You may have heard a lot about Kegel exercises recently. It’s the new rage amongst fitness enthusiasts, and for good reason too, because it helps strengthen a pretty important muscle in your body. If you are wondering what it is, then the answer is the pelvic floor.
The pelvic floor forms the muscular base of your abdomen that is attached to your pelvis. You see, Kegel exercises ensure that your pelvic floor performs all of its functions extremely efficiently, thus protecting you from a pelvic organ prolapse.
How Effective Is Kegel Exercise In Both Men & Women?
Kegel exercises are generally popular amongst pregnant women, who are more prone to weak pelvic muscles due to pregnancy, childbirth, or even aging. However, it is also quite important for men, who may face disastrous side effects if they have a weak pelvic floor.
So, if you are new to this arena, and are wondering how to get started, then you have found your guide.
🔺Finding your pelvic floor muscles:
Finding your pelvic floor muscles in order to figure out if you are performing the exercises the right way, can be tricky. However, with a few easy steps, it might be achieved. For women, one of the ways could include placing a sanitized finger within your vagina and then strengthening your vaginal muscles right around your finger.
Men too can follow suit by placing your finger inside your rectum and then ensuring that you keep your thighs, abdomen, and buttocks in a relaxed position. If these don’t work, then the biofeedback technique can be used, which would involve setting up an appointment with your doctor, who will then aid you in finding these muscles.
🔺Performing the Kegel exercises correctly:
Kegel exercises are easy if you approach them with a step-by-step method. So, the first thing you will have to do is lift and hold your pelvic muscles, and then slowly relax the area. As you begin to perfect this, try to increase the duration of holding these muscles in.
Finally, increase the number of exercises as well as the duration throughout which they are performed. As you begin to master this, try and perform these exercises twice or thrice a day. A few other Kegel exercises that have proved to be extremely effective, especially among women, are:
- Squats – This is where you pretend as if you are sitting on a chair. Make sure you push your hips and buttock back, and bend down your knees. Then you change your position to an upright one. Keep repeating this at least 15 times, and increase the frequency as you go.
- Split Tabletop – In this exercise, you lie down on your back and bend your knees so that your thighs are in a direction perpendicular to the floor. Make sure your shin is parallel to the floor, and gradually begin to split your legs onto either side and then bring them back again.
- Bridge – You will need to lie down for this one too. Touch your entire feet to the ground and slowly begin to raise up your abs and thighs, all while keeping your chest region on the floor. Keep repeating this multiple times.
- Bird Dog – For this exercise, you will have to place your hands and knees on the ground. Touch only the tips of the toes on one leg on the floor and push the other leg in a backward direction, while raising the alternate hand forward with your fist closed. Keep doing this many times and feel the heat on your pelvic floor.
🔺Kegel exercise goals for a beginner:
As a beginner, you are going to want to make sure that you always perform these exercises with an empty bladder. Find a silent place to practice these exercises, but soon you will find that you can perform them pretty much anywhere. Keep working on holding and relaxing your pelvic muscles and try to do at least 10 repetitions. Over a period of time, make it a goal to perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions each.
Kegel exercises have many benefits such as relaxing your vaginal muscles, improving the circulation of blood to your pelvic floor, and even enabling you to reach orgasm very easily. While it may be difficult to see the results of these exercises immediately, it is sure to bear fruit over a longer time period. So, make sure you perform these exercises regularly, and correctly. Consult a specialist if you feel like you need help and stay patient until you fully see the results of your hard work.
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