Kegel Exercise

We always advice that you incorporate exercise into your daily life. We recommend that you exercise at least three times for at least thirty minutes in a week. There are several forms of exercises for varied health outcomes. Kegel exercise is one of such special exercises. It was named after the US gynaecologist, A. H Kegel.

Kegel exercise is an active rehabilitation exercise that encompasses activities of repeatedly contracting and releasing the pubococcygeus muscles which make up the pelvic floor. It is one of the exercises for increasing muscle tone in the pelvic floor.

HOW TO DO KEGEL EXERCISE
1. The first step is identifying and focusing on the pelvic floor muscle. Try to stop your urine flow while urinating. That's the trick. Don't do this regularly as it may weaken your bladder muscles.

2. Get into a comfortable position either sitting or lying on the floor. It can be done while reading, driving or watching a television. Focus on the pelvic muscles while squeezing and releasing them not concentrating on any other area of your body.

3. There's a pull-in Kegel where you tense your buttocks and pull your legs up and in holding this position for about five seconds and releasing it. You can also hold your breath, squeeze your buttocks or thighs and pull your tummy in tightly and release.

4. There are complex Kegel exercises. One is where you imagine you are trying to hold back urine. You can also imagine that you are trying to stop yourself from passing wind. Lift and squeeze your anus and hold for a count of three. Combine these two movements at a time for about three seconds and release. You can repeat the activity for as long as bearable.

5. If you are not getting it right, see a doctor or physiotherapist.

BENEFITS / IMPORTANCE
1. It strengthens the pelvic floor and is especially useful for pregnant women preparing for latter stages of pregnancy and delivery.

2. Muscle strength from the exercise helps in prevention and subsequent management of utero-vaginal prolapse seen in multiple child birth, rectal prolapse and haemorrhoids.

3. It helps improve muscle tone and for managing stress urinary incontinence and faecal incontinence.

4. It is helpful in reducing pain and swelling in prostatitis and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

5. The most important benefit for men and women alike is sexual gratification. Kegel exercise help men achieve stronger and longer lasting erections, keep stronger hips and gain greater control over ejaculation aborting pre-mature ejaculations resulting in a more satisfying sexual life. Women on the other hand get 'narrower' and 'tighter' vagina for a more satisfying sex. Some call this 'revirginising'. Women who do Kegel exercises reach orgasm quite earlier with sustained heightened peaks of the orgasm.