With Debbie Simon
We usually keep things pretty light here at the Olde Un
Blog, but we’re going to take a more serious tone for a minute as we talk about
why Kegels are important for more than just improving your sex life.
A common problem
Weakened pelvic floor muscles can lead to all kinds of
problems, especially for women. Forty percent of the 27,342 women enrolled in a
Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study had some degree of uterine prolapse. What
is uterine prolapse? According to the Mayo Clinic, it is a condition in which
the uterus slips down into or protrudes out of the vagina due to weakened
and/or stretched pelvic floor muscles. It can happen to women of any age, but
often affects post-menopausal women who’ve had one or more vaginal deliveries.
Complications include ulcers and prolapse of other pelvic organs, including
your bladder. Symptoms include a sensation of heaviness or pulling in your
pelvis, tissue protruding from your vagina, low back pain and urinary problems
and incontinence.
Weakened pelvic floor muscles can be an issue for men as
well; the muscles can weaken as men age and lead to incontinence — especially
if the man has had prostate surgery.
What to do about it
The most common way to combat this issues is performing
Kegel exercises. Here are a few tips:
·
Find the
right muscles: An easy way to do this is to stop urination in midstream —
the muscles you use for this are your pelvic floor muscles. You can also place
a clean finger inside your vagina and tighten your vaginal muscles around your
finger.
It can be a bit harder for men. One way is
to insert a finger into the rectum and try to squeeze it without tightening the
muscles of the abdomen, buttocks or thighs. Another option is to tense the
muscles that you use to keep from passing gas.
·
Practice
makes perfect: Tighten your pelvic floor muscles, holding the contraction
for 5 seconds, then relaxing for 5 seconds. Do this four or five times in a
row, slowly working up to 10 second intervals. Aim for three sets of 10
repetitions a day. Be careful not to flex the muscles in your abdomen, thighs
or buttocks and avoid holding your breath.
·
Don’t
make a habit of doing it while you’re actually peeing: Doing Kegels while
urinating can lead to incomplete emptying of the bladder, which increases the
risk of a urinary tract infection.
·
Stay
consistent: Do your exercises at the same time each day — while you’re
brushing your teeth, watching TV, lying in bed before you go to sleep — and
you’re far less likely to forget to do them.
·
Don’t
overdo it: Exercising these muscles too much can be just as bad as not
doing them at all because you’ll wear them out — stick to the three sets a day.
A multipurpose toy
If Kegels sound too complicated, or you’re not sure if
you’re working the right muscles, there are also pelvic toners that provide
muscle stimulation that can help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. Here at
the Olde Un, we carry the Jopen Intensity for women. The Intensity is the first
sex toy designed to be a Kegel exerciser and stimulator. It inflates to your
desired size and includes five incremental speeds that strengthen the muscles.
But it isn’t all work and no play — the Intensity also features a G-spot
stimulating mound and a clitoral stimulator.
And the added benefit of all those Kegels? Tighter pelvic
floor muscles means better sex! So get out there and get exercising, friends!
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