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Home › Articles › Exercise in Pregnancy › Pelvic Power

Pelvic Power

The Benefits of Kegel Exercises

By April Underwood

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The pelvic floor muscles form a figure eight, as they are slung in loops around the vaginal and urethral sphincter in front and the anal sphincter at the rear. The pelvic floor works as a coordinated whole. Kegels, or pelvic floor exercises, involve contracting this unit as a whole. However, our main focus is on the frontal aspect of the two sphincters: the sphincter which controls the flow of urine and the voluntary contractions of the vagina. These exercises involve lifting up and drawing in the muscles.

Exercise No. 1: Basic contract and release
Lay on your back, side or front with legs apart and chest relaxed. Draw up the pelvic floor. You should feel the sides of the sphincters become tight and the inside passages become tense. Concentrate on the frontal sphincter surrounding the urethra and the vagina. Place one hand over the pubic bone and think about tightening the birth canal as high as the level of your hand. Hold for two or three seconds and then completely relax.

Exercise No. 2: The elevator
Place yourself in any comfortable position. Imagine that you are riding in an elevator. As you ascend to each floor, try to draw up the sphincter muscles a little more without losing any of the tension that you have been progressively accumulating. Make it a smooth ride up and a smooth ride down, releasing completely at the end. Always end your pelvic floor exercises with a contraction to return the pelvic floor to its supportive resting state. Quality is more important than quantity. Do at least 50 a day during pregnancy and postpartum and 50 a day for the rest of your life. The best part is, no one has to know you're doing them. Kegels can be done during virtually any activity
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