Heather Jeffcoat tells us how to exercise those muscles
Heather Jeffcoat, a physical therapist based in Encino is back with us again offering tips on how to properly do those darn "Kegel" exercises. Heather wrote a previous article for us on how to get those six-pack abs after delivery. For more information or to reach Heather directly, visit her website, www.thepilatespt.com.
Kegels Done Right
By Heather Jeffcoat
You're a new mom, and you've been hearing since your pregnancy that you should be doing Kegel exercises. You even tried them a few times. They sound easy enough, but Kegels are actually much harder to perform than you think. A study published in the American Journal of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (Bump, et al) looked at the performance of women doing Kegels after brief verbal instruction. When they were re-tested at a follow-up visit--only 49% were doing them correctly! Even worse, 25% of the women were performing a Kegel in such a way that it would actually promote incontinence (involuntary leakage of urine or feces).
So, what is a Kegel? A Kegel is a contraction of the pelvic floor muscles (often referred to as the "PC" or pubococcygeus muscle). The collective group of pelvic floor muscles encircles the urethra, vagina and rectum. When a Kegel is performed correctly, these "openings" of the body should close. There should be no outward sign of effort with an isolated Kegel. All you should feel is a lifting of the muscles inside and a slight tensing of the lower abdominal muscles. It really is a "secret" exercise!
Here are some tips to isolate a Kegel:
- Begin with lying on your back. Imagine you are closing the opening of the urethra (bladder tube). Do not squeeze your legs together.
- Lying on your back, slowly draw up the muscles around your rectum, like you are trying to avoid passing gas. There should be no tightening of the larger muscles in your buttock area.
If these don't work for you, just try gently pulling in you navel to your spine. Especially focus on the lower abdomen as you do this. Do you feel the Kegel contracting automatically? This may be easier for you to feel if you lie on your stomach or in an "all fours" position (on your hands and knees).
Once you've isolated the contraction, begin with holding them for 2-3 seconds and do 2 sets of 5, 3 times a day. It's better to do fewer at a time and spread them out during the day when you are just getting started. As you get stronger, add "quick flicks", where you squeeze for one second, let go for one second. Start with 8-10 repetitions, 2 times a day. Then progress to doing your Kegels while seated or standing and holding for longer periods of time. It's also great practice to do a Kegel everytime you pick up your baby, squat, or go up/down stairs. 60 Kegels a day is your goal.
One of the biggest errors I see once women learn to isolate a Kegel, is performing too many repetitions or holding for too long. For example, many women will say they do 10-second holds right off the bat. That's like running a marathon for your pelvic floor muscles, especially right after childbirth. And over-exercising can lead to a decrease in muscle performance, which will make incontinence worse. But, of course some women under-exercise, which isn't going to build strength either.
Learning to perform Kegels correctly can sometimes be frustrating, especially if you are trying to eliminate incontinence as a result of pregnancy or childbirth. If you are unsuccessful, ask your physician, nurse practitioner or midwife for a referral to a Women's Health Physical Therapist. A Women's Health PT can give you additional training to learn how to properly isolate a Kegel and give you an individualized program for success.
Easy way to perform kegel exercises: Imagine that you are picking flowers from a garden with your vagina. Pick them up, then let them go.
Posted by: Thi-is | February 27, 2009 at 07:37 PM