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You’ve likely known about Kegels for about as long as you’ve known about sexual health. Kegels (pronounced kee-gulls) were invented by Dr. Arnold Kegel, a gynecologist, in 1948. Since then, both men and women have used these exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor. However, many people are making Kegel mistakes without realizing it.
Kegels, put simply, are pelvic floor muscle exercises that involve contracting and releasing the muscle that runs from your pubic bone to your tailbone. When done correctly, they can help treat issues like urinary incontinence, fetal incontinence and even a pelvic organ prolapse. Women can develop these problems after giving birth or from hormonal changes. The National Library of Medicine reports that Kegels can successfully treat incontinence in most cases. Some women even report that they can tighten the vagina, which can lead to more intense orgasms. But, if you’ve been doing your Kegels for a while and are not seeing improvements, there are a few reasons they might not be working for you.
How To Do A Kegel
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First, here’s a quick look at how to properly do a Kegel.
- Completely empty your bladder before you begin
- Sit or lie down (one popular position is to sit on a medicine ball)
- Picture a straw or similar item in your vagina that you want to suck up into it
- Tighten your pelvic floor muscles in a way that would move that straw inward
- Fully relax the muscles for three to five seconds
- Repeat 10 times. You can do this a few times a day
