Urinary Incontinence Exercises for Females

Urinary incontinence is a problem experienced by many women that rarely receives the attention it deserves. While not physically life-threatening, bouts of urinary incontinence are nonetheless psychologically devastating, undermining one's self-esteem and interfering with a normal social life. Fortunately, however, there is hope. You can positively affect the severity of incidents of urinary incontinence through conditioning exercises for the pelvic floor, strengthening the muscles to prevent unwanted flow of urine.

About Kegel Exercises

• Although recently gaining popularity due to their effect on sexual health, Kegel exercises were originally designed to help women deal with urinary incontinence caused by childbirth. Kegel exercises are the primary way to increase the strength and endurance of the muscles surrounding your pelvic floor. By strengthening these oft-neglected muscles, you can substantially improve--if not wholly eliminate--incidents of urinary incontinence. Kegels are simple to learn and can be performed virtually anywhere, making them an ideal solution for dealing with incontinence.

Performing Kegels

• To properly perform Kegels, you must first locate the correct muscle groups. Some people make the mistake of clenching the muscles of the thighs or buttocks, believing that they are actually performing Kegels. To avoid this common mistake, familiarize yourself with your Kegel muscles by using them for their original purpose--to halt the flow of urine midstream. The next time you are going to the bathroom, flex your pelvic floor muscles to stop and start your flow of urine several times. The same muscles you use to perform this feat are the ones that will be exercised during Kegels, so remember the feeling.

  The best way to perform Kegels at first is lying on your back or sitting on the edge of a chair. Time your contractions to your breathing. Inhale deeply into your abdomen, feeling all the muscles of your stomach and hips relax. As you exhale, contract your Kegel muscles firmly, maintaining the contraction for the duration of your exhalation. Repeat the cycle five to 10 times at first, or until you can no longer maintain a stable contraction. Train during the morning and evening--when you are first becoming familiar with a new motor pattern (i.e. learning to flex your Kegel muscles), oft-repeated bouts of practice are the best way to ingrain the movement into muscle memory. Practice this every day.

  In order to see constant improvement, you must constantly progress. Do this by adding additional reps or sets of Kegel exercises from week to week. It is sufficient to add one extra set or four or five extra reps. Do not think you must double your current count from week to week, or anything that extreme. You should notice an improvement with your urinary incontinence within six to eight weeks, assuming you maintain a constant practice schedule.