Friday, June 04, 2010

Urinary Incontinence

Urinary incontinence (U.I.) is an involuntary loss of urine.
Most often caused by weaken pelvic floor muscles (vagina, urethra, and anus), mild incontinence can be controlled, even cured by daily frequent Kegel exercises.

Kegel exercises, done discreetly, consist of a continual contraction and relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles, which over a very short amount of time, will markedly improve the tone and strength of these muscles.

Finding these muscles is easy, the next time you urinate, stop the flow; those are your target muscles. However, it is important that you never do Kegel exercises while urinating, as you do not want to interfere with this important process.

Kegel Exercise:

Goal: To do ten repetitions every hour or about ten times per day.

1. Focus on the pelvic muscles – tighten and hold for a count of three seconds.
2. Once you can comfortably hold for three seconds, increase the hold to a count of five seconds.
3. Once you can successful hold for a count of five seconds, and do the repititions ten times or greater per day, it is time to move onto the advanced Kegel exercise.

Elevator Kegel Exercise:

Goal: To do ten repetitions every hours or about ten times per day.

Elevator Kegel exercises is a process that helps to strengthen the muscles higher up in the urogenital area. The initial hold is at the opening to the vagina, with a gradual tightening of the muscles higher up the urethra,and the bladder neck, respectively.

1. Focus on the muscles of the vaginal/urethral opening and hold for a count of three seconds.
2. Without relaxing, try to tighten a little bit higher, past the opening, and hold for a count of three seconds.
3. Without relaxing, continue to tighten even higher towards the bladder neck, and hold for a count of three seconds.
4. Once you can successfully complete this three-tier process, gradually increase to a hold and count of five seconds.

Kegel exercises are not just a means of treating urinary incontinence. Over a short amount of time you will notice heighten vaginal sensations leading to more pleasurable sex.