Tips for practicing pelvic floor (kegel) exercises
How to identify the correct muscle
- To find the pelvic floor muscle, you may place your finger inside your vagina or on your rectum. Try to squeeze the muscles around your finger. This is the muscle you want to exercise. This muscle is the same one you use to hold back gas or a bowel movement.
- REMEMBER do not squeeze your stomach, leg or buttock muscles. To find out if you are also contracting your stomach muscles, place your hand on your stomach while squeezing your pelvic floor. If you feel your stomach or body move, you are using too many muscles.
- These exercises can be practiced anytime, anywhere. If you are doing them correctly no one can see you doing them.
- Strength builds slowly; do not expect to see results right away.
Doing the exercises
- Gradually, not quickly, squeeze the muscle you identified earlier and hold for a count of five seconds. Then relax the muscle while you take a slow breath in and exhale. Remember to relax the muscle.
- Do 10 exercises in the morning, 10 at noon, 10 after dinner and 10 at bedtime.
- Do gentle and easy squeezes.
When will I notice a change?
- Change varies from person to person. Allow at least 4-6 weeks before expecting to see a change in your symptoms.
Can the exercises harm me?
- NO, These exercises cannot harm you in any way. Most patients find them relaxing and easy to do. If you are using large amounts of abdominal or buttock muscles to squeeze your pelvic muscle you may experience some soreness in these areas. Go back and find the pelvic muscle again to help reduce abdominal or buttock use.
