- Kegel
exercises help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. - Kegel exercises can improve bladder control, help relieve pain, and allow you to have better sex.
- Both men and women can benefit from kegel exercises and should do them daily.
The Kegel exercise aims to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic area. Arnold Kegel, an American gynecologist, developed the concept in the 1950s to help patients who had urinary incontinence (UI), but the exercises have since been found to have a number of other benefits.
"Pelvic floor strengthening is important because these muscles play a role in incontinence, sexual function, and act as a hammock to hold up the pelvic organs," says Marianne Ryan, a Manhattan Physical Therapist specializing in pelvic floor physical therapy. The exercises can even "prevent urine and fecal leakage, pelvic pain, and painful sex."
Although the Kegel exercise is commonly considered mainly for women, men can also benefit. Insider spoke to Ryan and Mehran Movassaghi, a urologist and men's
The goal of Kegel exercises
Age, being overweight, surgery, and childbirth can be contributing factors to weak pelvic floor muscles. And when you have a weak pelvic floor it can lead to medical problems for both women and men like urine or fecal leakage, pain in your low back, pelvis, or genitals, and pain during intercourse. That's why kegel exercises are important.
In men, Kegel exercise can also provide better sexual functioning. "Kegels tighten the pelvic floor muscles; this, in turn, increases blood flow to the penis and the muscle which supports the penis and erections," says Movassaghi. Just as in women, Kegels help men to avoid urine leakage, and fecal incontinence.
In a small BJU International study of men aged 20 and older who suffered from erectile dysfunction, 40% regained normal sexual function by performing Kegels for six months, while 35.5% significantly improved their symptoms.
"Kegels have also shown to increase the intensity of ejaculation, decrease premature ejaculation and possibly increase the ability to point the penis straighter with erections," says Movassaghi.
For women, doing Kegels during pregnancy can help strengthen the pelvic floor in preparation for labor and help prevent the urine leakage that may occur in the third trimester. In a study reported in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 68.4% of the women with urinary incontinence saw significant improvement after eight weeks of Kegels.
Kegels can also help women have more pleasurable sexual experiences by improving blood circulation to the vagina and teaching women to have more control over their pelvic floor, which could reduce pain during sex.
How to find your pelvic floor
In order to begin Kegel exercises, you must first find your pelvic floor so that you know which muscles to exercise. For men and women, try identifying these muscles while urinating.
"The easiest way to find or feel the muscles contract is to stop and start the flow of urine when you sit on a toilet. This should not be repeated several times because it can lead to developing a bladder infection," says Ryan.
Another technique for women is to pretend to avoid passing gas in order to identify the muscles that are involved. You can also pretend that you are tightening your vagina around a tampon.
For men, if the urination technique does not work, insert a finger into your rectum and clench down until you feel muscles tighten and move up and down.
Once you've correctly found your pelvic floor muscles, doing Kegels on your own at home is an efficient way to improve pelvic floor strength.
Step-by-step guide to Kegel exercises
Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do Kegel exercises, for women and men.
For women
For women, Ryan recommends that her patients first try doing Kegels in the side-lying position:
1. Begin in a side-lying with your rib cage and pelvis aligned in a straight line.
2. Exhale gently and to contract your pelvic floor muscles by pretending to stop a few drops of urine. Hold for a count of 5 seconds.
3. Relax the muscles for a count of 5.
4. Repeat ten times.
5. Try different positions like sitting and standing, working your way to 10-second contractions.
6. Women can also use a finger to insert into their vagina to feel the muscles contract.
For men
For men, UCLA Health recommends the following steps:
1. Tighten your pelvic floor muscles as if you are stopping the flow of urine.
2. Keep contracted as you count for 5 seconds.
3. Release and relax your pelvic floor muscles.
4. Work your way up to repeating 10 to 20 times, up to 3 or 4 sessions per day.
Tips for better Kegel exercises
- Do not use the muscles of your bum, legs, or abdomen.
- Do not bear down. Instead, squeeze together and upwards.
- Be sure to relax the muscles in between sets fully.
Insider's takeaway
Over time with consistent practice, Kegels are very effective in preventing incontinence, improving sexual health, and decreasing pelvic pain. Both men and women should try to practice Kegel exercises daily for better health.