A set of exercises for intimate muscles was originally intended for patients suffering from urinary incontinence. Its regular use has shown good results in solving other problems associated with the weakening of the muscles of the pelvic floor.
Today, Kegel exercises are used not only by women, but also by men. Entire schools operate in Europe, teaching all the intricacies and rules of using this technique.
To tone the muscles of the pelvic floor, it is not necessary to attend special courses. Gymnastics is so simple that anyone can do it. And about what problems it helps to cope with, what exercises it includes and what is useful for men, we will tell in our article.
What symptoms indicate a weakening of the intimate muscles?
The pelvic floor muscles are not subject to daily stress, which is why they gradually weaken and lose their tone. Since their role in our body is quite important, this phenomenon entails a number of unpleasant consequences.
Female representatives note the following symptoms:
- decrease in brightness of sensations in the process of intimacy;
- urinary incontinence;
- prolapse of the uterus;
- violation of the cycle;
- the development of hemorrhoids.
In men, there is a risk of prostatitis, an erection worsens, and depression develops.
When these symptoms appear, do not panic. Kegel exercises can fully restore the elasticity of the pelvic muscles and even improve their functionality. Daily gymnastics guarantees:
- increased sexual desire of both partners;
- improving the quality of intimate life;
- normalization of the urethra;
- reducing the risk of developing genital diseases.
For women, this gymnastics is considered an excellent prevention of uterine prolapse during pregnancy, a way to normalize hormonal levels. Kegel exercises give men the opportunity to reduce the risk of developing prostatitis, establish an erection, and ensure blood flow to the genitals.
How to determine which muscles to train?
Before the start of classes, both men and women are worried about one question: "How to understand which muscles need to be trained?". It is quite logical, since in everyday life we ββdo not feel their presence.
Since the muscular structure of both sexes is similar, a universal method can be used for this purpose. It is based on interruption of urination.
Force stop this process for a few seconds. You will feel the tension of the muscles you need. They will be involved in the process of performing Kegel exercises.
There is another way to determine the tissues of the pelvic floor, but it is suitable only for the female sex. To do this, lie on your side, place your hand behind your back. Place the palm so that it is in the crotch area. Now squeeze your hand so that your fingertips are inside the vagina. Tighten the muscles in this area and you will feel how strong or weak they are.
Next, you have to learn how to control the movements of intimate muscles, make them strain and relax at a certain moment.
How to do gymnastics?
For Kegel exercises to have the desired effect, they must be regular. In addition, their implementation must be correct, comply with certain rules.
Namely:
- During classes, your breathing should be calm and even.
- When doing exercises, only strain the pelvic floor muscles. The abs and gluteal muscles do not take part in the training!
- Observe intervals between several approaches.
- If you decide to do gymnastics for the first time, begin to perform it in a supine position. Repeat each exercise more than 5 times.
Subsequent training will no longer be subject to strict restrictions. Tighten and relax the muscles can be in a lying, sitting and standing position. Kegel exercises for the uterus can be repeated 20-30 times.
Location also does not matter. You can be at home or in the chair at your desk. The technique is so simple that it will not interfere with daily tasks.
Standard exercises for strengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor
If you just want to improve your health and improve your sex life, do standard Kegel exercises. At home, classes can be conducted as follows:
- Take a comfortable pose and begin to quickly compress and unclench the muscles of the intimate area. Repeat the exercise for 15 seconds. Relax for the same amount of time and repeat the workout 2 more times.
- Now tighten your muscles and hold them in this state for half a minute. After that, relax them, maintain an interval of 30 seconds and strain again. In one lesson, do 3 such approaches.
- For 2 minutes, alternate compression and relaxation. Increase your workout time by 3 minutes every day. Do this warm-up three times a day. The maximum duration is 20 minutes.
Note! When performing these exercises, breathing should be even. Compression is carried out on inhalation. Only the pelvic muscles are involved. When done correctly, you should feel like they are pulling toward your stomach. Exercises can be performed in any conditions.
Kegel Exercise Technique for Pregnant Women
For women preparing for motherhood, pelvic muscle strengthening exercises are especially helpful. Their regular implementation helps to alleviate the birth process, reduce pain and prevent tears.
Expectant mothers should remember that their goal should not be maximum stress, but regular exercise and a sense of pelvic muscle work.
During training, use the following exercises:
- Lie on your back or sit on a chair. Spread your legs slightly apart and lock them in a bent position. Tighten the muscles of the perineum (as if you want to delay urination) for a few seconds, then relax them. Take 3-5 of these approaches.
- Mentally divide the vagina into the upper, middle and lower parts. Start to strain the muscles in the upper part, gradually lower the tension down. Now relax the tissue in the reverse order. Performing this exercise is more difficult than the previous one, but it is the most productive.
- Try to use the muscles of not only the vagina, but also the anus. Tension one muscle tissue first, then the other. Now relax them in the reverse order. Movements should have a wave-like character.
