Kegels, Kegels and Kegels!!!
Apr 07 '00
Oops!!! You are pregnant, sneezed and felt something leak down there... That is NOT good! Kegels will help to prevent and solve those annoying occurrences!
What are Kegels???
Kegels are a special kind of exercise, which will help you keep your pelvic floor in perfect condition. They are extremely important when you are pregnant, to prevent problems like incontinence. Even more so post partum, when you are trying to get everything back in shape again 'down there'.
How do I get started on them?
If you have never done them before, it might take a few tries to locate and start using the right muscles. The best way to find them is during peeing. While you are peeing, try to stop the stream. Then start it again, stop it, start it, stop it. It might take a few tries, but if you can do this, you have found the pelvic floor muscles! Use this method only to locate them, not as a regular exercise, since there is a possibility of getting an urinary tract infection if you do this very often. But it is indispensable if you have no idea how to do those Kegels.
OK, found them, now what?
Start playing around with them.
Beginners exercise: contract them, relax them, repeat 10 times. This might be hard in the beginning, but will get easier and easier. When you can do 10 times with ease, increase the number of repetitions to 20, 50 or even 100 times.
A little harder: contract them and slowly count to 10 without releasing them. This will get easier with practice too. Repeat this a number of times too.
Now try the elevator. Pretend your pelvic floor is an elevator. Start on the ground floor, contract a little to move it to the first floor, a little more to the second floor and as high as you can to the third floor. Keep it there for a few seconds and let it move down again, stopping at the second and first floor, and ending at ground level. This is harder than it sounds, especially going down it is a lot easier to just let the elevator crash instead of doing it in a controlled way.
How often should I do them?
Ideally you should do tens or hundreds of them everyday. This sounds like a lot, but you will find that it hasn't have to take much time, and can be done anywhere. Try to find certain points in the day to do them. I have made it a habit to do them every time I am waiting for a red traffic light. Or when I am talking on the phone. Or while watching television. Or when I read email which mentions Kegels :-) Find a routine which works for you! You could even do it during a boring meeting at your office, since nobody will notice anyway.
Conclusion
Do as many as these as you can, every moment you remember and it will really help you with the incontinence issues and with getting back in shape after delivery. And not only will they help your pelvic floor, but they also might make your sex life more fun, try doing some exercises while you are having intercourse with your hubby and watch his surprised expression ;-)
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Member: Karen Plomp
Location: New Hampshire
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