How to Do Kegel Exercises: Betty's Guide to a Stronger Pelvic Floor

Kegel exercises are supposed to be the golden ticket for a better sex life, stronger pelvic floor, and an end to embarrassing issues like urinary incontinence, but do you really know how to do them properly? If you’re still confused about what exactly a kegel is, a good starting point is our blog post What Are Kegel Exercises & Why They’re Important For EVERY Body. Once you’re up to speed, read on and we are going to tell you how and when to do these helpful exercises.

ISOLATING YOUR PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLES

This is an important step to doing kegel exercises properly. What’s the point if you’re not using the correct muscles. To figure out what exactly you’re exercising try these tips.

1. Try to stop yourself peeing mid-stream. Those are your pelvic floor muscles. DON’T use this method to exercise them, however. It can lead to bladder issues.
2. Find the muscles that you use to stop from passing gas – don’t pretend you don’t know what we’re talking about!
3. Remember that you should have a feeling of pulling up, rather than bearing down as you would for a bowel movement.
4. While sitting, envision sitting on a marble and trying to pick it up with your pelvic floor muscles
5. Make sure all your other muscles are relaxed – your thighs, stomach and buttocks should still be unmoving
6. Put a finger in your vagina or on your perineum between your testicles and anus. You should feel some contracting of the vagina or movement of the muscles through the perineum
7. Keep a hand on your stomach to make sure you’re not engaging your stomach muscles

HOW TO DO KEGEL EXERCISES

• Start by laying down so you can really get the feel for what you’re doing. You can work up to sitting or standing once you are more comfortable isolating the correct muscles.
• Contract your muscles 3 to 5 seconds
• Relax 3 to 5 seconds
• Repeat this cycle 10 times
• Add 1 second each week, working your way up to holding then relaxing for 10 seconds at a time
• Work your way up to 30 to 40 repetitions throughout the day.
• Make it a part of your daily routine.
• For a challenge or to monitor your progress, you can download kegel exercise apps or try vaginal kegel balls and exercisers.

COMMON MISTAKES IN KEGEL EXERCISES

• Contract and hold your muscles, don’t pulse them
• Contracting your core, stomach, buttocks and other muscles is a no no. The secret to kegels is isolating only the pelvic floor
• Don’t bear down like with a bowel movement. Pull upwards instead.
• Don’t expect instant results. It can take up to 6 months to feel a difference.

If you are thinking of choosing a kegel exerciser either for motivation or to up your kegel game, you can read our helpful article A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO CHOOSING A KEGEL EXERCISE DEVICE