Why (and how) to keep your pelvic floor healthy and strong

No doubt you’ve heard of Kegel exercises, but have you made them a regular part of your routine yet? Here are some reasons you should consider it…

Stronger orgasms

This had to be listed first, because for many people, it’s the most important and exciting reason to do Kegel exercises more often! The more toned and strong your pelvic floor muscles become, the more intense your muscular contractions during orgasm will be. Some people also report that stronger muscles in that region make orgasms easier to achieve.

Preventing incontinence

If bladder or bowel incontinence are issues you deal with (or are worried about developing), Kegel exercises may be able to help. The more toned those muscles are, the more control you’ll have over them when you need it.

Healing from health events

Kegel exercises have been found to be helpful for pregnant people (both before and after giving birth) in maintaining elasticity of the perineum and surrounding area. These exercises have also been found helpful in recovering from prostatectomy procedures.

On board with the importance of Kegels? Here are some tips on how to do them:

Clench, hold, and release. It’s really that simple! Isolate the muscles you use to control the flow of pee – you know the ones – and contract them for 3-5 seconds. Then relax for 3-5 seconds and repeat.

Try toys. If you want to challenge yourself – or just want to make your Kegels regimen more interesting – you can try any of the numerous sex toys available for enhancing this type of exercise. Kegel training sets containing multiple differently-weighted toys are a good bet, because you can upgrade to the next one whenever your current workout gets too easy.

Fit them into your day. Consistency matters when it comes to any kind of exercise. Luckily, Kegels are easy to do without anyone noticing, so you can do yours while you’re standing in line at the grocery store, commuting to work, or just walking down the street. Pick an event that recurs frequently in your life and make it the trigger that reminds you it’s Kegel time.

Don’t overdo it. Kegel exercises are known to occasionally have adverse effects, especially for people who already have overly tense pelvic muscles, due to health issues such as vaginismus. Experts suggest limiting yourself to just 30-40 squeezes throughout each day, ideally spread out rather than done all in one session.

Do you do Kegels? Have you noticed these benefits?