Doctors often recommend Kegel exercises (also known as pelvic floor exercises) to both men and women when they first start experiencing bladder leaks (1). Kegel exercises are tiny squeeze and release exercises of the pelvic floor muscles. Practising Kegels will strengthen your pelvic floor muscle and can offer you various benefits. Knowing if you're doing Kegel exercises right is difficult. Finding and squeezing the right muscles can be tricky and they can also be time-consuming.
Want to up your game? Weights are no longer just for the gym, vaginal weights (Kegel balls) sit inside the vagina and help to strengthen your pelvic floor whilst doing your kegel exercises (2).
Or you could opt for an electrical stimulation probe. The probe sits in the vagina or anus and sends electrical currents to contract the pelvic floor muscles (3). Using an internal device can cause problems, as poor cleaning of the device can lead to infections and weights can be tricky to remove. And of course, the electrical probe may be a bit of a shock (yes, literally). Thankfully, there is a better, safer and more efficient way for women to use Kegel exercises to strengthen their pelvic floor with INNOVO.
In this article, we’re going to focus on the benefits of Kegel exercises. Yes, improving your sex life is on the list, get reading.
What are the benefits of Kegel exercises?
You’ve heard of Kegel exercises, but you may be wondering - how can Kegels benefit me? Let’s take a look... Kegel exercises offer benefits including (1,4):
- Can stop you from experiencing bladder leaks
- May stop you from accidentally passing poo or wind
- Can improve your orgasms and sexual sensations
- Reducing the risk of a pelvic organ prolapse
- Stronger support for the uterus, bladder, and rectum
- Improved sports performance and technique
- Reducing the chances of a sports injury
How to use Kegel exercises
Men and women can use Kegel exercises and, as we touched on above, they’re useful for more than just stopping bladder leaks and can have a whole host of other benefits. Let’s take a closer look at some of the benefits Kegel exercises can offer.
To Control Bladder Weakness
Bladder leaks happen when the pelvic muscles are weak and the pressure in your bladder is more than the strength of your urethra’s ability to stay closed. So, when you laugh or cough, your bladder experiences pressure and it pushes urine out.
So how do you control bladder weakness? You’ve guessed it, practising Kegel exercises strengthens the pelvic floor muscles and can help control or stop bladder leaks —amen to that (5).
To Improve Sex Life
Did you know Kegel exercises can improve your sex life? How? Well, Kegel exercises improve the blood flow to your vagina and to your pelvic floor muscles, this can lead to an increase in vaginal lubrication, sexual arousal, and intense orgasms (6). And what about men? Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles that surround your penis can stop you from ejaculating too early and can also help you to maintain an erection (7).
If you experience painful sex or find having a pelvic exam uncomfortable, Kegels may be the answer. Kegel exercises relax the vaginal muscles, which can help you to have a more comfortable experience.
After Giving Birth
Congratulations, you’ve brought your beautiful baby into the world. But are you now worried about bladder leaks? During labour, a lot of pressure is placed onto the pelvic floor muscles, which can lead to stress urinary incontinence. To reduce the chances of bladder leaks, medical professionals advise mums to do pelvic floor exercises several times a day. And as an added bonus Kegels can help prevent pelvic organ prolapse and improve blood flow, which will help to reduce any swelling and bruising after giving birth (8).
To Improve Running Form and Exercise Technique
Are you a runner? Having a strong core and pelvic floor muscles can improve the alignment in your muscles and joints, stabilises the spine, and can improve your posture whilst running. If your core is weak, each time you plant your feet on the ground, the impact travels up your legs and into your pelvic floor. Prolonged high impact from running can weaken the pelvic floor muscle, place strain on your lower body, and cause an injury.
Knee pain can also be a common problem for runners, this is because the pelvis is connected to your hip and core. If the pelvic muscles are too weak or too tight, they can cause the thigh bone to be out of position. This then causes the kneecap to be out of alignment which can cause pain (9,10).
Do Kegel exercises quickly and comfortably with INNOVO
As we’ve seen, practising Kegels strengthens your pelvic floor muscles and offers other benefits. Kegels can be performed manually or by using internal devices. Both can be time-consuming, uncomfortable, and potentially dangerous.
INNOVO has undergone significant clinical studies, including a study that found INNOVO to be safer over probe-based treatments. INNOVO is a non-invasive device that can be worn by both men and women. Once you're wearing the shorts, connect the cables, and use them for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week while you watch your favourite soap. This allows INNOVO to complete 180 perfect pelvic floor exercises for you. In fact, they’re so effective that research shows that 80% of INNOVO users noticed a significant reduction in leaks after 4 weeks (11). Find out how INNOVO can put an end to your bladder leaks and how you can get back to living life on your terms.
Sources
- Webmd. Kegel Exercises. Medically Reviewed July 2020.
- VeryWell Health. How To Use Vaginal Weights For Incontinence. Medically Reviewed October 2019.
- NHS. Non-Surgical Treatment Urinary Incontinence. Reviewed 2019.
- U.S. National Library of Medicine. Medline Plus. Kegel Exercises - Self Care. Reviewed January 2021.
- Bowel & Bladder Foundation. Pelvic Floor Exercises For Women. Published October 2008.
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre. Pelvic Floor Muscle (Kegel) Exercises for Women to Improve Sexual Health. Updated December 2018.
- Webmd. 3 Kegel Exercises to Help Address Erectile Dysfunction (ED) and Premature Ejaculation. Reviewed November 2020.
- Babycentre. Your Pelvic Floor After Birth. Reviewed March 2021.
- Pelvic Relief. Kegel-ing across the finish line: 5 pelvic floor exercises for runners. Published January 2021.
- Runner's World. Running More? This Trick Can Help Eliminate Knee Pain. Published April 2020.
- Observational study on the treatment of stress urinary incontinence with Innovotherapy, April 2014.