A Step-By-Step Guide To Do Kegel Exercises
Updated Sept 2024
Finding and activating your pelvic floor muscles is essential to performing Kegels correctly. We will go through this in detail and have you a Kegel Queen by the end!
Think of your pelvic floor as your 'lady hammock'. Your internal organs sit inside your pelvic floor basket and if it is not strong then this is when it can start cause issues. Your pelvic floor needs to be strong to hold up these organs. If your pelvic floor gets weak, then your internal organs can move and drop down. This can lead to bladder leaks and prolapses.
Diagram below shows a Normal pelvic floor anatomy and pelvic organ prolapse diagrams
Over 50% of women report having bladder leaks and over 50% of women over 50 years of age have a prolapse. That is a staggering amount of women.
Unfortunately, due to inadequate education and support many are suffering in silence and are not aware that they can improve and yes, many could have been prevented..
So let’s jump right in.
Kegel exercises will not make you look better, but they will increase the strength that sustains the bladder, the bowel and the uterus. Good pelvic floor muscles can help protect against incontinence.
Arnold H. Kegel, an American gynecologist, created these exercises in the late 1940s as a nonsurgical method to prevent women from spilling urine. They also help men who suffer from incontinence.
Although Kegel exercises may seem easy for some, locating the proper muscles to train is not as easy for all women. One-third or more of women and men who perform Kegels work their abdomen, buttock, or inner thigh muscles.
Studies have shown that even when told how to perform Kegel exercises, 50% will still do them incorrectly. This is because it is very hard to visualize these muscles. It takes time and practice to get them right. We teach this in our 4 Week Pelvic Floor Workout Programme.
What Are Kegel Exercises?
Kegel exercises, sometimes known as Kegels, are essentially squeeze and relaxation exercises that tighten the tissues in your pelvic floor. These are all the muscles that help to support the womb, bladder, and uterus. Note that the relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles is equally important.
Consider your pelvic floor muscles to be a hammock that holds everything together. Dr. Arnold Kegel, an American gynecologist, demonstrated that pelvic floor exercises efficiently strengthen pelvic floor muscles - thus the name Kegel exercises.
A Kegel is just the contraction and release of your pelvic floor muscles. When you urinate and try to stop mid flow this is where your pelvic floor muscles are. However, please only try this once as doing it too often can cause urinary infections. You can also use a finger to try and test or use our Pelvic Floor Kegel Weights that will teach you where your correct pelvic floor muscles are.
Kegels make your bladder, uterus, anus, and rectum work appropriately by strengthening your pelvic floor.
It also can support the recovery of your pelvic floor during pregnancy and delivery and the renewal of your vaginal strength following childbirth.
Better sex, better ORGASMS! Dr. Ruth Westheimer, a world-renowned sex educator, explains this possible consequence of improved blood flow to the pelvis and genital area and the greater capacity of the vaginal muscles to tighten during the peak.
So, if there was ever a great reason to start your Kegels! Now is the time!
How To Do Kegel Exercises Correctly?
Improve your technique. To do Kegels, consider standing up and imagine trying to stop passing gas and stop urination wee at the same time. This helps you find your pelvic floor and is the area you want to be contracting. Start slowly, aim for 3 seconds each time, then rest for 3 seconds.
Maintain your concentration. For optimum benefits, only contract your pelvic floor muscles. Avoid flexing the muscles in your belly, thighs, or buttocks. Try not to hold your breath. Tip: If you count out loud, you physically cannot hold your breath! Give it a try now.
Aim for 2 to 3 times a day of 10 repetitions each.
Tips That I Am Doing Kegel Exercises Correctly?
When performing Kegels, keep your tummy and hips calm. Check that you're not contracting your stomach or thigh muscles or holding your breath. No raised eyebrows either!:-)
How To Do Kegel Exercise To Tighten Your Vagina And Pelvic Floor Muscles
Pelvic floor muscle workouts can improve in the strengthening of the muscles for the uterus, bladder, and bowel. It can benefit both men and women who are experiencing urinary or bowel problems.
When you need to urinate again, start and then stop. Let your vaginal, bladder, and anus muscles tighten and slide up. These are all the muscles of the pelvic floor. You have completed the exercise correctly if you feel them tighten.
Like we said earlier. This should just be done once as repeated holding of your urine can cause urinary infections. When you can locate the muscles correctly, repeat the workouts while sitting or standing, but NOT when urinating.
If you're still unsure if you're tightening the proper muscles, the following advice may be helpful:
Women: Put your index finger inside your vagina. Tighten your muscles as though you were retaining your pee and wind at the same time, then relax. The muscles should tense and generally move.
Our Secret Whispers Kegel Weights when inserted teach you where your correct pelvic floor muscles are and how to do your Kegels correctly. Taking away all the guesswork!
Men: Insert a finger inside your rectum. Squeeze your muscles as though you were retaining pee and wind, then relax. The muscles should tense and move up and down.
Can I Tighten My Pelvic Floor Muscles Fast?
The short answer is possibly. Many women can expect results in just 2 weeks and for others it can take a few months. It very much depends on the current strength of your pelvic floor and most importantly that you are dedicated to doing your Kegels every day. Remember that your pelvic floor is a muscle like any other and it takes time to build up the strength. But, the results are so worth it!
Remember that once you have mastered the Slow and Fast Kegel techniques (that we will explain below) you can do your Kegels ANYWHERE and at ANYTIME!
The Different Types Of Kegels
There are 3 different types of Kegel exercises; Slow, Fast, and the Knack. It is really worthwhile spending some time getting these techniques correct.
#1. The Slow Kegel Exercise Technique
#2. The Fast Kegel Exercise Technique
#3. The Knack Kegel Exercise Technique
This method can be 98% effective so give it a go!
Kegel Exercise Step By Step Images
These images show how the Kegel weights progress weekly, from 40g during week one to 90g during week 6. Using these daily is the key to progression and improving pelvic floor health, and improving both urinary, stress incontinence and fecal incontinence.
Using kegel weights means it's easy to find the right muscles to hold the weights in place.
Why Secret Whispers Kegel Weights Kit is the solution for you
So, whether you have minor 'oops' moments, leak frequently, have a mild/moderate prolapse, and want to be capable of preventing problems, our Kegel Weights are for you.
- Improve your bladder control quickly.
- Preventing and improving prolapse.
- They are quite easy to use.
- It's super soft and simple to insert.
- It only takes 15 minutes every day.
- Easy to clean, made of clinical soft silicone, free of latex, BPA, and phthalates, hypoallergenic, and completely waterproof.
- We also have a private womens only community where you can get support from women just like you.
The Kegel Weights Equipment is the greatest at-home kit since it is so simple to use. No prescription is needed and at only £39.99 they are perfect for home use with clear step by step instructions and they last for life too!
About the Author: Secret Whispers was founded by Julie Colan, a dedicated mum and health enthusiast who identified a gap in effective pelvic floor strengthening solutions. Driven by her own experiences, Julie set out to enhance pelvic floor awareness and education. Helen Rankin, who founded Cheeky Wipes and Cheeky Pants and developed a range of environmentally friendly 'Simple Reusables', has now taken over Secret Whispers. Helen brings a wealth of experience in sustainable product development, recognised by the prestigious Queens Award in Enterprise for Sustainable Development in 2021. Together, their shared mission continues to empower women with reliable health and wellness solutions.
