel exercises are designed to strengthen all the muscles that support your urethra, bladder, uterus and rectum.

In the 1940′s, Dr. Arnold Kegel, a gynecologist, recommended these exercises for his patients to avoid stress incontinence after childbirth. Thus, the name, Kegel exercises persists today.

It is not just after childbirth, but lifelong, that women often have problems with stress incontinence.

There are other reasons for doing Kegel exercises as they increase circulation to your vaginal and rectal areas. For women who are pregnant, Kegel exercises can speed healing from an episiotomy done during childbirth. Also, Kegel exercises can reduce the chance of developing hemorrhoids from childbirth.

A Kegel exercise consists of a squeezing and lifting action of your vaginal wall muscles. While doing a Kegel exercise, do not tighten your tummy, buttocks or leg muscles. Hold the Kegel exercise for about 10 seconds then relax for a few seconds.

Kegel exercises should be done in sets of ten, three or four times during the day. When you first start, just do a few at a time, several times a day, then work your way up to sets of ten.

Kegel exercises will assist a pregnant woman to have an easier delivery as the pelvic floor muscles will be more toned. The likelihood of tearing during delivery will be reduced.

While sitting on the toilet, try to stop the flow of your urine in midstream. This is a variation of the Kegel exercise that is very powerful, and can really be a convenient way to do the exercise, completely privately. If you can do this, these muscles are in good condition. If not, try doing Kegel exercises, and you will see a difference.

Here’s another way to think of and visualize the Kegel exercise, envision it as “winking” your vagina, if you will”winking” your vagina. Positioning in various ways while doing Kegel exercises can further tone your pelvic floor. Try doing Kegel exercises while lying down, sitting up, squatting and on all fours.

Kegel exercises can help women at other times in life than just while they are pregnant. They can make sex with your partner more enjoyable at any time, not just during the postpartum phase.

Kegel exercises can help women of all ages reduce the risk of prolapsed uterus, stress incontinence, overactive bladder and unsatisfactory orgasm. If you perform these simple, discreet exercises, you, like other women who do kegel exercises regularly, may come to report better and stronger orgasms as well and be one of the “lucky ones” who can more easily achieve orgasm, a somewhat elusive creature for some women.

Later in life, after menopause, Kegel exercises done as a routine from midlife on, can increase vaginal wall thickness and lubrication. Think the urinary benefit is good enough alone to start Kegels? Well, Kegels also are known to help prevent rectal incontinence, which can be an even worse and more embarrassing problem than urinary incontinence.

It will usually take about 3 or 4 weeks to see an improvement in stress incontinence from a routine of Kegel exercises.

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