Sure many of you have heard about Kegel exercises, but do we know exactly what they are? There is a strange mythology around them that we want to clarify: are they unique to women or are they only useful after delivery. We analyzed what they are and how they are done. Keep reading for Kegel exercises in this article.
What are and what they do Kegel exercises?
The exercise of PC muscle contraction, better known as Kegel exercises, are some movements to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles (which exist in men and women). They were created in the 1940s by the gynecologist Arnold Kegel, who takes their name, as a means to prevent and resolve urinary incontinence in women after childbirth.
Gradually he discovered that Kegel exercises could be used for much more than to treat urinary incontinence: working the pelvic floor allows greater control over the muscles resulting in an improvement in the support function of the viscera and an improvement in sexual function.
The image is usually explaining where to find the pelvic floor muscles and how to activate them: imagine that our center or core is a wicker basket (some people use the analogy with a box, but the basket It is more suited to be flexible and malleable). The diaphragm would be the top of the basket, the front and sides of the basket would be formed by transverse abdomen (the innermost muscle that surrounds all), at the back the lumbar muscles and finally, the base basket would consist of the pelvic floor muscles.
We should note that all these muscles work together (hence the example of the wicker basket is good: what happens in one affects the other areas). The pelvic floor muscles working together especially with the internal oblique and transversus abdominis to stabilize our position.
Also read: Remove belly and toned abdomen
How Kegel exercises done?
Kegel exercises require no visible movement of the body, because what is the internal muscles work, so we can make it anywhere. Ideally you can do them while you are sitting, but if you are a beginner you can start doing lying to avoid the force of gravity.
We put our hip in a neutral position (or in anteversion or retroversion) and perform the movement of the muscles of the pelvic floor in four phases: contraction and elevated muscle, maintaining that position back to the starting position and, finally, relaxation. We advise you to see the video that accompanies this article where Dr. Rojas explains it perfectly.
Some tips to keep in mind: we breathe normally, do not hold your breath while we are in the phase of contraction, relax our body (and especially the adductors and glutes, which are the muscles that tend to get rather pelvic floor) and maintain an aligned and elongated posture.
Also read: Exercise makes you happy, but … any sport is useful?
The benefits of Kegel exercises
With time and lack of exercise, pelvic floor muscle tone get weak. This is exacerbated in the case of women, after childbirth, when our body has undergone changes. Kegel exercises are recommended for both sexes and at any age because they help us to enhance and strengthen these muscles.
In both sexes we obtain a greater control of incontinence, both urine and bowel movements. These exercises are recommended especially in postpartum women stage and after a prostate surgery in the case of men.
On the sexual plane Kegel exercises can be very beneficial for both sexes. In men, Kegel exercises can help fight against premature ejaculation; in women the vaginal muscle toning improves friction during penetration (that benefits both), making it easy to reach orgasm, and also increases the sensitivity of the area.
Why don’t we take a few minutes a day to take care of our pelvic floor?
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