Kegel exercises for ladies to fight leaks and take back bladder control

Your bladder is kept in place by several muscles in the pelvic floor or Kegel area. If these muscles function well, you retain control of urination. However, when the Kegel muscles lose their resilience due to age, post-pregnancy or other factors, leaks can occur. Female Pelvic floor exercises can help you counteract this and manage urinary incontinence, helping you to take back control of your bladder.

If you suffer from little leaks or other forms of urine leakage, female pelvic floor exercises can help you manage these. It’s not just during post-pregnancy that they can be beneficial either – women at many different stages of life, including the menopause, can take back control.

If you suffer from little leaks or other forms of urine leakage, female pelvic floor exercises can help you manage these. It’s not just during post-pregnancy that they can be beneficial either – women at many different stages of life, including the menopause, can take back control.  

• Reducing urinary incontinence 

• Reducing post-pregnancy incontinence 

• Increased sensitivity during sex and stronger orgasms 

• Prevent prolapse 

Did you know that as little as five minutes of pelvic floor exercises a day can significantly reduce incontinence – or even make it go away entirely? Once you get the hang of it, you can do them anywhere, at any time and it’s never too late to begin and take back control. 

The great thing about pelvic exercises for women is that they are very convenient and easy to do. You can do them anywhere, at any time. At home, at work, on the bus – even sitting in a meeting or enjoying a dinner date. They can be done so discreetly that no one will notice. All you need to do is remember to fit them into your daily routine somewhere.  

So how can you get started? Read our guide for some of the most effective and easiest pelvic floor exercises for women. 

Step 1 – find your Kegel muscles

You can do this by stopping or slowing down the flow of urine midway through emptying your bladder. Stop the flow for a second or two then relax and finish emptying as normal. Doing this is not a pelvic floor exercise in itself, and should only be used as a way to identify the female pelvic floor muscles. . 

Step 2 – work on your technique

The technique behind pelvic floor exercises is not too difficult, however it will take practice before you can perform it effectively.  

Start by relaxing the muscles in that area of your body just as you would when urinating or passing wind. Then tighten the muscles gently so you can feel the pelvic floor muscles lifting and drawing together. If you can’t feel anything, change position and try again – for example, lie down or take a seat if you’ve been standing up. After contracting, it’s important to relax the Kegel muscles – so you don’t overexert them. You should feel the technique predominantly in the lower pelvic area. You can also try our smart Kegel Trainer Emy, designed for female pelvic floor exercises and to help enhance bladder control exercise for women. For more information, click here. 

If you’re in any doubt about your technique or condition, contact a healthcare professional for advice. 

Step 3 – the Kegel workout for women routine

The Simple clench 

• You can start off by doing this exercise lying down. This makes it easier to clench effectively.  

• To isolate the female pelvic floor, start by clenching the muscles around your back passage, as if you are trying not to break wind. You should also feel muscles contracting around the vagina and urethra. Keep clenching as if you were holding something in your vagina. Your buttocks and thighs should be relaxed. Hold the clench for two seconds, then relax for two seconds. Repeat as many times as you can. 

Strength clench 

• Clench the pelvic floor muscles as tightly as you can. Again, you can imagine you are trying not to break wind, and should feel the muscles at the base of the pelvis and around the vagina contract. Hold this tight and clench for five seconds. Then relax for five seconds. Repeat 5-10 times.  

Endurance clench 

• Clench with medium tightness for as long as possible. Try to hold the clench for 60 seconds. Do this each time you’ve finished a session of strength clenching.  

Quickness clench 

• Clench as hard as you can for two seconds. Then relax for two seconds. Do this 5-10 times a day – and each time you feel a sneeze, cough or laugh coming. 
   

Female incontinence can have many causes. Not all bladder and incontinence problems can be improved using pelvic floor exercises. If you are in any doubt about your condition or symptoms, we recommend consulting a healthcare professional. If you need further help managing urine leakage, we offer a wide range of discreet, effective products for women. We also recommend reading other women’s stories about how they learned to live a full life, uncompromised by their bladder weakness.