Kegel exercises or Pelvic Floor Exercises are exercises that increase the strength of the pelvic floor muscles and are named after Dr. Arnold Kegel. They are beneficial to women of all ages especially those preparing for birth although they can also help increase sexual enjoyment. Kegel exercises are straightforward to learn and extremely easy, you can perform them in just a few minutes while laying in bed, in the car or in fact pretty much anywhere.

There are many different causes for a damaged pelvic floor and the most common is the strain brought on from vaginal childbirth therefore, strengthening the pelvic floor muscles can ease delivery and make it safer for both mother and child.

Strong pelvic muscles also help control incontinence, many women suffer from incontinence and urinary incontinence brought on by childbirth as well as conditions known as vaginal prolapse and pelvic organ prolapse. In these conditions the uterus, bladder and guts are not properly supported and this leads on to urinary tract and bladder infections as well as incontinence.

Kegel exercises for women can also help with conditions brought on by obesity, aging and naturally feeble pelvic muscles. Many women that have had problems with sexual stimulation and climax have found a great natural cure in the Kegel exercise.

Performing Kegel exercise is fairly straightforward, the general exercise is performed by simply flexing the same muscles that are used to stop the flow of urine. It is important to note that you never want to do the exercise when urinating, this can end up in incomplete emptying of the bladder. It is generally recommended that you slowly build up the time you hold the muscles and be sure to rest the muscles for a similar amount of time and you do the exercises two or 3 times a day.

Even a moderate amount of weight loss can go a long way toward relieving symptoms of female urinary incontinence in obese women.

A 2009 study by the University of California, San Francisco showed that women who lost as little as eight percent of their body weight experienced an average 47% reduction in episodes of both stress incontinence and urge incontinence, with some seeing the number of incontinence episodes drop by an astounding 70%.
The study’s findings, which were reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, concluded that reduction in urinary incontinence can be considered among the primary benefits of even moderate weight loss in significantly overweight women.

The study included a group of 338 overweight and obese women between 45 and 60 years of age, all of whom were experiencing at least 10 episodes of urinary incontinence per week. The participants were divided into two groups, one of which was put on an intensive six-month weight loss program that included diet, exercise, and lifestyle modification.

The other group of participants did not take part in any structured weight loss program, but were given educational classes on the importance of weight loss to incontinence management.

At the end of the six months, the participants in the weight loss group had dropped an average of eight percent of their body weight, while the control group showed an average weight loss of just over one percent.

Episodes of urinary incontinence dropped in both groups during the study period, but the difference between the groups was striking. The weight loss group reported 47% fewer episodes on average, while the control group reported 28% fewer episodes. The weight loss group showed a clinically relevant drop in the number of episodes of all types of incontinence, the researchers said, but episodes of stress incontinence showed the most dramatic reduction.

Stress incontinence, which is the involuntary loss of urine caused by seemingly inconsequential actions such as sneezing, coughing, or laughing, or by movement such as exercise or lifting, is one of the most common female health problems in the US.

More than 13 million women experience stress incontinence, and it is estimated that one in three women will experience it at some time. The condition is caused be weakness in the pelvic floor muscles, including the sphincter muscle that closes off the bladder. Weakness in these muscles can be caused by a number of factors, including pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, certain medical procedures (notably, hysterectomies), and some medications.

A report studying the effects of obesity in women has recently been published by the New England Journal of Medicine.  One of the key points highlighted in the study demonstrated how weight loss is a decisive factor in reducing the risk of developing many types of urinary incontinence.

338 overweight or obese participants part took in an intensive weight loss programme, between the participants, an average of 8% body weight reduction was achieved which had a medium reduction of 47% in levels of urinary incontinence.

The study also revealed that loss of weight correlates with a reduction in high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, mood and personal satisfaction and chances of developing type 2 diabetes.

In sum, the report concludes that weight loss is one of – if not the – most important treatments for treating urinary incontinence – regardless of the root cause.

When you undertake a new fitness routine, it’s important to not overlook internal exercises, as they can play a part in curbing ones incontinence. The best of which, are what’s known as Kegal exercises, which – in short – is about consciously contracting the muscles you would use to stop the flow of urine: holding the muscles tight for several seconds and releasing. Think of doing these exercises as you would ‘reps’ and ‘sets’ for any other muscles you may work on, such as your biceps.

Repeating these exercises once in the morning and once at night can strengthen perhaps the most significant muscle groups: your pelvic floor muscles – which control the bladder.

One point that’s often overlooked with Kegal routines is that it requires a lot of patience. Because it’s internal and therefore hidden, and because regular exercise may not yield the desired effect for a couple of months, it’s easy to get lulled into a sense of pointlessness. Resist this temptation. Kegal take time to come to fruition, but when they do the improvement is significant and the full benefits with regards to incontinence become apparent.

A study published this week in the American Journal of Human Genetics links pelvic floor disorders such as pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence to a certain region of the human genome.

The study was conducted by the University Of Utah School Of Medicine, study lead author Kristina Allen-Brady, Ph.D., and colleagues analyzed the DNA of 70 women from 32 different families with at least two cases of pelvic floor disorders and found significant evidence for a gene that predisposes to PFD on chromosome 9.

For a better understanding, the pelvic floor consists of the network of muscles, ligaments and connective tissues that keeps all pelvic organs in place. Pelvic floor disorders occur when these muscles and tissues are damaged or injured.

PFDs (Pelvic floor disorders ) are commonly related to numerous risk factors such as childbirth, advanced age, obesity but they don’t fully explain the development of these disorders.

This study researched the DNA from 70 women who received some kind of treatment, in most cases surgery, for pelvic organ prolapse. Genetic analysis of this DNA showed significant evidence that genes located in a region of the genome called chromosome 9 may be inherited together in related women who have POP.

