There’s a powerhouse that often goes unnoticed in our bodies, ignored even by workout enthusiasts. Lurking between your hips, it’s responsible for some incredible stuff like holding your internal organs up against gravity, aiding in bladder control, and augmenting sexual pleasure. It’s called your Pelvic Floor muscles. Want to reap all these benefits, including taking your sexual performance up a notch?
Then Kegel exercises are your secret weapon! The impressive part is – they’re not difficult yoga positions or heavy weightlifting tasks; they can be done anytime, anywhere. Let’s dive into how you can harness the power of Kegel exercises to bolster your stamina and intensify your climax.
Kegel exercises strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, improve blood flow to the genital area, better control over orgasms, and increase sensitivity during sex. Kegels may help with vaginal tightness and lubrication for women, while men may experience stronger erections and improved ejaculation control.
Additionally, strong pelvic floor muscles may lead to more intense orgasms for both men and women. However, it is important to note that individual results may vary, and consulting with a healthcare provider is recommended before beginning any exercise regimen.
Understanding Kegel Exercises
Kegel exercises are simple yet effective exercises targeting pelvic floor muscles. They are named after Dr. Arnold Kegel, who invented them in the 1940s to help women who experienced urinary incontinence after giving birth. Since then, these exercises have been recommended for both men and women to strengthen their pelvic floor muscles.
The pelvic floor muscles are a group of muscles that support the bladder and rectum, as well as several reproductive organs. They are critical in controlling urination, bowel movements, and sexual function. The exercises involve contracting and relaxing these muscles daily to improve their strength, flexibility, and endurance.
Imagine you must stop urinating midstream to identify the correct muscles for Kegel exercises. The muscles that you use to stop urinating are your pelvic floor muscles. Another way to identify these muscles is by imagining that you are trying to prevent yourself from passing gas.
Once you have identified the correct muscles, contract them for 3-5 seconds while inhaling, then relax them for 3-5 seconds while exhaling. Repeat this process for at least three sets of ten repetitions each day. You can do these exercises anywhere and at any time.
Pelvic floor physical therapists recommend doing Kegel exercises regularly to maintain proper pelvic health and avoid incontinence issues. Research has found that Kegel exercises can significantly improve urinary incontinence symptoms in both sexes.
Moreover, they may also help treat pelvic organ prolapse, which occurs when the pelvic floor muscles weaken or stretch excessively. These exercises can counteract such effects by strengthening weakened or stretched-out muscles.
Benefits of Kegel Exercises
Kegel exercise benefits go beyond just improving urinary control; it can also enhance sexual performance and improve pelvic area circulation. Here are some of the significant benefits of practicing these exercises regularly.
Some medical experts believe that Kegel exercises increase blood flow and oxygenation to the pelvic floor, which in turn improves sexual function in women. Regular Kegel exercises may increase arousal, lubrication, and sensation during sex. However, you should not expect immediate results; patience and diligence are key in Kegel exercises.
The benefits are not only restricted to women, but men will also benefit from practicing Kegel exercises regularly. Men often experience urinary incontinence after prostate surgery or due to an overactive bladder. Furthermore, athletes who engage in high-impact sports, such as weightlifting or running, commonly damage their pelvic floor muscles, leading to genital prolapse or urinary incontinence.
Research has shown that Kegel exercises can help improve urinary control for both sexes. Therefore incorporating these physical activities into your fitness routine may reduce those symptoms you might be experiencing.
The pelvic floor muscles can be likened to a trampoline – they are incredibly flexible and capable of taking a lot of force but need optimal strength to regain their shape after undergoing pressure. Over time, repeated stretching of these muscles leads to less tensile strength, urinary leakage, and other related issues. Regularly performing Kegel exercises ensures the pelvic floor muscles remain strong and elastic.
Kegel exercises are not hard; they require little cost or equipment but essential consistency and work. Incorporating these into your daily routine will ensure that you strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and maintain good overall health.
Regular Kegel exercises can benefit both men and women, including improving urinary control, enhancing sexual performance, and increasing circulation to the pelvic area. By strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, individuals can reduce symptoms related to urinary incontinence and maintain good overall health. Although results may take time and consistency is key, incorporating Kegel exercises into your daily routine is a simple, low-cost solution that can improve your quality of life.
Strengthened Pelvic Muscles
Kegel exercises are best known for their ability to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. Many factors can lead to weakened pelvic floor muscles, such as pregnancy, childbirth, surgery, aging, being overweight, and continuous straining due to constipation. Weak pelvic floor muscles can cause incontinence and other problems. Fortunately, kegel exercises can help restore these muscles’ strength and functionality.
