Kegel exercises, also known as pelvic floor exercises, are often discussed in the context of women's health, even though many people are unfamiliar with them. Some believe these exercises are essential for improving pelvic floor health, claiming to improve everything from sexual satisfaction to addressing issues like urinary incontinence.
Opinions vary, however, with some suggesting that Kegel exercises may be ineffective or even harmful in certain situations. So, just how effective are they? Let's explore what the purpose of Kegel exercises is and what benefits research shows they can have for women.
Why should you care about pelvic floor exercises?
Before determining their effectiveness, it's important to understand the purpose of Kegel exercises. Typically, these exercises are designed to strengthen the pelvic floor, which can become weakened by factors like pregnancy, aging, or even physical activity. A stronger pelvic floor may have a wide range of benefits, from therapeutic uses to improved sexual health.
The main reasons to perform Kegel exercises include:
Addressing pelvic dysfunction: One of the main uses is to prevent or treat pelvic floor disorders, such as urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse.
Enhance Sexual Function: Some women practice Kegel exercises to increase arousal or improve the quality of their orgasms.
Preventative Health: They are also used as a preventative measure to help maintain pelvic health during aging or pregnancy.
Given these varying claims, it’s no wonder that Kegel exercises have been both praised and questioned. Do they really provide these benefits?
Research on Kegel Exercises
Since their introduction in the 1940s, Kegel exercises have been extensively studied, providing insights into their effectiveness for a variety of health issues. Here’s a breakdown of the findings:
- For Urinary Incontinence During Pregnancy: Studies confirm that pelvic floor exercises can significantly reduce stress urinary incontinence in pregnant women.
- Treat Urinary Incontinence: Research consistently supports Kegel exercises as an effective first-line treatment for women with stress, urge, or mixed urinary incontinence.
- Enhance Sexual Function: There is also evidence that Kegel exercises can increase arousal and enhance overall sexual function, including orgasm frequency and quality.
- Treat Pelvic Organ Prolapse: Pelvic floor muscle exercises are considered a non-invasive way to treat pelvic organ prolapse with minimal risk of side effects.
Kegel Master Gen2
If you’re interested in strengthening your pelvic floor muscles and want to get the best results, you might want to try the Kegel Master Gen2. Designed specifically to help women properly position and exercise their pelvic floor muscles, it provides adjustable resistance to ensure you effectively stimulate and strengthen these key muscle groups with every exercise.
Not only does the Kegel Master Gen2 help you perform exercises more accurately, it also speeds up the time it takes to see results, whether it’s improving the quality of your sex life, preventing or improving urinary incontinence, or preparing for childbirth. This device is suitable for a variety of different exercise intensity needs, and users from beginners to experienced users can find the right resistance level to help you gradually improve muscle strength.
If you’re looking for a scientifically proven way to improve pelvic health, the Kegel Master Gen2 is a trustworthy choice to help you achieve your health goals more easily.
Performing Kegel Exercises Correctly
It’s worth mentioning that if a woman’s pelvic floor is overactive (the muscles are too tight), Kegel exercises may make the problem worse rather than better. In addition, pelvic pain, especially pain related to vaginal penetration, may indicate that Kegel exercises are not an appropriate treatment.
Therefore, it’s also important to perform the exercises correctly. Using the wrong muscles or incorrect technique can make the exercise ineffective. If you have no experience and it is difficult to learn on your own, you may need to be guided by a pelvic floor expert. Kegel Master Gen2 comes with Magic Kegel APP, which includes an introductory guide to Kegel training, provides six training courses for different needs, and records and analyzes the real-time exercise data of the smart Kegel trainer and gives training suggestions.
Conclusion
While Kegel exercises are not a panacea for all pelvic floor problems, the evidence overwhelmingly supports their effectiveness in many cases. If performed correctly and for the right reasons (such as improving bladder control, enhancing sexual health, or preventing age-related pelvic floor decline), Kegel exercises can be a valuable tool for women's health.