Kegels: A Different Muscle Group to Target

“Am I doing it?” said the blonde girl casually sitting in the HUB-Robeson Center. “I don’t know,” her friend replied. “You just feel it, it’s not like I’m going to check for you or anything.”

As the two continued on, it became evident that the conversation revolved around Kegels – an easy clench-and-release exercise that strengthens pelvic floor muscles, the same muscles that are responsible for contractions during climax. These muscles work to hold up your bladder, which, in turn, can prevent leakage, strengthen bladder control and enhance sex by boosting arousal.

Before you start practicing Kegels, you must know how to locate the correct muscles. The next time you urinate, attempt to stop midstream without contracting your butt or abs. Hold for a few moments, and then continue the flow. The start and stop muscles at work are the muscles you want to target.

Once you’ve located these muscles, practice tightening and releasing. As you become more familiar with the exercise, work up to a 10 second hold before letting go. It is recommended that you should do 10 to 20 Kegels, three times a day to see improvements. Be patient though, as it takes about a few months to see results.

The best part?  You can do it anytime, anywhere – in an elevator, during class, in the HUB-Robeson Center – and no one will have any idea, unless you just so happen to be talking about it.

Perhaps discreetly squeezing your muscles is not for you right now, but there may be a point in the future when you’ll want to give it a shot. It has been shown that pelvic floor muscles can weaken over time through pregnancy, childbirth, surgery, aging and being overweight.

So the next time you encounter a powerful sneeze, an unexpected fit of laughter or an exciting leap from a trampoline that leaves you with a slight leakage problem, think Kegels. You may find it changes your life.

Photo credit: prevention.com