Have you noticed that when you sneeze, just a bit of urine comes out? This could be a sign that you have stress incontinence as a result of weak muscles in your pelvic area.
You’re not alone; over 15 million women in the United States deal with stress incontinence.
Being unable to control your bladder can have serious impacts on your social and emotional life. The fear of an accident can prevent you from living your life and can stop you from participating in activities you love. The worst part, it’s not rare to lose control of your bladder as you age.
A way to combat stress incontinence is kegel exercises! Kegels are usually one of the first approaches on a brief list of treatment options.
There’s more than simply fixing urinary issues as you age. Read on to get a good idea of how kegel exercises can benefit you.
What are Kegel Exercises?
A kegel is a simple exercise done by clenching your pelvic floor and releasing it. The pelvic floor is composed of muscles and tissue that keep your organs where they should be. Hormonal and physical fluctuations in females, especially during and after pregnancy, stretch out these muscles and weaken them.
Doing a kegel should feel similar to when you’re trying to stop peeing. It’ll feel like the vaginal muscles are tightening.
The neat part about adding this exercise to your routine? You can do it anywhere! The slight squeeze of your pelvic floor is pretty discreet.
Who Benefits?
Anyone can do kegel exercises, but there are a few specific groups of people that really benefit from them.
Both males and females use kegels to strengthen the pelvic floor, but it’s much more prevalent in females. Those who have had pregnancies, experience incontinence, or have had a significant change in weight are the folks who benefit most.
Holding It In
The bladder, uterus, and bowels are directly supported by the pelvic muscles and are especially vulnerable after the muscles weaken.
Kegel exercises are most often used to help those with urination problems. By strengthening the muscles, you increase your ability to withstand pressure on your bladder. The same goes for number two.
Preserve Pleasure
For females, kegels can help create a tighter feel during sex and other stimulation. Kegel exercises are a good approach before even thinking about vaginal rejuvenation. Plus, practicing holding those pelvic muscles can help you control and increase your pleasures as is.
The Secret to Down There Recovery
A woman experiences many physical and hormonal changes as she ages, goes through puberty, has children, and approaches menopause. At some point during these hormonal fluctuations, you may notice that your vagina has also gone through a lot of changes.
Whether you’ve always been self-conscious about the way you look and feel or you are newly concerned with your vagina, medical intervention may sometimes be the best solution. Talk to your doctor about the best options for vaginal restructuring or rejuvenation.
Labiaplasty specialist, Dr. Placik, recommends kegel exercises as a way to maintain pelvic floor muscles after surgery. Procedures involving vaginal rejuvenation may weaken these muscles, and exercising your pelvic muscles can help!
Add Kegels to Your Routine
There are many benefits to adding kegel exercises to your fitness routine. Kegels are especially useful to those who experience certain medical issues and can help prevent the weakening of the pelvic floor.
For more medical guides, tidbits, and advice, check out the rest of our blog. Remember, you can kegel while you read!