Many factors can weaken the pelvic muscles, including pregnancy, childbirth, surgery, aging, straining from constipation or chronic cough and being overweight.
Drip a few drops of urine when sneezing, laughing, or coughing (stress incontinence)
You have a sudden strong urge to urinate just before you lose a large amount of urine (urinary incontinence) Kegel exercises can also be done during pregnancy or after delivery to try to improve your symptoms. Kegel exercises are less helpful for women who have severe urine leaks when they sneeze, cough, or laugh. Also, Kegel exercises are not helpful for women who unexpectedly lose small amounts of urine due to a full bladder (overflow incontinence).
How to do Kegel exercises
To get started:
Find the right muscles. To identify your pelvic floor muscles, stop urinating midstream. Once you have identified your pelvic floor muscles, you can do the exercises in any position, although lying down may be easier at first.
Perfect your technique. To make Kegel, imagine you are sitting on a marble and squeeze your pelvic muscles as if you were lifting the marble. Try it for three seconds at a time, then relax as you count to three.
Keep your focus. For best results, focus on squeezing only the pelvic floor muscles. Be careful not to flex the muscles in your abdomen, thighs, or buttocks. Avoid holding your breath. Instead, breathe freely during the exercises.
Repeat three times a day. Aim for at least three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions per day.
When to make your Kegel
Make Kegel exercises part of your daily routine. You can do Kegel exercises discreetly at any time, whether you’re sitting at your desk or relaxing on the sofa.
When you have problems
If you’re having trouble doing Kegel exercises, don’t be shy about asking for help. Your doctor or other healthcare provider can give you important feedback to help you learn to isolate and exercise the correct muscles. In some cases, weighted vaginal cones or biofeedback may help. To use a vaginal cone, you insert it into your vagina and use contractions of the pelvic muscle to hold it in place during your daily activities. During a biofeedback session, your doctor or other healthcare provider inserts a pressure sensor into your vagina or rectum. As you relax and contract your pelvic floor muscles, a monitor will measure and display pelvic floor activity.
When to expect results
If you do Kegel exercises regularly, you can expect results, such as less frequent urine loss, in a few weeks to a few months. For continued benefits, make Kegel exercises a permanent part of your daily routine.
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