Diagram of the Muscles of the Pelvic Floor
In 1948 Arnold Kegel first described pelvic floor exercises as a treatment option for patients suffering from stress incontinence. Today, doctors still agree that undertaking regular Kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles is of great benefit to women with incontinence.
Recent clinical research has recommended that pelvic floor exercise should be the first choice of treatment for genuine stress incontinence because simple exercises have proved to be far more effective than electro stimulation or vaginal cones.
Well-toned pelvic floor muscles can also dramatically improve your sex life!
Tightening up the pelvic floor muscles improves the vaginal embrace and gives greater sensation to both you and your partner. Any exercise will help to develop muscle and improve blood flow; and when you do that in the pelvic floor muscles the results can be dramatic. Clinical trials have demonstrated that working on this muscle group can be particularly beneficial in the treatment of sexual dysfunction; it increases sensation, helps improve libido and leads to greater and more frequent orgasms. In men using the pelvic floor exercises can be part of a programme to obtain and maintain greater control of the point of ejaculation.
Of particular merit are products that have been specially designed to help develop womens pelvic floor muscles more effectively when doing Kegel exercises. They can give some idea of feedback and give something to work with. There are several different approaches:
- The Pelvic Toner is a progressive resistance vaginal exerciser
- Weighted exercise balls (Love balls)
- Weighted barbell
Over one third of people start doing these exercises and squeeze the wrong muscles. Therefore it is really important to find the right technique. You can check yourself by following these steps:
- When you need to pass urine sit on the toilet with your legs apart. See if you can start and then stop the flow of urine without moving your legs.
- If you can stop the flow of urine you are tightening the correct muscle.
- If you can start the stream of urine you are relaxing the correct muscle.
- You may also like to try holding in a fart . This will also help identify the muscles to be used.
- It is important not to do the exercises holding the flow of urine but only to identify which set of muscles to use.
- In men if you are using the correct muscles when you tighten the correct muscle you will see your testicles move upwards slightly and when you relax you will see them move downwards slightly.
Mary Clegg Sex and Relationship Therapist www.maryclegg.co.uk
Tags: better sex, Kegel excercises, Pelvic floor exercises, sexercises
