The Forgotten Muscles
3 06 2010We all know how to work most of our muscles, but what about the ones that most people forget. Kegel exercises can make for an easier pregnancy and spice up your sex life.
You can lift weights or run to work your biceps and calves, but what about the forgotten muscles — the ones in the vaginal and perineal (the area extending from the anus to the vulva) region? What can woman do to strengthen these muscles and why would we want to?!
During pregnancy there is an increase in pressure on your bladder, which may lead to urinary and bowel incontinence. Toning the muscles surrounding this area through exercises known as Kegels may help alleviate this common side effect of pregnancy. Strengthening the vaginal and perineal muscles will also help with delivery, enabling you to isolate the muscles used to push your baby through the birth canal. Kegels are also something that can help after the birth of your baby - aiding the vagina in shrinking back down to pre-pregnancy size. Kegels therefore, are important for the pregnant and the post partum woman.
How can you isolate these muscles that you may have never known you had? Next time you urinate, stop the flow … those are the muscles. You want to use that same tightening motion as you strengthen the vaginal and perineal muscles. Start by squeezing and holding for five seconds and releasing for five seconds. Feel that?! Work your way up so that you are doing it often, as in 20 or more times a day, holding as long as possible each time.
Don’t be shy, you can do Kegel exercises anywhere - in your car at a stop light, during a board meeting or in bed at night as you read a book. No one will know! Kegels require no special machine or gear. They are one of the great ways to get your body physically ready for the birth of your child. So ladies, remember, Kegels, Kegels, Kegels!
