Kegel Exercise- They are essential my friends

Women, I plead with you, DO THESE!

I cannot even begin to tell you how important these are. I will be blogging my painful experience soon, but for now, most important is to get this information out there to women.

Eventually, things can go south in the body. Muscles can atrophy and give out.
Menopause, with the lack of hormones, can be a huge factor in this as well as childbirth.

Because cancer treatment put me into menopause at age 40, this is my passion. I want young mama's to be ready for this glorious change without the health issues.
So please dont mind my ranting. lol

Here are some tips to help us know what to do for our pelvic muscles to prevent prolapse or urinary incontinence as well as pain in the bladder and urethra from the lack of tone in these muscles.

To find the pelvic floor muscles, imagine that you have a tampon in your vagina that is falling out and you must tighten your vaginal muscles to hold it in.
The muscle that you tighten is the one to exercise.
Another way to find the right muscles (the bulbocavernosis muscle) is to sit on the toilet, place one finger in the vagina and contract the muscle around your finger. This is the muscle you want to exercise.

If you are unsure that you are doing the excercises properly, your doctor or midwife can help you during a pelvic exam.

You can teach your body bad toilet habits by doing this when urinating so try these exercises at other times.
Watching tv, red lights while driving, on the phone, doing dishes.
Get in the habit of doing them.

Thing of an arm muscle. When you start lifting weights, your muscles may become sore. Also it may take some time to develop biceps. But eventually, it comes.
Your pelvic muscles may become sore too but that is a good sign of building the muscle tissue back up.
Some women may feel soreness around the vaginal opening initially. This is normal due to building the muscles. Keep doing the exercises. The saying "use it or lose it" totally applies here.

For severe urine loss this may take 3-6 months for maximum effect.

If you get headache, chest discomfort, abdominal muscle soreness, then you are contracting other muscles in addition to the bulbocavernosis muscles. Concentrate on the perineum (between vagina and anus) and relax the other muscles.


For most women, some doctors feel that doing kegels once a day is sufficient by holding the muscle for as long as possible before relaxing again.

Think of a weightlifter lifting a weight and people around the weightlifter is saying Come on, come on, you can do it. They may be shaking toward the end until they just cannot endure anymore. Then they stop and relax.

During your next pelvic exam ask your practitioner how your muscle tone is and get their suggestion for you.


For some of us however, through childbirth and menopause, we need a more serious routine. I will type out the routine I am doing right now. It works!

Initially-
Tighten pelvic floor muscles for a count of six and relax for six seconds.
Each contraction cycle should last 12 seconds or 5 contractions per minute.
repeat 25 times.
Do this 3 times a day for a total of 75 contractions.

WEEK 2
Tighten the pelvic floor muscles for 6 seconds every 12 seconds (5 per minute) for 10 minutes. 50 contractions. Do this 3 times per day for a total of 150 contractions.

WEEK 3
Tighten pelvic floor muscles for 6 seconds every 12 seconds (5 per minute) for 15 minutes, 75 contractions.
Do this 3 times per day for a total of 225 contractions

WEEK 4-24
Tighten the pelvic floor muscles for 6 secnds every 12 seconds (5 per minute) for 20 minutes. 100 contraction. Do this 3 times per day for a total of 300 contractions.


AFTER 24 WEEKS
Continue maintenance at 10 minutes three times per day or 15 miutes twice a day for a total of 150 contractions per day.

Picture of Goddess women is an artistic Creation of Ciara of Butterfly Kisses. I own this and love it!