What Are Kegels?

Throughout life you learn to take care of your body and exercise your muscles to keep mobility and strength. This is not limited to the muscles that make up your silhouette. The muscles that hold up your bladder and, in women, your uterus and pelvic floor muscles need work too. For such a muscular workout you will need kegels.

Identification

• Kegels are exercises for the pelvic floor, named after Dr. Arnold Kegel, where you contract the muscles you use to stop the flow of urine and release.

Effects

• Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles can prevent incontinence, prepare a woman's body for the stress of vaginal childbirth and treat issues related to the prostate.

Considerations

• Kegels, like any other exercise should be performed on a continuous basis to maintain the muscle strength. Try 10 sets at 3 seconds a few times a day and work up to longer timed sets.

Warning

• Doing Kegel exercises when you need to urinate, essentially holding in the urine, can over time weaken the muscles and conversely lead to incontinence.

Fun Fact

• Kegels can lead to sexual benefits as they strengthen the pelvic muscles, they tighten the vagina and in men lead to stronger erections.