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KEEP UP YOUR KEGELS
By Christine R. McLaughlin
When you were pregnant, you no doubt heard about the importance of
doing your Kegels, an exercise that strengthens the pelvic floor muscle
and helps you to avoid leaking urine and helps prepare you for the
rigors of childbirth.
But just because you've had your baby
doesn't mean you'll no longer benefit from Kegels. The pelvic floor is
a group of muscles that supports the uterus, bladder and bowel, and it
gets stretched and weakened not only during pregnancy, but also from
the trauma of childbirth. So it must be retrained and strengthened to
work properly again. If not, incontinence can result (even more so in
menopausal years, when the effects of gravity and hormones are thrown
into the mix).
The benefits of doing these exercises daily are
well worth it: If you've been leaking a mild to moderate amount of
urine following childbirth, chances are doing Kegel exercises routinely
will improve the situation, and perhaps even cure your incontinence.
(If you've had significantly more leakage or experienced nerve damage
as a result of childbirth, the exercises may not be effective and you
may need to be seen by a urogynecologist.)
Kegels may also add
a kick to your love life. Many experts say that stronger pelvic floor
muscles can make sex more pleasurable for both partners.
Unfortunately,
many women think they're doing Kegel exercises correctly when they're
not. Instead of tightening the muscles, they actually take a deep
breath and push down, called a valsalva maneuver, which is
counterproductive, says Glenn Hurt, M.D., a professor of obstetrics and
gynecology at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond.
In
order to identify the correct muscles needed for Kegels, Dr. Hurt
suggests voluntarily interrupting the urine stream. (But don't make a
habit of doing this because it can lead to problems.) Then when you're
aware of the correct muscles, you'll be able to do the exercises
properly.
Tighten and hold the muscles for 8 to 10 seconds
at a time. Kegel exercises should be done every day, multiple times.
Aim for 10 to 15 repetitions 3 to 4 times per day.
For more information or to find a urogynecologist, visit the Website for the American Urogynecologic Society.
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About The Author
Christine R. McLaughlin is a freelance writer and editor from Oreland, Pa., and mother of Joey, six months. She's written for Family Circle, American Health and Fitness magazines.
