What can I do to make myself do Kegels? Anyone else suffer from stress incontinence? I have seen a urologist, he recommended surgery, really don’t want to go that route until I have to.
What can I do to make myself do Kegels? Anyone else suffer from stress incontinence? I have seen a urologist, he recommended surgery, really don’t want to go that route until I have to.
0 Answers
Doreen Olson wrote on :
I treat myself like a little girl and make a monthly chart for doing my exercises. A friend of mine told me that she used graph paper and filled in the little boxes in colored patterns. Just seeing the colored patterns emerge was enough reward for her to keep doing what she needed to do! As far as whether youare doing your Kegels properly, I recommend finding a physical therapist who specializes in women’s health. Mine uses an intra-vaginal sensor to measure how well I do my Kegels.
MaryBenson wrote on :
I have a study that concluded that Kegels do not work for 60% of women who try them. Even Dr. Oz says it is almost impossible to know if you are doing Kegel exercises correctly (i.e. activating the exact muscles that need to be isolated in a proper Kegel)!
There are other pelvic floor exercises, though, that can be helpful to reduce leaks. We have them at http://www.eAdultIncontinence.com.
A quick tip for incontinence–if you are about to sneeze or cough, squeeze your heels together. It will activate the muscles of the pelvic floor for that impact of your sneeze/cough and make a leak less likely.
And if you are about to sneeze or couph, don’t bend over! It will only increase the pressure on your bladder and make a leak more likely. I hope this helps.
Christine Bentley wrote on :
Set your mind to do them at every red light you stop at!
Geri Brin wrote on :
i just interviewed a doctor who has created a new pelvic floor fitness program called Pfilates. i recommend you go to http://www.pfilates.com and learn something about it. It sounds wonderful, but you’ve must devote time each day to do the exercises. He told me that within 8 weeks, you will see major improvements. Then you have to keep up the exercises, like any exercises. 🙁
CandidaRoyalle wrote on :
You shouldn’t have to do surgery for incontinence. In fact it can lead to nerve damage and loss of feeling. Surgery does nothing to strengthen your vaginal muscles which is what you need to do! What you might consider is using a vaginal barbell to do your Kegels. Just like with any muscle in the body, adding a weight bearing exerciser will make your muscles work even harder and bring faster results. Depending on the condition of your PC (Vaginal) muscles it can take as little as ten minutes a day to see results. But they should be done consistently or you won’t see results. I think many doctors don’t suggest the use of vaginal barbells because there is no existing proof that they work. That’s because the cost of doing research for something like this is prohibitively expensive. But since you’re not ingesting anything or doing invasive surgery, it’s really not much of a risk to try it, certainly before doing something as extreme as surgery. There are a number of vaginal barbells available on the market. My company, Natural Contours, makes one called the ENERGIE. If you go to the web site, http://www.naturalcontours.com, and go to the page for the ENERGIE, you can click on where it says ‘Instructions’ and see how it works. It weighs just under a pound and its smooth, sleek shape is very comfortable to use. Surgery is costly and usually unnecessary. Doing weight bearing Kegel exercises on a regular basis should get you back in shape and keep you free of urinary incontinence. The unexpected side benefit is that the better your muscle tone, the more sensation you feel, so your capacity for pleasure at any age is greatly enhanced. Good luck, and start doing those Kegels!
Katie McDougall wrote on :
Did your doctor suggest physical therapy? There are many good guides online – google pelvic floor exercises or pelvic floor therapy. Here is the Mayo clinic guide:http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/kegel-exercises/WO00119 – I have been using these exercises for years for the very same reason. Good luck