Written by Laura Justin, physiotherapist in Australia
“Kegels” are another name for Pelvic Floor Exercises. Kegels are named after the American gynaecologist, Arnold Henry Kegel. He was the first person to define pelvic floor exercises.
Kegels involve consciously contracting and relaxing the pelvic floor muscles to help improve continence, sexual function, and prolapse symptoms.
There are many different ways to strengthen your pelvic floor with Kegels:
Manual
Pelvic Floor Trainers - Such as Perifit Care
Weighted Kegels / Kegel Balls
What are some tips to perform Kegels?
Kegels should be performed consistently to get the best effect. A pelvic floor Physiotherapist can assess you to determine the right frequency, duration, and intensity of your Kegel exercises.
Imagery techniques for Kegels
As we generally can’t see our pelvic floor movement, using our sense of feel and imagining the movement is one of the best ways to create an effective contraction during Kegels.
Here are some helpful images that may work for you:
Imagine you are stopping wind or urine
Imagine you are trying to “pull” your urine back up into your bladder
Imagine you are drawing a penis or toy up inside your vagina
Imagine like you are squeezing to hold a grape inside your vagina
Some general tips for doing Kegels are:
Do them daily: Set an alarm 2-3x daily to remind you to do your exercises or maybe do them every time you brush your teeth or do the dishes.
Do them to fatigue: Just like other muscle groups, the pelvic floor needs to be challenged to make strength gains! So holding for as long as you can for 3-4 reps with rest in between is one way to build strength.
Do longer holds and fast flicks: Pelvic floor coordination is just as important as strength, so being able to quickly “flick” your pelvic floor on when you need to is a great thing to practice. Try 10 fast on/off flicks after your longer holds.
Make sure you can relax! Try Reverse Kegels to ensure your pelvic floor is able to fully relax for going to the toilet, sexual function, and even childbirth.
What are reverse Kegels?
Reverse Kegels are the relaxation part of pelvic floor training.
So; Kegels = Contract and hold the pelvic floor, Reverse Kegels = relax and release the muscles.
A healthy pelvic floor is able to contract and relax fully as needed, so Kegel training should also include these Reverse Kegels.