What Are Kegel Exercises and How Do You Perform Them?
Michael Guralnick, MD, FRCSC, Medical College of Wisconsin urologist, describes Kegel exercises and explains how to perform them to help strengthen the pelvic floor. Dr. Guralnick is part of the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Women's Incontinence and Sexual Health (WISH) Program.
Pelvic Floor Strength for Treating Incontinence
Kegel exercises, or exercises for the pelvic floor muscles, can definitely help overactive bladder issues and incontinence in general. The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that surround the pelvic structures: the vagina, the uterus, the rectum; and these are the muscles that God gave us to control our bladders. In many cases, overactive bladder patients have poor control of these muscles. The muscles are weak, and in some cases, they're actually sore and one of the goals of doing the Kegel exercises is to improve the strength and control of these muscles, and then you use these muscles to help control the bladder.
How To Do Kegel Exercises
The best way to do the exercises is when one is sitting or lying down and basically you concentrate on contracting the anus and you squeeze it tight as though one is trying to prevent the passage of gas or a bowel movement holding it tight for anywhere from five to ten seconds and then relaxing the muscle for an equal amount of time and perhaps do 10 repetitions three or four times a day.
