Why kegels are important

Most people prefer doing Kegel exercises when lying down on a bed or sitting in a chair. If you have pain when you do Kegel exercises, stop doing the exercises right away. When done correctly, most people find them relaxing.

If you feel pain during or after Kegel exercises, you may not be doing the exercise correctly, or Kegel exercises may not be appropriate for you. Contact your healthcare provider to discuss this. Make sure you keep breathing while you hold the contractions.

You can contact your healthcare provider for a referral. For more information or to make an appointment, call They can address the causes of pain or problems in your pelvic floor muscle area. Your feedback will help us improve the information we provide to patients and caregivers. We read every comment, but we're not able to respond.

If you have questions about your care, contact your healthcare provider. For more resources, visit www. Back to top About Kegel Exercises Doing Kegel exercises can help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Kegel exercises are simple clench-and-release exercises that you can do to make the muscles of your pelvic floor stronger.

Your pelvis is the area between your hips that holds your reproductive organs. The pelvic floor is really a series of muscles and tissues that forms a sling, or hammock, at the bottom of your pelvis.

This sling holds your organs in place. A weak pelvic floor may lead to issues such as the inability to control your bowels or bladder. Once you understand Kegel exercises, you can do them anytime and anywhere — in the privacy of your own home or while waiting in line at the bank.

Many factors can weaken the pelvic floor in women, such as pregnancy , childbirth , aging, and weight gain. The pelvic floor muscles support the womb, the bladder, and the bowels. Besides being extremely uncomfortable, this can also cause urinary incontinence. Men may also experience weakening in the muscles of their pelvic floor as they age. This can lead to incontinence of both urine and feces, especially if the man has had prostate surgery. One way to find them is by placing a clean finger inside your vagina and tightening your vaginal muscles around your finger.

You can also locate the muscles by trying to stop your urine mid-flow. The muscles you use for this action are your pelvic floor muscles. Get used to how they feel when they contract and relax. However, you should use this method for learning purposes only. Incomplete emptying of the bladder can raise your risk for a urinary tract infection UTI. They may recommend using an object called a vaginal cone. You insert a vaginal cone into the vagina and then use your pelvic floor muscles to keep it in place.

There are a series of muscles between your hips that form a sling at the bottom of your pelvis. This sling of muscle and tissue helps to hold your organs in place. When these muscles are weakened, you might have problems controlling your bowels or bladder. Kegel exercises can help you strengthen this area. Kegels involve clenching and releasing these muscles.

You can do Kegels anytime. While at work or even at the grocery store. Your pelvic floor muscles do much more than you might realize. Here are some ways your pelvic floor helps contribute to your daily function. Just a little bit of concentrated exercise daily. The main benefit of Kegel exercises is that they can help with incontinence issues. However, they can also help improve pregnancy symptoms and make childbirth easier, improve your digestion and core stability.

All functions of your pelvic floor will improve when your pelvic floor is strong, flexible, and coordinated. Pelvic floor physical therapists are health care professionals trained in the conservative management and rehabilitation of pelvic floor muscle dysfunctions, such as, incontinence and pelvic pain disorders.

Intermountain Healthcare is a Utah-based, not-for-profit system of 24 hospitals includes "virtual" hospital , a Medical Group with more than 2, physicians and advanced practice clinicians at about clinics, a health plans division called SelectHealth, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is widely recognized as a leader in clinical quality improvement and efficient healthcare delivery.

Which should I choose?