What Exactly Are Kegel Exercises and Why Do They Matter?

You’ve probably heard the word Kegels or Kegel exercises from your social media feed. There is a trend going on where suddenly you see majority of the health experts talking about Kegels. The reason being, talking about this topic is very crucial for your health.

No, they are not some exotic yoga pose, rather it’s a natural muscle contraction exercise that is designed to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. This is a group of muscles that sits at the base of your pelvis. For men it supports bladder control. And in women the uterus.

So, what exactly are Kegel Exercises?

Think of this — you are in the middle of peeing and you try to stop it midway. Now, the muscles you use for this was done by contracting your pelvic floor muscles.

Indeed, Kegel is all about contracting and releasing the pelvic muscle intentionally. Yeah, it may sound absurd, but this simple exercise or movement requires no fancy equipment or gym membership. Yet, this tiny movement has big benefits.

What do Kegel exercises do?

According to a research published in National Library of Medicine it states that – Kegel exercises help to improve strength in pelvic floor muscles in older men and women. This exercise also enhances bladder control that weakens with age.

The most common reason this movement is known for is – It improves sexual health in both men and women.

Women often hear about Kegels from their doctors during their pregnancy or postpartum recovery phase, because the pelvic floor muscles undergo significant strain during childbirth period and need to be re-strengthened.

For men, it aids to improve urinary control and prostate health.

How do you actually do them?

Now that you have known the benefits of doing Kegel exercise for both men and women. The real question is – How do you do Kegel exercises correctly? Let’s understand it in simple steps:

• Step One: Identify the right muscles. — Next time, you are in your bathroom in private. Notice or feel the muscle that you are using to stop urination midstream. You won’t get it in the first time. But practicing more will make you understand where is the target muscle.
• Step Two: To actually do a Kegel, contract the muscle, and hold it for about 5 seconds, and then release. Aim for 10-15 repetitions, two or three times a day.

How do I know if I am doing Kegels correctly?

Don’t worry you if can’t get it in the first time. Practicing and understanding the muscle location, eventually will help you to do it correctly.

Few things that most people do wrong while doing Kegels for first time are – they tighten their abs, glutes or thighs muscles. If you still struggle to feel the working of pelvic floor muscle, doing movement like glute bridge may help you become more aware of the target muscle – but they are not a replacement for Kegels.

Final Thoughts

Kegel exercises are a very simple and important exercises for both men and women. Especially for older seniors. Practicing Kegels consistently for up to 2 to 3 weeks can bring a lot of health benefit and improve the quality of life as well.

And you know what, you can even do them right now while reading this article. No one will know.