The implementation of these classes will quickly bring into tone the tissue stretched during childbirth, normalize hormonal levels and return to intimacy.
However, when considering the question of how to perform Kegel exercises during pregnancy, pay attention to the fact that such gymnastics is contraindicated in some cases. For example, if there is a threat of abortion or there are any pathologies. Discuss the appropriateness of such exercises with your gynecologist.
Uterine prolapse: technique
Kegel exercises when lowering the uterus are performed using a complex technique. It involves a combination of intimate muscle contractions and aerobic exercise. Such classes will require you to have free time and comfortable conditions.
Daily workouts are complemented by walking, swimming, and activities on the stairs. Therapeutic gymnastics includes the exercise "Bicycle", performed lying on your back, and elements aimed at training the gluteal muscles.
There are several options for Kegel exercises when omitting:
- The woman is invited to sit on the floor, put her legs forward, and place her hands behind her back. With your hands and feet rest against the base, raise your hips above the floor, perform 10 compressions and relaxations. Return to starting position.
- Lying on your back, your legs must be bent, feet rest on the floor. Lift the pelvis, perform 10 squeezes, lower to rest. Make 5 such approaches.
- Take a knee-elbow pose, position the head on the hands. Tighten your vaginal muscles as if you want to push air out. Again, tighten the muscles, stay in this position for 5 seconds, relax.
- Lying on your back, spread your legs to the sides, bend them at the knees. Place one leg under the buttocks, the other in the pubic area. Tighten your muscles, linger for 10 seconds, relax.
Also, for training, you can use a special simulator - "Crotch". It contributes to an increase in muscle resistance and gives them an additional load.
Kegel-based gymnastics for men: treatment of prostatitis
Kegel exercises for men are based on training the pubic-coccygeal muscle. They also stimulate blood flow to the genitals, normalizing an erection. After regular classes, men note an increase in libido, brightness and duration of orgasm.
In the treatment of prostatitis, this gymnastics was also the most effective. Exercises eliminate stagnant processes in the adenoma, stimulate blood circulation in the pelvis, and help get rid of the disease.
As the basis of Kegel exercises for men, the same method of urinary retention is used. In the process of training, you should tighten the muscle located between the scrotum and anus. In this state, it must be kept on the order of 10 seconds. The exercise is repeated 10-15 times.
Before performing gymnastics, it is important to empty the bladder completely. In the process of training, it is recommended to change the position of the body: sitting, lying, standing.
Note! In the first three weeks of classes according to the method of the English professor, many men have an increase in the sensitivity of the penis. This can lead to premature erection. As a rule, after 4 weeks of regular classes this passes.
Gymnastics for men with urinary incontinence
Weakening of the pubic-coccygeal muscle leads to impaired urination. This problem can be solved by regular training. Kegel exercises for men in this case are performed as follows:
- Take a knee-elbow pose and try to tighten the intimate muscles, as if you want to pull them in or lift them up.
- Lie on your stomach, bend one leg. Start to raise and lower it, trying to tighten your pelvic muscles.
- Sit on a chair, cross your legs over the leg. Perform several muscle contractions and relaxations. Swap your legs, repeat the exercise.
- Lie on your back and spread your legs a little. As you inhale, lift your buttocks and compress the pelvic muscles. In this case, one foot should be lifted. Return to the starting position and repeat the exercise, changing your leg.
Each exercise is performed in 3-5 sets. During the day, gymnastics can be carried out three times.
Every day, the load on the muscles should be increased. After a month of regular training, a positive result will be noticeable. After 2-3 months, training can be done every other day. But to completely stop there is not worth it.
Reviews about the technique
Kegel exercises are recognized as the most effective therapy for pathologies caused by weakening of the pelvic muscles. High results and ease of implementation have made this technique popular around the world.
Feedback on Kegel exercises suggests that classes have a beneficial effect on both women and men. Most often, the technique of a woman after childbirth is used. Most of them note the rapid restoration of the previous size of the vagina and the normalization of the cycle.
Increasing the elasticity of the pelvic muscles helps to reduce the symptoms of the disease of the reproductive system and complete recovery. Regular training with a preventive purpose brings brightness to the relationship between a man and a woman, stimulates attraction, and allows you to control the duration of sexual intercourse.
If you have problems with potency, Kegel gymnastics works better than expensive means. At the same time, even men older than 50 years old have noted good results.
Most patients emphasize the convenience of gymnastics. You can train muscles at the wheel of a car, in the workplace, in a queue of a store and in other public places. At the same time, people around do not notice anything, and the patients themselves see good results.
To summarize
We looked at the rules for doing Kegel exercises. The photos presented in the article will help you understand the technique of each element. All of them are quite simple, but can achieve high results.
If you decide to engage in this technique, take three basic rules as a basis:
- training should be regular;
- with each lesson, the load increases;
- the result is not a reason to quit classes.
In the process of doing gymnastics, listen to your feelings. Remember, proper Kegel exercise does not cause pain. If you feel unwell, stop training and consult a doctor.