Lead researcher Kristina Allen-Brady, Ph.D. said:

“This is the largest collection of families with POP that has been reported to date. Although it is premature to suggest that all PFDs have a common genetic predisposition, our study shows significant evidence that the chromosome 9q21 region may be linked to the development of PFD in families where multiple women are affected.”

The second phase of the study in progress and researchers are collecting DNA from other families to strengthen their conclusions.

A series of researches conducted in Australia revealed an elective caesarean will not prevent incontinence and maybe putting women’s and baby’s health at unnecessary risks.

Dr. Jenny King, an urogynaecologist at Westmead Hospital in Sidney, Australia doesn’t agree with the right of women to choose caesareans just to avoid pelvic floor problems and incontinence said:

“Evidence is mounting that repeat caesareans can cause harm and there are doubts that they provide the protection they were thought to provide”

One of Dr. Kings’ studies in 2004 projected caesareans could prevent 35% percent of urinary incontinence in women under 50, but the method of delivery made minimal difference to pelvic dysfunctions later in life.

Looking at the results of other studies, Dr. King concluded that there are greater risks of losing a baby from the complications of a caesarean than getting incontinence problems.

In the official results of another study to be presented, Professor Don Wilson, Head of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Otago University’s Dunedin School of Medicine, found 60 percent of women who had natural births experienced urinary incontinence, while 40 percent of women who had surgical births experienced urinary incontinence, which led to the conclusion that pregnancy itself was the cause of pelvic dysfunctions.

In a revealing article written for the Daily Mail, TV star Ulrika Jonsson reveals a very intimate health secret that embarrassed her for many years, LAI or light adult incontinence.

Mother of four Ulrika admits it that had never heard of such condition until recently, let alone talk about it; she always thought it was something you had to put up with after childbirth.

Ulrika reveals that she suffered light adult incontinence after three of four of her pregnancies and how she overcame the problem after talking to her GP and husband about it.

In Ulrika’s case simple pelvic floor exercises were enough to improve her condition, but each case is different, so she incites women to talk to their GP about LAI or light adult incontinence in order to get the appropriate treatment.

She also takes the opportunity to talk about the Always Envive Sense and Sensitivity Campaign, a campaign aimed to break the taboo around light adult incontinence and to get women talking.

For more info on this campaign visit www.alwaysenvive.co.uk.

Bladder control problems affect both men and women, but the causes usually differ. In most cases women develop incontinence when pelvic floor muscles, muscles that support the bladder, weaken. Sometimes after giving birth women can experience this problem, pelvic muscle exercises can help improve the situations, in some cases medication or surgery is needed.

For men, the problem is slightly different, the prostate gland enlarges as men age and presses on the bladder, squeezing the urethra and inhibiting urine to pass, in these individuals it is common to retain urine in the bladder even after urination. The retained urine can increase and stretch the bladder causing damage to muscles that control the bladder as well as the kidneys.

Men and women have similar incontinence symptoms but different treatments. In some cases urinary incontinence signals a larger health problem, so don’t be ashamed to talk to your doctor, only he or she can help you regain control of your bladder and diagnose any other health issue you might have.

One of the most effective ways of helping incontinence is doing pelvic floor exercises.

This will help toward strengthening the pelvic floor muscles and therefore the bladder.

The first step in making your pelvic floor stronger, is recognising where the muscles are. To locate them, contract your muscles as though you are trying to stop yourself from going to the toilet, this is your pelvic floor.

Make sure you contract the muscles correctly, the movement should be an upward and inward contraction, and not bearing down.

For the exercises to be effective you should do one set of slow exercises and one set of fast contractions six times a day.

After Christina MacLeod gave birth to her daughter 8 years ago, she noticed that whenever she ran or jumped on a trampoline, she’d experience an embarrassing result.

Ms MacLeod said: ‘I would find myself with a bit of incontinence. I took a running clinic and the instructor said that if you have problems with urinary, you’re good to go. It was never talked about beyond that.’

During a check-up with her doctor, she was asked if the incontinence was a regular occurrence. When she answered yes, Christina was referred to the Pelvic Floor Clinic at the Women’s Health Centre, a division of the Foothills Hospital.

MacLeod was later treated for a weak pelvic floor, which can occur in any woman’s life, despite activity level, hormonal health or even if she hasn’t given birth.

‘I thought it was just something you lived with. When you actually tell your friends, they just smile, laugh and say, ‘me too.’ It’s so common.’

Contributors to incontinence include obesity, smoking, high caffeine intake, chronic constipation or even sitting at a desk all day. Clinical nurse specialist with the clinic, says although they see so many patients, there are many more that need help, but just don’t see it as a problem they should ask their GP about.

She says: ‘I think it’s because women are simply not told about this. We’re told about our bones and breasts. Most family doctors really don’t talk about the importance of these muscles. It’s just so personal.’

If you are experiencing incontinence, Allanda can provide you with all the products and advice you need.

When experiencing incontinence your pelvic muscles become weaker, but as with all muscles they can be strengthened again. Pelvic floor exercises are a great way of achieving this.

Here are some tips to help you get started:

- Carry out pelvic floor exercises for 5 minutes 3 times a day. This will help to strengthen your bladder, therefore giving you more control.

- Be careful not to exercise other muscles at the same time, as this can put more pressure on the bladder.

- The exercises: Lie on the floor, pull in the pelvic floor muscles and hold for a count of three, repeat this 10-15 times.

- Do you pelvic floor exercises three times a day.

- Most people begin to notice a difference after 3-6 weeks, so be patient, the results will be worth it.

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