5 Best Kegel Exercises for Women

Kegel exercises are specific exercises that target the muscles of your pelvic floor. A weak pelvic floor can cause issues like urinary and bowel incontinence (leaking of urine or faecal matter while laughing, coughing or sneezing). Performing kegel exercises can help avert or reduce this issue.

Kegel exercises are fairly easy to incorporate into your routine. You can do them anytime and anywhere, from the privacy of your home to when you are waiting in a queue.

Functions of your Pelvic Floor Muscles

Kegel exercises can be performed anytime, anywhere (Image via Unsplash @bruce mars)

The pelvic floor supports the excretory as well as reproductive organs like the urinary bladder, urethra, rectum, anus, prostate, uterus, cervix, vagina and intestines.

Pelvic floor muscles play an important role in holding your urine and stool, allowing you to excrete when you want to. They also stabilise your hips and trunk, especially while standing and walking. These muscles also play a role in sexual health, including arousal and orgasms.

Why Include Kegel Exercises?

Factors like pregnancy, child birth, ageing and weight gain can weaken the pelvic floor muscles in women.

These muscles support the womb, bladder and bowels. Weakening of the muscles can cause these pelvic organs to lower into a woman's vagina, ultimately leading to urinary incontinence.

Men might also endure weakening of their pelvic floor muscles as they age. That can cause urinary and faecal incontinence, especially if the person has undergone a prostrate surgery.

Kegel Exercises: For Hypotonic and Hypertonic Muscles

Pelvic floor muscles can be either hypotonic or hypertonic. Hypotonic muscles are too lax or weak, and hypertonic muscles are too tight or overactive. Kegel exercises are different for both these muscle issues.

Kegel Exercises for Hypotonic Muscles

1) Quick Flick Kegels

Quick flick kegels will activate the muscles of your pelvic floor, making them stronger and faster. Here's how you can perform this exercise:

Start by lying down on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Once the exercise becomes easier, try performing it while sitting or standing.
You need to find your pelvic floor muscles (if you do not know how, check out at the end of the article).
Release your breath, and pull your navel to your spine. Quickly contract, and release your pelvic floor muscles. You should contract for at least one second before releasing.
Keep breathing steadily throughout.
Repeat the exercise ten times, and rest for ten seconds. Perform 2–3 sets.

2) Heel Slides

Heel slides stimulate pelvic floor contractions and also target your deep abdominal muscles. Here's how they're done:

Begin by lying down on the floor, keeping your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Keep your pelvis neutral.
Draw breath into your rib cage, and release it through the mouth, letting your ribs compress naturally.
Contract your pelvic floor; pull it up, and lock in your core. Slowly, proceed to slide your right heel away from you. Go as far as you can while engaging your deep core.
Once you have found the bottom position, breathe in, and bring your leg back to the starting position.
Repeat ten times. Perform it with the opposite leg.

3) Marches

They increase core stability and stimulate pelvic floor contractions. They're done as follows:

Start by lying down on the floor. Your knees should be bent and your feet flat. Keep your pelvis neutral.
Draw breath into your rib cage, and release it through the mouth, letting your ribs compress naturally.
Contract your pelvic floor; pull it up, and lock in your core.
Slowly lift your right leg up to a table-top position. Lower it back to the floor.
Repeat the movement with your left leg, and continue alternating. Keep your deep core engaged throughout the entire exercise.
Repeat 12-20 times.

Kegel Exercises for Hypertonic Muscles

1) Happy Baby Pose

It is done as follows:

Start by lying down on the floor. Your knees should be bent and your feet flat.
Pull your knees towards your belly at a 90-degree angle, and keep the soles of your feet facing upwards.
Grab the thumbs or toes of your feet.
Open your hips till your knees are slightly outside your torso. Bring your feet up towards your arm pits. Keep your ankles over your knees.
Flex your heels, and push your feet into your hands. Hold this position for several breaths, or gently rock from side to side.

2) Diaphragmatic breathing

Perform this exercise as follows:

You can perform this exercise in a lying down or seated position.
Try to relax consciously, and release the tension in your body.
Your left hand should be on your stomach and your right hand on your chest.
Breathe in through your nose to expand your stomach, taking care that your chest is relatively still. Keep breathing in for 2–3 seconds, and exhale slowly.
Repeat while keeping one hand on the chest and one on the stomach.

Finding your Pelvic Floor Muscles

You can locate and understand your pelvic floor muscles by trying to stop your urine mid-flow. The muscles you use for this purpose are pelvic floor muscles. The objective can also be achieved by trying to stop the passage of gas. The muscles used are the pelvic floor muscles.

Takeaway

Adding Kegel exercises to your routine is an excellent way to work out and strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. However, if the incontinence persists or interferes with daily activities, you should consider consulting a doctor.

Edited by Bhargav