The importance of exercise for a satisfying and healthy life cannot be overemphasized. The same can also be said of an individual’s sex life. Kegel exercise is a form of exercise that aims to strengthen the sexual capacity of men and women by toning the pelvic floor muscles, also called the pubococcygeal (PC) muscles. Strengthening the PC muscles also has health benefits including preventing urinary incontinence, improving prostate health, treating uterine prolapse, vaginismus, and preparing and recovering for women. Birth.
The importance of Kegel exercises was discovered by an American gynecologist, Dr. Arnold Kegel, and was named after him. He initially developed the exercises to help pregnant women control their bladder and facilitate delivery. The women found that these exercises could also increase their sex drive, intensify their orgasms, and help them become multi-orgasmic. Subsequently, he developed a series of exercises designed to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, thus increasing the pleasure for both partners.
The PC muscles are the largest muscle group in the body and, like other muscle groups, can lose their tone. This is more particular for women who had significant trauma to the muscles surrounding the vaginal opening during delivery. If a woman’s PC muscles are weak or overly tense, or if she does not have a sense of voluntary control over these muscles, the quality of her sexual response, including orgasm, can be greatly diminished.
Originally designed for women, Kegel exercises are used by men today as well. In fact, the PC muscles are an integral part of orgasm for both women and men. Strengthening this muscle is important for a man’s pelvic health and sexual pleasure as it can help increase ejaculation control.
Studies show that there is also a positive correlation between PC muscle strength and a woman’s orgasmic response. Therefore, women who have very weak PC muscles generally have a difficult time having orgasms, while those with particularly strong muscles often have multiple orgasms. Kegel exercises help a woman’s vagina become tighter as the strength of the PC muscles increases and it feels tighter in contraction during intercourse.
For men, exercises help achieve stronger erections, prolonged sexual intercourse, greater sexual pleasure, and more intense orgasms. By mastering control and increasing the strength of this muscle and then squeezing it at the moment of ejaculatory inevitability thus preventing ejaculation, a man can experience “dry” orgasms whereby he achieves the sensation of orgasm without ejaculating. This is the way for a man to become multi-orgasmic, a natural privilege of women.
With each partner’s PC muscles toned, sex can take on a whole new dimension of pleasure and satisfaction, as both of you will benefit from stronger Kegel exercises. For starters, during intercourse, when the man withdraws from a deep thrust, his partner can tighten his PC muscles (by doing a kegel exercise against a sturdy device) and tighten her vagina around his penis during withdrawal. An interesting option would be if both members of the couple have sex that only involves squeezing each other, rather than pushing.
Identifying your PC muscles
To do Kegel exercises, it is important to find the correct muscles first. In both men and women, the PC muscle is easily identified as the one that stops the flow of urine.
To do this, pay attention to your body as you try to isolate the PC muscle by trying to stop the flow of urine midway. You should not squeeze other muscles at the same time or hold your breath. You should also be careful not to strain your stomach, leg, or buttock muscles.
Women can alternatively find the PC muscles by inserting a finger into the vaginal opening and trying to tighten the muscles around it. If the initial test is difficult and some urine drips during the contraction, your PC muscles may be weak, but don’t worry as you are about to strengthen them.
Strengthening your PC muscles
Once you have discovered the PC muscles as illustrated above, you need to be careful not to try repeatedly as it can cause a urinary tract infection. The procedure was just to locate and isolate the muscle, so you know the exact muscles to practice with.
To begin Kegel exercises, you must first find a quiet place to practice, your bathroom or bedroom, for better concentration. Contract your pelvic muscles and hold for a count of 3. Then relax for a count of 3. Work up to three sets of 10 reps. It is advisable to start Kegel exercises lying down. This position is the easiest to do Kegel exercises because the muscles do not need to work against gravity. When your muscles get stronger, you will be able to stand or sit.
With more experience and as the muscles get stronger, you can gradually increase the duration and number of slow contractions and also add some fast contractions. At this time, you can adopt “The Rule of 5” as follows:
* Contract your PC muscles for 5 seconds; release for 5 seconds. Repeat 5 times
* Contract your PC muscles 5 times as fast as possible
* In the same session, repeat steps (a) and (b) 5 times
* Perform 5 sessions per day
Like any exercise program, to reap the benefits of Kegel exercises, you must continue to exercise your muscles safely on a regular basis. Don’t give up and be patient, as you may not notice benefits for about three to six weeks, although others may notice improvements after a few weeks.
Kegel Exercise Precautions
Despite the beauty of Kegel exercises, in excess, they can become harmful. This is because the contraction of the prostate muscle activates the sympathetic nerve of the prostate to induce ejaculation. Excessive contraction of the PC muscle to aid an erection that a man feels is not strong enough will cause him to secrete pre-cum faster and stimulate the urethra, lubricating it for ejaculation and manipulating it to ejaculate prematurely.
Also, your PC muscles can hurt, just as they do after any exercise. Avoid the temptation to try too hard; rather gradually increase the repetition. Consistency is more important than quantity.