Kegels, named after American gynecologist Arnold Kegel, are contraction and relaxation exercises that may help strengthen pelvic muscles. They can be done in quick pulses, or you can hold the contraction for a while before releasing it.
Doing Kegel exercises for women can help keep your vagina and bladder in top shape while increasing sexual pleasure as you age. The best part - these exercises can be done anywhere and anytime. New to Kegels and wondering if they are worth the effort? Here, we’ve listed a few benefits of adding Kegel exercises to your routine.
The 5 Significant Benefits of Kegel Exercises
While most people think that doing Kegels only helps vaginal tightening, that’s not entirely true. They charge up the complete pelvic floor muscles, thus increasing the intensity of orgasms and improving your sexual life.
This guide outlines some significant advantages of Kegel exercises for women. Scroll the page and get ready to take notes.
1. Enhances Sexual Pleasure
Kegel exercises help strengthen pelvic floor muscles, which in turn improves the intensity of orgasm. They are responsible for the pleasurable contractions felt in the genitals when an orgasm occurs, thus making physical intimacy great for you and your partner.
In addition, pelvic floor exercises increase blood flow to the pelvic region, further enhancing sexual arousal and lubrication. A strong pelvic floor lets women grip their partners more tightly during penetration, making the sexual encounter pleasurable.
Kegels may help add flexibility to pelvic floor muscles, which allows comfortable penetration, making the experience better and enjoyable.
2. Increases Bladder Control
Pelvic floor muscles support the bladder, uterus, and rectum while controlling urine and bowel movements. Hence, when these muscles aren’t strong and coordinated, the bladder has less support and closure around the sphincter, thus resulting in incontinence or bladder leakage. This condition mainly occurs with strenuous movements, such as exercising, lighting heavy weights, sneezing, laughing, or coughing.
That’s where Kegel exercises for women come into play. These exercises help strengthen pelvic floor muscles and reduce bladder leakage, thus giving you better control of your bowel movements.
3. Develop Back and Hip Support
Pelvic muscles are a significant component of the inner core, the muscles that support the trunk and hips. These muscles work with the abdominals to support the spine and link with hip rotator muscles for additional stability.
The lack of strength and coordination in pelvic floor muscles can affect the joints of the tailbone and lower spine. But there is nothing to worry about, as Kegels can address this concern and help develop better back and hip support by making pelvic floor muscles stronger.
4. Improves Postpartum Recovery
The next significant benefit of adding Kegel Exercises for women to your routine is that they help support postpartum recovery. It’s undeniable that pregnancy and prolonged pushing during labor lead to the weakening of a woman’s pelvic floor muscles.
So, if you are a new mother looking to regain strength, consider trying Kegels daily and see the difference. These exercises support the faster healing of pelvic floor muscles, thus improving postpartum recovery.
5. Reduces the Chances of POP
POP or Pelvic Organ Prolapse occurs when pelvic floor muscles weaken to support the pelvic organs. It is a condition in which one or more pelvic organs press into the vaginal walls and usually occurs when these muscles or their ligaments have been stretched or weakened.
While POP is not life-threatening, it can cause pain, fear, and issues with the bladder or bowel, thus requiring immediate attention. The great news is that Kegels can help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, reducing the chances of POP. These exercises prevent muscles from being weak, thus minimizing the likelihood of prolapse.
Summing Up
This brings us to the end of the benefit of Kegel exercises for women. Performing Kegels can help women train their pelvic floor muscles, thus reducing the chances of bladder leaks and pelvic organ prolapse. Moreover, these exercises can improve sexual pleasure while giving better hip and back support.
FAQs
Q. What makes your pelvic floor muscles weak?
Certain health conditions can weaken your pelvic floor muscles, including
- Childbirth
- Pregnancy
- Surgery in your pelvic area
- Excessive straining while pooping
- Chronic coughing
- Aging
- Obesity
Yes, of course. Women performing Kegels during pregnancy may find delivery a bit easier than those who don’t. Kegel exercises give you greater control over pelvic floor muscles, thus helping during labor and delivery.
Q. How to find pelvic floor muscles?
You can locate your pelvic floor muscles by stopping the flow of your pee and repeating the process until you identify the muscles. You can also insert a finger or two into your vagina to find these muscles.
