Pelvic floor health is getting lots of attention lately, and so is the number one tip for down-there fitness: kegel exercises. Read on for your complete guide to these seemingly simple squeezes.
What is my pelvic floor, anyway"
This bowl-shaped group of muscles supports the organs in the pelvis, including the uterus and bladder. The pelvic floor controls the openings of the vagina, urethra and rectum and works to stabilize the pelvic region, supporting the spine and hip joints. ?It actually has a lot of functions,? says Michiko Caringal, a pelvic health physiotherapist for Happy Down There in Toronto. ?It?s so important.?
What are Kegel exercises"
Kegels (named after Arnold Henry Kegel, an American OB/GYN who invented the exercise in the 1940s) are contractions of the pelvic floor muscles that are meant to tone and strengthen the area. Pregnancy and delivery, abdominal surgery, respiratory issues that involve a lot of coughing (such as asthma) and aging can strain pelvic floor muscles, causing weakness over time. Doing Kegel exercises can make sex more pleasurable (during and after pregnancy) by helping to relax your vaginal muscles and improve your blood circulation down there. Kegel exercises are also a way to treat and prevent incontinence and may assist with childbirth by helping you learn how to relax. But there are some caveats. Kegel exercises aren?t for everybody, says Caringal. There?s a significant number of women who experience hypertonicity (pelvic flo...