How to Do Pelvic Floor Exercise (Kegels)

Pelvic floor exercise can help treat bladder incontinence by strengthening the pelvic floor. This reduces the likelihood of urine leakage. You can regain control of your bladder problem by doing regular pelvic floor exercise.

Kegels are one form of pelvic floor exercise that doctors recommend. Below is a list of Kegel exercises that you can do to strengthen these muscles.

You can also strengthen the pelvic floor muscles using weighted vaginal cones. A link in the resource section will take you to more information about the cones and how to use them.

Instructions

• 1

  Sit on the toilet and open your knees apart. Start your urine stream and then squeeze your muscles to stop the flow. The muscles that you are using to stop the urine are your pelvic floor muscles. Practice starting and stopping the flow of urine to exercise these muscles.

• 2

  Squeeze your rectum shut as trying to prevent a passage of gas. Feel the muscles pull upward. These are your pelvic floor muscles and this is the sensation that you are going for as you do the Kegel exercises.

• 3

  Squeeze the pelvic floor muscles for four seconds, then release and rest them for four seconds. Repeat ten times each day.

• 4

  Increase the amount of time you hold the squeeze as your pelvic muscles grow stronger. Gradually increase to ten seconds per hold.

• 5

  Increase the number of reps you do as your pelvic floor muscles become stronger. Try to work up to thirty sets of Kegels per day.