Kegel Exercises

What are Kegel exercises?

Kegel exercises are exercises used to strengthen the pubococcygeus muscle (often called the “PC muscle” or referred to as part of the “pelvic floor muscles”). These muscles support the urethra, bladder, uterus and rectum.

How are Kegel exercises helpful?

Strengthening one’s pelvic floor muscles may help to prevent or improve urinary incontinence, increase the strength of women’s and men’s orgasm, or improve ejaculatory control (for men). In addition, some women and men simply find these exercises pleasurable to do.

How do I find the correct muscles?

A common description that is used when describing Kegel exercises (for both women and men) is that one squeezes the same muscles as one would squeeze when stopping the flow of urine. While these exercises are better practiced when you are not going to the bathroom, you can practice finding them during such a time. Alternatively, women can insert a finger the vaginal entrance and squeeze her muscles around it. If she feels pressure around her finger, she has likely found the current muscle.

Women and men should keep their other muscles relaxed – do not bear down or squeeze the thigh muscles, back or abdominal muscles. As Kegel exercises are commonly recommended by ob/gyn doctors and nurses, many women ask their healthcare provider to teach them the correct technique. Men can ask a urologist for more information or guidance.

How do I do Kegel exercises?

Once you have found the correct muscles, there are a variety of ways that you can do Kegel exercises including:

-         Squeezing your muscles for 4 seconds, relaxing them for 4 seconds, then repeating the sequence for about 5 minutes

-         “Pulsing” your muscles (e.g., squeezing for only 1 or 2 seconds, relaxing for 1 or 2 seconds, then repeating about 10 times)

You can try these routines, building up to longer amounts of time squeezing the muscles (e.g., 6 or 8 seconds), or to a higher number of repetitions. Kegel exercises can be done lying down, sitting up, while watching television or sitting at a stop light. That said, if you are doing these exercises for health reasons (e.g., related to urinary incontinence), ask your healthcare provider about the best routine for you, as they may be more effective when you are not distracted by other things such as TV. As no other muscles should be squeezed, it should not be outwardly visible what you are doing, so you can do them whenever is most convenient.

How often should I do Kegel exercises?

Some healthcare providers and health educators recommend doing them once or twice a day, every day, for about 5 minutes each time. If you are interested in doing Kegel exercises for health reasons (e.g., to prevent or to improve urinary incontinence, or for reasons related to pelvic prolapse), ask your healthcare provider what is right for you and remember that it may take time (sometimes 6-12 weeks) to see improvement. Do not worry if you cannot squeeze your PC muscle for very long; with practice, these exercises should become easier.