Pelvic floor exercises, also known as Kegel exercises, involve contracting and relaxing the muscles of the pelvic. These exercises are important for women because they can help prevent or alleviate a range of health problems. This includes urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and sexual dysfunction.
In this article, we will discuss how to do pelvic floor exercises for women and why they matter.
How to Do Pelvic Floor Exercises for Women:
- Find the right muscles. The first step in doing pelvic floor exercises is to locate the correct muscles. To do this, try stopping the flow of urine midstream. The muscles you use to do this are your pelvic floor muscles.
- Contract your pelvic muscles. Once you have identified the correct muscles, contract them by squeezing them in and lifting them upwards. You should feel a pulling sensation in your lower abdomen.
- Hold the contraction. Hold the contraction for three to five seconds, then release.
- Relax your muscles. Relax your muscles for three to five seconds before starting the next contraction.
- Repeat. Repeat this process for 10 to 15 contractions, three times a day.
As you become more comfortable with pelvic floor exercises, you can gradually increase the length of time you hold the contraction and the number of repetitions you perform.
Why These Exercises Matter for Women:
- Prevent urinary incontinence. Urinary incontinence is a common problem among women, particularly after pregnancy and childbirth. These exercises can help prevent or reduce urinary incontinence by strengthening the muscles that control urination.
- Improve sexual function. Strong muscles can enhance sexual function by increasing sensitivity and improving the ability to achieve orgasm.
- Reduce the risk of pelvic organ prolapse. Pelvic organ prolapse occurs when the pelvic organs, such as the bladder, uterus, or rectum, drop down and push against the vaginal walls. Pelvic floor exercises can help reduce the risk of pelvic organ prolapse by strengthening the muscles that support the pelvic organs.
- Speed up postpartum recovery. Pregnancy and childbirth can weaken the pelvic floor muscles. Pelvic floor exercises can help speed up postpartum recovery by strengthening these muscles and reducing the risk of urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.
- Improve quality of life. Pelvic floor exercises can improve quality of life by reducing the symptoms of urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and sexual dysfunction.
Pelvic floor exercises are an important part of women’s health. They can help prevent or alleviate a range of health problems, including urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and sexual dysfunction.
By following the steps outlined in this article, women can learn how to do pelvic floor exercises and incorporate them into their daily routine. /mommytobe