The Pelvic Floor Part 2: Kegel Exercises for Urinary Incontinence

In part one of our pelvic floor exercise series, we discussed what the pelvic floor is, how to exercise it and who needs to do pelvic floor exercises!

In part two, we go into more detail about how you can use these pelvic floor exercises, or “kegel exercises” (another name for contracting and relaxing the pelvic floor muscles) specifically to avoid urinary incontinence.

So let’s get into it.

Am I exercising the correct muscles?

The first thing you need to do, is check you’re not wasting your time by making sure that you are in fact exercising the right muscles, the ones in your pelvic floor!

The easiest way to do this is to stop yourself midstream when passing urine. If you can do this, then you're re activating the correct muscles! But don't make this a regular exercise, as it can lead to urinary tract infections.

This is a good self check, and can be used as a measure of your improvement, but not as a regular exercise as it can lead to urinary tract infections.

When correctly activating your pelivc floor muscles, you should feel a gentle tightening or lifting inside your pelvic floor. It is the same feeling when you desperately need to urinate but have to hold it in before reaching a toilet!

Try not to hold your breath. Instead, try to  breathe out as you squeeze your pelvic floor muscles up, and continue to breathe as you keep holding on.

Make sure your inner thighs and bottom muscles are not tightening either. They should remain relaxed throughout the exercise.

How many pelvic floor / kegel exercises do I need to do?

Unfortunately, there is no set number of kegel exercises for everyone. Like all exercise programs, kegel exercises are best tailored to individual needs for maximal benefits.

When performing Kegel exercises, it is important to perform both ' Quick Lifts' and 'Long Holds', to ensure all of the pelvic floor muscles are being activated. 'Quick Lifts' refer to quickly squeezing up your pelvic floor muscles, then releasing them immediately.

'Long Holds' refer to holding onto your pelvic floor muscles for a longer contraction.

As a general guideline, we recommend the following:

• Quick Lifts: 10-20x per day
• Long Holds: initally aim for up to 10 seconds, then relax. Gradually progress to holding for 30 seconds before relaxing. Repeat this for 12 repetitions, for 2-3 sets.
• The easiest position to perform Kegel eercises in, is lying on your back, with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.

Keeping up your kegel exercises

Like any exercise program, continuing to challenge the muscles regularly is important to keep them strong.

As you get stronger, you can change exercise positions - sitting, standing, walking or running. The stronger you are, the less likely it is that you will suffer from a dysfunction like incontinence.

You don’t need to become one of the many people with incontinence problems.

You can start looking after yourself today by taking control of your pelvic floor. Just because you can’t see the muscles working, doesn’t mean exercising is any less important and you’ll definitely thank yourself for your efforts as you age.

Already suffering pelvic floor dysfunction?

For those of you who are suffering from the symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction, it is important to seek advice. In most cases, your symptoms can be cured by exercises alone, and rarely is surgery required.

Seeking help from a Continence professional, like a Continence Physiotherapist or a Continence Nurse, are your best options.

Don’t wait any longer!

So get to it, everyone can benefit from exercising this group of muscles, you’ve got nothing to lose - except your incontinence…start your kegel exercises today and say goodbye to urinary incontinence!

Brooke Williams – Women’s and Men’s Health Physiotherapist and Director, Back In Motion Australia on Collins