Increase your sex drive with this workout
While most women are well aware of the general benefits of working out to reach physical goals, many know less about the pelvic floor muscles.
The pelvic floor, also called the pubococcygeus, or “PC” muscles, are made up of the set of powerful muscles that extend from your pubic bone to your tailbone. They support both your body core and the organs of your lower abdomen. Kegels are (KEY-gull) specifically targeted exercises that train and strengthen these muscles.
Sometimes, women can experience weaker or lose muscles, referred to as hypotonic pelvic floor muscles. This can most commonly occur when the muscles are overused as we age or have a baby. Some common signs include loss of bladder or bowel control — leakage when you pee, for example.
For women who fall into this category, doing pelvic floor exercises can have many benefits.If however, your pelvic floor muscles are very tight or tense (referred to as hypertonic pelvic floor), the following exercises would not be the best solution for you. We encourage you to speak with your doctor and/or a Pelvic Floor Therapist to get more info.
Health benefits of kegels
Approximately 1 in 3 women will experience issues related to a weak pelvic floor due to: pregnancy, childbirth, being overweight, aging, surgery and not exercising these muscles. Fortunately, strengthening your pelvic floor with kegel exercises is simple and can be fun. Women who consistently strengthen these muscles see improved benefits [1] within a few months including:
Achieve more intense and frequent orgasms
Increases lubrication around arousal
Improves bladder control
Reduces incontinence
Increases sexual arousal
Improves lubrication
Achieve higher overall sexual satisfaction
Benefits for new moms
With up to 80% of expectant and new moms experiencing pelvic floor problems [2], kegel exercises are especially beneficial for women during pregnancy and postpartum. Studies have shown that women who start kegel exercises early after a vaginal delivery experience a faster recovery process and unique health benefits in addition to those listed above [3]:
Aids in childbirth due to increased strength
Faster healing process postpartum
Overcomes urinary incontinence
Prevents unwanted leakage
Improves posture
When to do them
Kegels can be done anytime with special kegel balls, yoni eggs or exercise trainers. Whether you set aside 5 minutes at the gym or do them during your next meeting, you will notice a difference within a few weeks if you do them consistently. However, most women say they can’t remember to do them every day, so we recommend setting a daily alarm. If you have any pelvic floor medical conditions, please discuss exercises with your doctor first.