A pelvic floor is a group of muscles that acts as a sling or hammock, supporting your bladder, uterus, and rectum. The powers that make up the pelvic floor are similar to those used when trying to stop the flow of urine or hold in gas. You can improve your overall health by isolating and strengthening these muscles with kegel exercises.
One woman shared that before starting kegel exercises, she experienced urine leaks every time she sneezed or laughed hard. After six weeks of consistent kegel exercises, she was amazed at the improvements she saw! No more leakages.
Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles through kegel exercises enhances core stability which could lead to decreased back pain and improved posture while sitting or standing.
Studies have also shown that regular kegel exercises increase pelvic muscle thickness and maximum pelvic contraction strength. Research has found the successful treatment of urinary incontinence through using kegel exercises alone.
Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles may also contribute to a faster postnatal recovery; meaning it helps reduce postpartum recovery times for new Moms!
While kegel exercises have numerous benefits for both men and women alike, there’s a lot of ambiguity surrounding how often one should perform them to get the desired results. Research shows inconsistencies regarding guidelines on repetition counts and workout intervals among medical practitioners.
But what’s certain is if you do kegels regularly, it improves your overall pelvic health, and you start to notice improvements in symptom control.
Now that we understand some benefits of kegel exercises let’s look at how they affect your sexual performance.
Enhanced Sexual Performance
People are always looking for ways to improve their sex lives, and kegel exercises might be the answer. Regular kegel exercises help tone and strengthen the muscles supporting your pelvic floor, increasing blood flow to the pelvic region. Here are some specific ways kegel exercises could enhance your sexual performance.
Many people complain of experiencing pain during penetration or awkwardness from being unable to find intimate muscle tone down there. Regularly doing Kegels can improve vaginal tensioning, lessening discomfort during penetrative sex.
Studies suggest that women with stronger pelvic floor muscles experience more frequent orgasms, are more aroused when sexually stimulated, and exhibit greater vaginal lubrication.
For men performing Kegel exercises helps correct erectile dysfunction due to increased blood flow to the pelvic region leading to improved functioning of penile muscles.
It’s essential to note that overdoing it with Kegels may also lead to reverse symptoms like frequent urination and discomfort while having intercourse, among others. That’s why experts encourage starting slowly, doing them in moderation before increasing repetitions progressively.
Think about it – just as a gym session facilitates physical strength and flexibility, regular Kegel exercises act as a “gym session” for your pelvic floor muscles leading over time towards sustaining orgasmic contractions & pleasure.
So, whether you want to improve bladder control or take your sex game up, Kegel exercises can benefit both men and women alike!
Increased urinary Control
Urinary incontinence is a common issue among both women and men. It can cause embarrassment, discomfort and lead to isolation. However, kegel exercises can help to increase urinary control and decrease the risk of incontinence.
Anecdotally, I have a friend who experienced urinary leakage after childbirth and was embarrassed to leave the house. She regained her stamina after consistently practicing kegel exercises and no longer needed to worry about accidents.
Studies have shown that kegel exercises are effective in managing urinary incontinence. One study found that kegel exercises significantly improved urinary incontinence symptoms in 70% of women. Another study found that daily kegel exercise helped improve urinary function in men with an enlarged prostate.
Think of your pelvic floor muscles as a trampoline that holds up your bladder. As we age or undergo significant physical changes such as childbirth, the trampoline may weaken and cause leakage. Kegel exercises act as repairs for the trampoline, allowing it to hold up the bladder without any issues.
Another anecdote from a male friend who has been practicing Kegels regularly is how much it’s helped him when he has a sudden urge to pee. Before he started doing them, he could barely make it to the bathroom on time – now he can hold it until he gets there!
Some may argue that relying entirely on kegel exercises for increased urinary control may be insufficient and that surgery may be necessary. While surgery may benefit some individuals with severe cases, kegel exercises should always be practiced before resorting to surgery. Surgery is invasive and carries more potential risks than doing kegel exercises.
Kegel exercises have been shown to provide long-term benefits without any risks or side effects. In fact, a review found that kegel exercises were as effective as surgery for stress incontinence.
Now that we have discussed how kegel exercises can help with increased urinary control, let’s discuss how they benefit men specifically.
Kegel Exercises for Men
While often associated with women, kegel exercises are just as beneficial for men. Men also have pelvic floor muscles that support the bladder and bowel and impact sexual function.
