Quite sometime earlier I have come across the word ‘Kegel Exercises‘. I thought I have heard about Aerobic exercises, body-building exercises which focussed on weight management,What is the Kegel exercises? When I researched about it, I came to know that Kegel Exercises are pelvic floor exercises (1). The pelvic floor is a set of muscles and ligaments which support Womb, Bladder, and Bowel. Pelvic floor exercises mean contraction and relaxation of these muscles. It is very beneficial for pregnant ladies,  to prevent urine leakage in case of urine incontinence, for women who are having difficulty and fear of sex and to get orgasmic pleasure during sex. In this article, I have written about kegel exercises for men and women in detail (2)(3).

What are Kegel Muscles and How to Find Those?

When you go for peeing, try to stop your pee in mid-flow. The muscles you require to do this are Kegel’s muscles. That is the basic function of kegel muscles. There are many ways to find kegel muscles. If you find difficulty in finding your kegel muscles during peeing, put your finger in your vagina and squeeze your muscles. You will feel the muscles tightened. When you want to stop your poop till you reach the washroom, the muscles you use to stop it are kegel muscles (4).

Men may face problems in locating kegel muscles. So men can try to identify it by inserting a finger into their rectum and squeeze it without tightening abdominal muscles. If you still have trouble doing it, you can consult a doctor (5).

Why Do Kegel Exercises?

Kegel exercises help in preventing urinary incontinence. In Women, due to various changes occurring in our body due to improper lifestyle, Stress, Obesity, and Hormone changes, Childbirth, Pregnancy, the Pelvic Floor muscles become weaker. These exercises help in strengthening kegel muscles and prevent the lowering of these organs into the vagina(6)(7).

In men, Kegel exercises are helpful for those who have a problem with urinary incontinence and have undergone prostate surgery. It also helps in treating sexual dysfunction. If you don’t have these disorders, still it can help you make your muscles strong and can prevent these problems in the future (8).

Here is a very informative video from Michelle Kenway

How to Prepare for Doing Kegel Exercises

Before starting to do kegel exercises, it is very important to follow a procedure.

1. Identify Your Kegel Muscles- If you are not sure about your kegel muscles, it is recommended to follow the above procedure or consult a doctor. Identifying correct muscles is very important as if the muscles are not correct then you may end up doing a completely wrong exercise which can be harmful to you.
2. Exercise with the Empty Bladder- If your bladder is fully or partially filled, doing Kegels may cause pain and discomfort to you. It can also cause some leakage. That is why don’t forget to empty your bladder before you start doing your Kegels.
3. Breathe Deeply and Relax: While doing Kegels ensure that you take long and deep breaths. This will help you to relax and concentrate on your correct muscles.
4. Keep Your Body Relaxed: When you do your Kegels, only Kegel muscles should undergo contraction and relaxation, the remaining body should completely relax. Keep your abdomen, thigh, hip, chest muscles loose and relaxed.
5. Thrice a Day: Ensure doing kegel exercises at least 3 times a day. In the beginning, you will need to lie down and do it on the floor, but as you get used to it, you can do it while sitting on the chair in your office too. If your doctor has recommended it to you for more or less than thrice a day.
6. Do not Overdo: Overdoing Kegel exercises may cause difficulty in urination and for women, their muscles can get extremely tight (9)(10).

Kegel Exercises for Women

1. Simple Kegel Exercise

It is the basic form of kegel exercise and all other forms are derived from it.

Technique:

1. Lie down on your back.
2. Bend your knees and keep your feet on the ground.
3. As you breathe in, pull or contract your kegel muscles.
4. Hold your breath until the count of 10.
5. Release your breath and expand your kegel muscles.
6. Relax until the count of 10.
7. Repeat this 10 times. This makes one set of kegel exercises.
8. Do it 3 to 4 times a day.
9. One of the best kegel exercises for men and women.

2. Side Leg Elevation Kegel Exercise

This exercise is a combination of two exercises. The basic kegel exercise and Side leg elevation exercise. So, the muscles involved in it are, side abdominal muscles and kegel muscles.

Technique:

1. Lie down on any one side suppose left side, support your head with your left hand.
2. This way your right leg is on top of your left leg.
3. Breathe in, pull your Kegels and raise your right leg straight.
4. Hold your breath for 5 to 10 seconds.
5. Release the breath and kegel muscles, put your right leg down.
6. Relax for 10 seconds and repeat 5 times with each leg.

3. Kapalbhati Kegel Exercise

It is the fusion of kapalbhati pranayama and basic kegel exercise. It is best for detoxification along with kegel exercise. Kapalbhati is also one of the best yoga exercises to lose weight.

Technique:

1. Sit in cross-legged position.
2. Breathe in and as you breathe out, pull your stomach in.
3. Along with pulling your stomach in, contract your kegel muscles.
4. As you breathe in again, expand your Kegels.
5. Repeat this for 10 rounds and relax.

4. Butterfly Kegel Exercise

This exercise is also beneficial to increase the flexibility of your calf thigh and muscles.

Technique:

1. Sit in cross-legged position.
2. Join toes of both your legs to one another.
3. You can now flutter your legs like butterfly wings.
4. Stay stable in this pose and follow simple kegel exercise steps.
5. One of the best kegel exercises for men and women.

5. Bridge Kegel Exercise

This exercise also relaxes your lower back muscles.

Technique:

1. Lie down on your back.
2. Put your toes touching the ground and hands sidewards.
3. As you breathe in, raise your pelvic zone.
4. Keep your buttocks relaxed and contract your kegel muscles.
5. At the same time, move your bent legs to the count of 5.
6. Then expand the muscles and relax the pelvic floor.

6. Wind Removing Kegel Exercise

Technique:

1. Lie down on the floor.
2. Bend your legs and try to bring your knees close to your nose.
3. Hold both your legs with your hands.
4. As you breathe in and out, do your Kegels.

7. Child Pose Kegel Exercise

Technique :

1. Lie down on the floor.
2. Bend your legs and bring them close to your chest like a child.
3. Keep your hands by your sides.
4. And do your Simple Kegels in this pose.
5. You can also move your knees away from each other in this pose.
6. As you bring them closer, contract your Kegels and as you take them away Expand them.

8. Donkey Kicks Kegel Exercise

Technique:

1. Put both your hands on the ground and come on all your fours.
2. Kick back with one of the legs and expand your Kegels.
3. Come back to basic pose and contract them.
4. One of the best kegel exercises for men and women.

Kegel Exercises for Men

9. Flutter Kegel Exercise

In this technique, we need to flutter our Kegels. Rapidly, flex and liberate your Pubococcygeal Muscles (PC) muscles. Do it for 10 repetitions and relax for 10 seconds and repeat.

10. Squeeze and Hold Kegel Exercise

As the name suggests, Squeeze your Kegels, hold for 5 seconds and release the muscles.

11. Random Flexing Style

First, do 10 flutters in a row and then do squeeze and hold kegel exercise. This is said to be a random flexing style of kegel exercise.

Benefits of Kegel Exercises

1. It assists pelvic organs like bladder, bowel, and vagina.
2. Kegel exercises help in giving sexual pleasure.
3. It helps in gaining better bladder control and prevents leakage.
4. It prevents and helps in the treatment of erectile dysfunction in Men.
5. Kegel Exercises prevents premature ejaculation.
6. It helps in the treatment of Vaginismus in women and eliminates the fear of sex.