Kegel exercises

What are Kegel exercises? Which organs are exercised in women and men respectively

They are exercises for training the muscles of the pelvic floor.

First locate the pubococcygeus muscle.

The best way to detect it is to stop and restart urination voluntarily.

Another way is to insert a finger into your vagina and tighten the muscles.

When you feel pressure around the finger you are using the right muscle.

What are the benefits of these exercises? In other words, in which cases are they recommended and why?

It is known that childbirth and natural aging can relax the muscles of the vagina causing incontinence and reduced ability for sexual pleasure.

In the early 40's Dr Arnold Kegel was helping women overcome incontinence through pelvic exercises using a medical device known as a perineometer.

After a short period of time, patients reported stimulation and strengthening of the vaginal muscles. This was the beginning of using specific weight to tone the muscles

Barbell exercises are recommended for:

• Childbirth: for the period after childbirth.
• Menopause: for the period after menopause.
• Incontinence: in special cases (effort incontinence).
• Sexual health: in cases of reduced sexual pleasure vaginal relaxation

How are Kegel exercises done with the special barbell?

The special barbell is about 15 cm long and weighs 400 grams (although there are other types on the market).

Its use is as follows:

1. Lie on your back with one or more pillows under your head and bend your legs with the soles on the floor.
2. Lift the pelvis without it resting on the bottom.
3. Insert the special weight into the entrance of the vagina, (if you want you can lubricate it for easier penetration).
4. Take a deep breath and completely relax your sinus muscles as you exhale.
5. Then tighten and relax the pubococcygeus muscle around the barbell.
6. Take another deep breath and exhale relaxing the vagina while simultaneously inserting the barbell 2.5cm.
7. Tighten and relax the muscle several times.
8. Continue this process until we have total penetration.

For the first two weeks the exercise is carried out for 10 minutes daily, then every other day for 5 minutes so as to maintain and gradually increase the strength of the muscle.

Also since they refer to internal organs, how does one know they are doing them right?

In order for someone to understand that he is doing the exercises correctly, he must use the special kettlebell for Kegel exercises.

The main criterion is the feeling of resistance when you press the walls of the vagina.

To achieve this, insert half of the index finger into the vagina and pass the tip of the finger sideways for a centimeter (or until you feel a muscle).

Follow this muscle to about the urethra.

You may feel that you are touching a muscle as thin as a membrane or as thick as a finger.

If you feel resistance then you have found the right muscle.

Over time you will see an improvement in the perineal muscles tightening, a reduction in stress incontinence and an improvement in sexual pleasure.

Can anyone do penis exercises?

The same applies to men, simply due to the length of the penis, urinary incontinence is rarer.

Regarding erectile dysfunction, doing exercises can enhance sexual pleasure, but for erectile dysfunction it would be good to contact a specialist.

Sincerely Ioannis Kalogirou Obstetrician Gynecologist