One male friend I know has recently had prostate surgery and was experiencing tremendous difficulty controlling his urine flow. After consulting with a pelvic floor physical therapist and practicing kegel exercises consistently, he regained his ability to control his bladder.
A study found that men who practiced kegel exercises before and after prostate surgery experienced significantly fewer urine leakage episodes compared to those who did not do kegel exercises.
Imagine your pelvic floor muscles like the brakes on a car – sometimes you need to apply them quickly and forcefully, while other times you need a lighter touch. When practicing kegel exercises, it’s important to focus on strengthening the muscles and releasing them when necessary.
Another male friend said he started doing kegel exercises to improve his erections. After consistent practice, he noticed a significant improvement in the quality and duration of his erections.
Some men may feel embarrassed or uncomfortable about doing kegel exercises because they associate them with women or may feel like they are not necessary. However, all men can benefit from practicing Kegels, especially those with medical conditions such as diabetes and an overactive bladder.
A study found that regular practice of kegel exercises improved erectile function in 40% of men with erectile dysfunction.
Procedures and Advantages
Kegel exercises are not just for women – men can also benefit from strengthening their pelvic floor muscles. Pelvic floor muscles support the bladder and colon, and affect sexual function for both genders. Many factors can weaken the pelvic floor muscles, including surgery and medical conditions such as an overactive bladder and diabetes. Fortunately, kegel exercises can help with urinary or fecal incontinence, dribbling after urination, and ED (erectile dysfunction).
To perform a kegel exercise, identify the correct muscles by stopping urination midstream or tightening the muscles that keep you from passing gas. Contract these muscles by pulling them up towards your belly button until you feel a contraction, and hold for three seconds. Then relax and repeat 10 times.
One advantage of Kegel exercises is that they require no equipment or special clothing. You can do your workouts at any time during the day or night. A typical beginner’s program often involves contracting your pelvic floor muscle groups for about 5-10 seconds at a time. After relaxing them for a few seconds, you should repeat this process ten times – with every repetition consisting of three sets of ten repetitions – daily.
Another advantage of kegel exercises is preventing premature ejaculation (PE). PE is more common than people realize; it affects approximately one out of three men globally.
For instance, 51-year-old Tom discovered after reading posts on online forums that weak pelvic floor muscles could have been contributing to his chronic premature ejaculation issues that he’d suffered since his 20s. He stopped doing Kegel exercises when he was younger because he didn’t see any immediate benefits or improvements in his sexual performance. Still, now that he’s started incorporating these exercises into his weekly regimen again, he’s finally seeing the results he’d always hoped for in regards to his ejaculation control, and he’s immensely grateful.
And if you’re like Tom or the many other men who suffer from PE or incontinence issues, practicing Kegels could solve your problems. Kegel exercises can help strengthen the muscles that control urine and semen flow, allowing you greater control over these functions.
While some believe that kegel exercises may enhance sexual performance by increasing blood flow to the penis, research has not been conclusive on their sexual improvement claims. Still, stronger pelvic floor muscles are essential to overall male health and bodily function. Also, incorporating kegel exercises into your routine cannot harm anyone but only potentially benefit everyone, except for some rare situations where patients have urinary retention problems.
Common Mistakes and Precautions in Kegel Exercises
While kegel exercises are relatively straightforward, some mistakes may reduce efficiency or cause unintended consequences. One common mistake is contracting muscles other than the pelvic floor muscle group. Straining or contracting the gluteal muscles or inner thighs can worsen prolapse or stress incontinence in women and weaken the pelvic floor muscles in men.
To avoid such mistakes, always identify your pelvic floor muscles before beginning the exercise. It’s also advisable to avoid holding your breath while performing kegel exercises as it can increase strain in your pelvic region.
Another common mistake is neglecting to strengthen weaker muscle groups. Often, people naturally contract more robust muscle groups when attempting kegels instead of focusing on supporting weaker muscle groups.
It’s also important to seek feedback from a healthcare provider if you first struggle to locate your pelvic floor muscle group. A physical therapist trained in pelvic floor therapy can help teach you how to do kegel exercises correctly and more effectively.
Finally, people with medical conditions that affect bladder or bowel function must consult a healthcare professional before incorporating kegel exercises into their routine to avoid potentially worsening their symptoms.
In some ways, performing kegel exercises improperly is like a gardener uprooting the wrong plant. While it may seem constructive initially, it creates an unsightly void in your garden that can ultimately be detrimental. It’s always better to seek guidance and ensure that you are strengthening the right muscle group for maximum benefit.
