KEGEL EXERCISE:
A SIMPLE EXERCISE TO STOP INCONTINENCE
Many women suffer needlessly from incontinence as they get older.
Aging in general, as well as pregnancy, childbirth, and even menopause
took a toll on the pelvic muscle, leading to reduced a woman's ability
to keep from accidentally urinating (especially when sneezing, laughing,
exercising, or simply bending over).
If this is you, you are far from alone: nearly a quarter of women
between the ages of 30 and 60 years have mild form of incontinence
(also called stress urinary incontinence). But there is no need
to suffer needlessly, a simple (and discreet) exercise, called the
Kegel or pelvic muscle exercise, can help 9 out of 10 women control
or eliminate this problem.
How do I perform the Kegel exercise?
First, find the right muscles - you should isolate and
exercise the major muscles that stretch across the pelvic floor,
appropriately called the pelvic floor muscles or PC muscles (PC
stands for pubococcygeus, if you must know).
To do this, try to slow or stop the flow of urine when you're sitting
on the toilet, or identify the muscles that you would use to stop
passing gas. Repeat this action several times so you become familiar
with the feeling of contracting the right muscle group. Remember
not to contract your stomach, buttock, or thigh muscles.
There are two exercises you can do: first, tighten your pelvic floor
muscle and hold for a count of five. If at first, you may not be
able to hold it more than a second or two, don't worry. With practice,
you should be able to tighten the muscles for 10 seconds or more.
Remember to relax for 10 seconds or so before contracting your pelvic
floor muscles again.
The second type of exercise is to quickly contract the pelvic muscles
several times in succession.
Both of these exercise types can be done discreetly and practically
at any time while sitting down and even standing up. Practice these
exercises as often as you like, but remember not to over exert yourself!
Additional benefit
It seems that strong pelvic floor muscles, which circle
the vagina, also help women achieve orgasm more easily!
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