Do you sometimes leak urine when you don't expect it? Or does it happen when you laugh or cough? These are problems that we men are a little embarrassed to talk about, but many of us have. Don't worry, there may be a good solution to this. Today we're going to talk about an exercise that many people think is only for women, but is incredibly beneficial for men too. That's "Kegel Exercises."
What are Kegel exercises?
Simply put, Kegels are exercises that strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Think of your lower abdomen as a network of muscles that hold your organs, such as your bladder and bowels, in place, like a net or a rope, and keep them from falling down. That network of muscles is what we call the pelvic floor muscles.
These muscles help you control urination and defecation. They are also very important for sexual function. They are directly involved in controlling blood flow to the penis, helping to achieve an erection, and controlling ejaculation.
Why should we men do Kegel exercises?
When we talk about Kegel exercises, we often think of women. They do them to strengthen their pelvic floor muscles, which weaken after pregnancy or as we age. But men can also benefit from these exercises due to various health conditions.
Check the table below to see if you too can benefit from these benefits.
| Your problem/situation | Benefits of Kegel exercises |
|---|---|
| Urinary incontinence | Improves bladder control. |
| Fecal incontinence | Improves bowel control. |
| Pain and swelling caused by inflammation of the prostate gland (prostatitis) or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) . | Helps manage pain and swelling. |
| Problems with sexual satisfaction and performance. | Helps to better control ejaculation and improve orgasm. |
Doing these exercises, especially before and after surgery for prostate cancer (prostatectomy), is a great help in regaining urinary control.
Okay, now how do you find these muscles exactly?
This is the most important thing. To exercise correctly, you need to identify the right muscles. There are a few simple ways to do this.
1. Imagine yourself stopping your urine: While you are urinating, imagine yourself suddenly trying to stop urinating. The muscles that tighten at that moment are the pelvic floor muscles you are looking for. But remember, this is just to find the muscles. Don't do this exercise while urinating constantly. It's not good for your bladder.
2. Think of it as holding back air: These are the same muscles you tighten to hold back air when you have to fart.
3. The feeling of your testicles being pulled up: When you tighten these muscles, you should feel your scrotum being pulled up slightly.
The most important thing is, don't tense your stomach, buttocks, or thighs when doing this exercise. The only muscles that need to be tightened are the ones we found. It's a small, internal tightening.
If you have trouble finding these muscles, talk to your doctor. He or she can explain this to you in detail.
How to do Kegel exercises correctly, step by step
Once you find the right muscles, the exercise is very easy to do. You can do it anywhere, anytime. When you first start, it's easiest to do it sitting in a chair or lying down in bed.
- Step 1: First, tighten the pelvic floor muscles you found. As mentioned above, as if you were holding back urine.
- Step 2: Hold for about 5 seconds . Don't hold your breath at this point. Breathe normally. It's a good idea to count out loud 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
- Step 3: Now completely relax the muscles you were tensing. Hold for 5 seconds .
- Step 4: Tighten and loosen in this manner one repetition at a time . Do this 10 times in a row.
- Step 5: Try to do this set of 10 repetitions three times a day (morning, afternoon, and night).
Once you get used to this and it becomes easier, try increasing the hold time from 5 seconds to 10 seconds . Also, keep the release time to 10 seconds.
Small mistakes and how to fix them
If you're doing Kegel exercises correctly, you won't be able to move anywhere else in your body. If your stomach, buttocks, or thighs feel tight, you're doing them wrong. And if your back, stomach, or head hurt after the exercise, you're using the wrong muscles or holding your breath.
Things to pay particular attention to
Very important: If you have a Foley catheter in place, do not do Kegel exercises for any reason. Doing so may cause bleeding or painful bladder muscle contractions.
If you feel pain while exercising, stop immediately. It means you're probably doing it wrong. It's more important to do it right than to do it too many times a day.
Usually, you'll start to notice a difference after doing these exercises for about 6-8 weeks. But to maintain the results, you need to make this a part of your daily routine.
Take-Home Message
- Kegel exercises are very beneficial for both women and men. They strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.
- These help with urinary and bowel control problems and improve sexual function.
- Before doing the exercise, imagine yourself holding back your urine and identify the right muscles.
- Start by tightening for 5 seconds, then relaxing for 5 seconds, 10 times, 3 times a day. Over time, increase to 10 seconds.
- Do not hold your breath or tighten your stomach, buttocks, or thigh muscles while doing the exercise.
- If you feel pain, or if there is no improvement after 6-8 weeks, be sure to talk to your doctor. He or she can give you the right guidance.
💬 අදහස් (0)
තවමත් කිසිදු අදහසක් පළ කර නොමැත. ඔබේ අදහස පළමු වරට මෙහි එක් කරන්න.
ඔබේ අදහස එක් කරන්න