Pelvic Exercises Like Kegels

Kegel exercises receive a lot of publicity in the media for their effectiveness at treating urinary incontinence and strengthening the sexual organs of both genders. While one could go their entire lifetime practicing nothing more than the basic Kegel exercise, it pays to remember that variety is the spice of life. With that in mind, consider trying these Kegel variations during your next pelvic workout. You might find that they can take your pelvic muscle control to another level entirely.

Wave exercise

• For this exercise, contract each of your pelvic floor muscle grounds (vaginal, anal, and urethral) one at a time from front to back. Hold each area tight for one to two seconds. Relax each in turn, then begin again from back to front. Continue making "waves" with your pelvic floor muscles for five to 10 total "passes" back and forth.

Elevator test

• Imagine that your pelvic floor muscles represent a building, with the bottom at your groin and the top near your belly button. Slowly tighten the muscles and raise the "elevator" to the first floor. Slowly release, then repeat, taking it up to the second floor. Complete the cycle until you are raising your pelvic floor as high as possible, then slowly relax all the muscles starting at the top and working your way back down.

Stairways

• Contract all of your pelvic floor muscles as hard as possible for one second. Release for a second. Then contract for two seconds and release for two seconds. Escalate up the "stairway" until you are holding and relaxing for 10 seconds. If you are unable to complete all 10 steps of the exercise immediately, work up to it over time.

Progressives

• Progressives work by slowly tightening and slowly releasing the muscles involved. Begin by lightly tightening the muscles for a five count. At the conclusion of the five seconds, without relaxing the muscles, contract them a little harder and hold that for another five seconds. Continue increasing the force of the squeeze every five seconds until you reach a maximal contraction. Then repeat the sequence in reverse by slightly releasing the contraction more and more every five seconds until you are fully relaxed.

Considerations

• Understand that developing the ability to fully perform all of these variations will take time and energy. Do not be discouraged if you are unable to complete the exercise as described. Just try your best and over time, gradually increase the intensity of the exercise until you can perform it as fully written. So the next time you decide to train your "Kegel" muscles, try one of these four variations to complete your mastery of pelvic floor contractions.