Kegels 101

THE vagina is an elastic, muscular canal whose muscles, due to a number of events like childbirth, can lose elasticity, leading many women to lack sexual confidence. To correct this, sexologist Nerissa Irving recommends Kegel exercises.

Kegel exercises are simple clench-and-hold exercises that help to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. The pelvic floor muscles support the womb, the bladder and the bowels. If the pelvic muscles are weak, these pelvic organs may lower into the woman’s vagina.

The very simple Kegel exercises can be done at any time. Just ensure that you are in a comfortable position.

Below are the steps courtesy of Dr Jacqueline E Campbell, family physician.

Step 1: Find your pelvic muscles. Try to stop the flow of urine while you are urinating. Do not use this as your regular Kegel exercise routine because the performance of Kegels while urinating can have the opposite effect of weakening the pelvic muscles. Alternatively, you can insert a finger inside your vagina and try to squeeze the surrounding muscles. While doing this, you should feel your vagina tighten and your pelvic floor move upward. Next, relax your muscles and feel your pelvic floor return to the starting position. This tightening is the basic move of the Kegel exercise.

Step 2: Perfect your technique. Once you’ve identified your pelvic floor muscles, you can begin the exercise. Tighten your pelvic floor muscles as described in Step 1; hold the contraction (“tightening”) for five seconds, then relax for five seconds. Work up to keeping the muscles contracted for 10 seconds at a time, relaxing for 10 seconds between contractions. Aim for at least three sets of 10 repetitions each day.

Step 3: Maintain focus. Focus on tightening only your pelvic floor muscles. Avoid tightening any other area of the body. Breathe normally during the exercises.

The good thing is that the exercises not only strengthen the vagina walls and pelvic floor muscles, but according to Irving, they “increase vaginal lubrication, improve sexual responses and function, recover the physical stress of childbirth, and prevent and treat urinary stress incontinence”.

Kimberley Ennis, a student of Northern Caribbean University, has written the above to satisfy the requirements for completing the school’s journalism programme.