Written By: Ibazainab Zeni

You might notice a leak when coughing, laughing, or lifting objects. It feels shameful, you overlook it and consider it a pregnancy or an age-related issue. This muscle group is also called the Kegels or pubococcygeus muscle group, which supports the pelvic organs and controls functions like urination and bowel movements. They also support the baby during pregnancy, and strong pelvic floor muscles can help mold the baby’s head along with the birthing process itself.  It is extremely sad to say that 32% of women will have at least one pelvic floor disorder at one time in their life (1). This can easily be handled by pelvic floor strengthening or otherwise known as Kegels exercise.

Before going into Kegels exercises, these are a few symptoms of weak Kegel muscles:

1. Urinary incontinence (especially when coughing , sneezing, or exercising)
2. Rectal hemorrhoids
3. Fecal incontinence
4. Possible prolapse of organs (bladder or uterus) bulging sensation
5. Difficulty achieving sexual climax or reduced sensation/pain during intercourse
6. A weak pelvic floor may result in baby’s head being flat, rather than flexed during birth. This may be more likely to tear the vagina tissues than a well-flexed head, which is the optimal fetal position that results from good Kegel tone (2)

So, coming back to the question of how to strengthen Kegel muscles?

It is pretty simple! It can be achieved by simply contracting and releasing the Kegel muscles. If you want to find these muscles, you can stop and start the flow of urine midstream. The muscles that are engaged during this activity are the Kegel muscles.

Now that you know which muscles are being engaged, this exercise can be coordinated with deep breaths and can be done in any position.  Remember to empty your bladder before exercising your Kegels to avoid bladder infection. Start with as less as 10 contractions per day and build up to 100. Once mastered, you can hold a bit longer for 10 seconds before releasing and try contracting at various depths like squeezing steps of stairs. Go up and down three to four levels. Combine these exercises with squatting as squatting helps relax the pelvic floor. It takes a weeks time to see results and changes. (2)

Note: Strengthening pelvic muscles also applies to men and women of all ages.

References:

1: Kenne KA, Wendt L, Brooks Jackson J. Prevalence of pelvic floor disorders in adult women being seen in a primary care setting and associated risk factors. Sci Rep. 2022 Jun 14;12(1):9878. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-13501-w. PMID: 35701486; PMCID: PMC9198100.

2: AMANI birth student workbook