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Kegel exercises, invented by Dr. Arnold H. Kegel, can help women with stress incontinence caused by weakened pelvic floor muscles. To find the correct muscles, try stopping the flow of urine while urinating. Squeeze and hold the muscles for four seconds, then relax for four seconds. Do these exercises twice a day for best results. Start doing Kegel exercises before having any incontinence problems, especially during pregnancy.
Dr. Arnold H. Kegel is perhaps best known for his invention of exercises for the pelvic floor muscles, now called Kegel exercises. Many women use this simple exercise, especially to treat a type of urinary incontinence called stress incontinence. When women have had children, they tend to have a weakening of the muscles around the urethra, vagina, and rectum. This can cause urine to leak when you cough, sneeze, or even laugh. Kegel exercises can significantly reduce this loss in many women by restoring these muscles to a more toned state.
Kegel exercises are not like leg raises. You know you’re doing a leg raise correctly because your leg is in the air. With these exercises, you’re squeezing muscles you can’t see, so it can be hard at first to tell if you’re doing Kegels correctly. The easiest way to find the muscles you want to clench and loosen can occur while urinating.
When you are urinating, try to stop the flow of urine with your muscles. If you’ve stopped or reduced it, you’ve found the muscles you need to do Kegels. Do not practice stopping the flow of urine frequently, as this can cause bladder infections if you do not empty your bladder regularly. You’re not at much risk of getting an infection if you do this three or four times to make sure you have the correct muscles for Kegels.
Once you know which muscles to use, there is a specific method for performing these exercises. It is better if you are sitting or lying on your back. You’ll want to squeeze your muscles and hold that squeeze for about four seconds. Relax the muscle for four seconds and repeat. You should perform as many repetitions as possible in a five minute period, but some women may need to work up to five minutes.
Do these exercises twice a day for best results. Once you can easily do five minutes of them, and hold the muscle for at least four seconds, work on increasing your holding time from eight to ten seconds. Relax for as long as you squeeze.
Studies show that these exercises can significantly improve light incontinence in about eight to twelve weeks. If you are doing Kegels correctly and they are not working, you should talk to your gynecologist about other solutions. Also, if you’re not sure you’re doing it right, an annual exam or postpartum exam is a great place to check. Ask your doctor to show you how to do them or to check to make sure you are doing the exercises correctly.
Ideally, you should start doing Kegel exercises before you have any kind of incontinence problems. They are great to do during pregnancy and can help strengthen the muscles for pushing during labor. Starting them before you have problems can also help you get back into shape more easily after muscle weakness occurs during childbirth.
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