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What are Kegel exercises and should you do them?

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
Published date14 June 2022
Publication titleHuddersfield Daily Examiner
Some 30% of women have wet themselves when they laugh or sneeze, according to a survey by sexual health and pleasure brand, Lovehoney. It's a lot more common than many of us think - and is often linked to a weak pelvic floor

These are the muscles that span the base of the pelvis, and they play a vital role in supporting our pelvic organs - including the bladder - and our ability to 'hold things in'. A weak pelvic floor can result in issues like urinary leakage or incontinence.

Why does it happen? GP and sexual function specialist Dr Anand Patel (seen recently on E4's Embarrassing Bodies) says, these issues "most commonly occur after childbirth or the menopause, but injuries or nerve damage can also create them".

Indeed, while pregnancy is recognised as one of the main factors, the pelvic floor muscles are important for everyone and play a role in things like sexual function too - for example, affecting sexual sensation in women and ejaculation in men. A hidden issue According to Lovehoney, almost half of those affected by things like urine leakage (49%) said they haven't spoken to anyone about it. This means many people may not realise what's actually going on and may be left feeling even more anxious and isolated.

As Dr Patel notes, these things can have a big impact, affecting "mood, relationship body image, sexual function, sleep, exercise, and your self-confidence".

How can I strengthen my pelvic floor? One of the ways is doing regular Kegel exercises. These are highly recommended by health visitors and midwives after having a baby, as a way of re-strengthening the area, which may have become damaged or...

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