Kegel Exercises Guidelines for Strengthening Episode 3

Kegel Exercises guidelines for how to strengthen your pelvic floor are outlined in this Physical Therapist video.

This Kegel exercise video teaches you:

• How to Kegel with correct technique in upright sitting; and
• How many Kegel exercises you need to do to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.

Video duration: 5 minutes

Pelvic Floor Safe Exercise Saver Pack

Inside Out eBook and exercise workout video both available in this cost effective saver pack (download or hardcopy format).

Inside Out eBook and exercise video pack helps you:

• Lose weight and maintain body weight
• Safely strengthen and tone
• Understand unsafe exercises to avoid
• Choose pelvic floor safe exercises
• Strengthen your pelvic floor
• Increase your lean muscle
• Improve your bone health

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Kegel Exercises Video Episodes

• Episode 1: What is a Kegel?
• Episode 2: How to Feel Your Kegels
• Episode 3: How to Kegel with Correct Technique for Strength
• Episode 4: Beginner’s Kegel Workout
• Episode 5: Advanced Kegel Workout.

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Benefits of Kegel Exercises

Knowing these exercise guidelines can help women improve:

• Prolapse symptoms
• Bladder control problems (bladder incontinence)
• Bowel control problems (faecal incontinence)
• Sexual sensation and response problems.

Why do Kegel Exercises in Upright Positions?

It is important to progress your Kegel exercises from lying down positions into upright when you feel confident in your technique. When your body is upright, your pelvic floor muscles are required to support the weight of your abdomen and lift up against the added downward force of gravity. The additional load upon your pelvic floor when you are upright means that upright positions can help you to increase the strength of your pelvic floor muscles.

Your pelvic floor muscles will strengthen and work best for you in those specific positions you train your muscles in. If you do all your Kegels lying down, then your pelvic floor will become stronger when activated lying down. Most of us need our pelvic floor muscles to work well for us in upright sitting and standing, so it makes good sense to practice Kegels in these upright positions.

How to do Seated Kegel Exercises

Kegel exercises in upright positions involve the same basic underlying principles as lying down:

A. Correct Your Posture

Correct posture for Kegel exercises involves finding your neutral spine posture and maintaining it throughout your exercises.

• Sit with your body weight evenly distributed between your sit bones
• Lengthen your spine so that you sit tall (lift the crown of your head to the ceiling)
• Bring your shoulder blades back and slightly down and lift your chest
• Maintain the small inward curve in your lower back throughout your Kegel exercises

B. Contract Your Pelvic Floor Muscles

Contract your pelvic floor muscles by lifting and squeezing in and around all three pelvic openings together. Continue to lift and squeeze your pelvic floor muscles for 3-10 seconds breathing normally throughout.

C. Relax Your Pelvic Floor Muscles

Relax your pelvic floor muscles back to their normal resting position. Rest sufficiently to allow your pelvic floor muscles to recover before your next attempt.

Guidelines for Kegel Exercises to Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor

To strengthen your pelvic floor muscles with Kegel exercises:

• Ideally try to do your Kegel exercises every day
• Maintain each exercise for up to 10 seconds
• Relax your pelvic floor muscles and rest for 15-45 seconds before your next attempt
• Repeat up to 8-12 Kegel exercises in a row
• Aim to complete your exercises 3 times a day
• When you are confident in your correct Kegel exercise technique, contract your pelvic floor muscles with your strongest possible effort
• Progress your Kegels from lying down into upright sitting and standing.

When Will Kegel Exercises Make a Difference?

Some women notice that their pelvic floor condition improves within a couple of weeks of starting their exercises. Studies have shown that for weak pelvic floor muscles it can take up to 5-6 months of effective Kegel exercises to fully strengthen pelvic floor muscles.