It’s a fact of life that we can’t ignore, urinary incontinence is an issue, and we have to talk about it, darlings! And since this is International Women’s Month, we may as well talk about something that plagues women more than men, and what we can do about it! Let’s get into it. 

Why Are We Talking About Urinary Incontinence?

Well, if you know you know… Urinary incontinence is a condition where urine is accidentally released. It can happen during stress, excessive coughing or laughter, or due to an existing medical condition. 

Millions of people all over the world suffer from urinary incontinence. While it can impact both men and women, more women struggle with this challenge than men. This can be an embarrassing experience but is also extremely uncomfortable physically.

There are ways to treat this condition medically when it is severe, but prevention can help tremendously, even when you can’t rid yourself of urinary incontinence permanently. One reason women experience this is after childbirth. One method of prevention are Kegel exercises. Use this guide to learn more about Kegel exercises and the tips you need to do them right.

You may also like to read about yoga facial exercises!

Urinary Incontinence Defined

Urinary incontinence occurs when you are unable to “hold it in” and prevent bladder leakage on your own. When this happens, it could be due to a number of causes, with age being a key variable. Younger women do not typically have this problem, particularly if their pelvic floor muscles have not undergone the labor and delivery of childbirth. The simplest thing, such as a sneeze or any bodily movement that places pressure on the bladder can cause urinary incontinence. It can be severe, or just the odd leak from time to time. In any event, it is awkward, embarrassing, and uncomfortable.

Urinary incontinence can be caused by stress, but it can also be caused by a medical condition. Factors such as childbirth, obesity, pelvic surgery, and natural aging can also cause urinary incontinence. There is also incontinence known as urge incontinence, which occurs when you have the urge to go to the bathroom and the leak happens suddenly. Overflow incontinence occurs when the bladder does not empty entirely, and there is a constant flow of leaks or dripping from the bladder.

Because urinary incontinence happens at the pelvic floor, pelvic floor exercises known as Kegel exercises can help. These exercises will strengthen and tighten the pelvic walls, and help you to control your bladder more. With Kegels, you can prevent leakage, and in time, do so without having to think so hard about “holding it in.”

Benefits of Kegel Exercises

The greatest benefit of Kegel exercises is a stronger pelvic wall that helps to keep all of your organs functioning normally. The pelvic floor supports the uterus, the bladder, and the bowels. When the floor is weakened due to physical or emotional stress, leakage can occur. This is why Kegel exercises will help with bladder control. If you struggle from any amount of leakage, Kegel exercises can even cure this problem completely in many cases.

Another benefit of Kegel exercises is that they enhance your intimate life considerably. With a stronger pelvic wall, you have more control over your enjoyment and worry less about embarrassing moments such as urinary leakage. Kegel exercises can also help recovery from surgery in the pelvic area, and help with recovering from childbirth. This is true whether you’ve had a vaginal or cesarean delivery, as pregnancy can weaken the pelvic floor. Additionally, Kegel exercises can help women in menopause who are struggling with some of the physical symptoms that occur during that time of life. During this time, less estrogen is reaching the pelvic floor and Kegel exercises can help to improve that flow.

How to Perform Kegel Exercises

It is easy to do Kegel exercises, and you can do them anywhere you want, anytime you want, and nobody will ever know about it. You have to find the muscles that you do this with first, and that is easy to do if you know how to control your own bladder. Locate these muscles the next time you are urinating. Try to stop urinating mid-stream. Those are the muscles you will be working with for your Kegel exercises.

To perform Kegels, you can perform this action as many times as you want. Squeeze those muscles, hold the movement for approximately three to five seconds, and then release. Repeat. To get a routine going, do this in sets of 3, with 10 to 15 repetitions per set every day. It is important to breathe through each movement, and avoid holding your breath during your Kegels. You also do not need to squeeze any other muscles during them, and should avoid squeezing thighs and stomach during the exercise. Just let the Kegel work naturally.

Start Kegel Exercises Today

Kegel exercises should be done every day if you truly struggle with incontinence. However, you can do them every day just to keep your pelvic walls stronger. You can do them any way you like, while watching TV on the couch, at work, when you are on the phone, or even cooking dinner. Nobody will know, and no equipment or tools are needed. 

If you struggle with urinary incontinence, you will start to see the benefits of Kegel exercises within a few months. Start Kegel exercises today and see the difference for yourself.

So tell me, darlings, have you done Kegel exercises? What has your experience been? Please share in the comments!

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