One of the most common types of incontinence, especially for women and the elderly is stress incontinence. This is when the pelvic and bladder muscles are weakened and thus when a person laughs, sneezes, coughs, etc. they leak urine.
Stress incontinence can be very frustrating to deal with, and many suffer from it. Women in particular, especially those who have given birth, are at risk for this type of incontinence. However, no one has to deal with it permanently. There are measures that can be taken to strengthen those muscles, and better control the bladder. These are called Kegel exercises.
Kegel exercises can be done anytime, anywhere, sitting, standing, lying down. They are discreet, and fairly simple to do, and can make a big difference in the risk of stress incontinence. However, to get the full benefits, one must do them correctly. Here’s how:
1. Find the right muscles to exercise. The best way to figure out what muscles these are is to imagine yourself stopping the flow of urine mid-elimination. The muscles you would use to contract the bladder are the ones you want to exercise. Another great way to think about it is to imagine yourself holding in the passing of gas. The muscles you pull or tense to keep yourself from tooting are the ones you want to exercise. If you are still not sure, you can do biofeedback exercises to pinpoint the muscles you need to strengthen. You can speak with your physician to do this.
2. When doing a Kegel exercise, you do not want to squeeze other muscles at the same time. Be careful not to tighten your stomach, legs, buttocks, or other muscles, rather just the pelvic muscles. Squeezing the wrong muscles can have a negative effect, and put pressure on the bladder control muscles.
3. Do not hold your breath.
4. Pull in your pelvic muscles. Then hold. Hold for a count of three, then relax for a count of three. Repeat. Try working your way up to three sets of ten, three times a week.
5. When you first start, do these exercises lying down. It is easiest hat way, and you will get a feel for how to do them properly. Then as your muscles get stronger, you can work your way up to doing them in sitting and standing position, where gravity plays a role, adding weight, and making it slightly more difficult.
Most people notice bladder control improvement after about 3 weeks. So just taking the time to spend five minutes a day for a month can give you added confidence and control. Just remember to do it, and keep at it.
