The importance of exercise for a fulfilling and healthy life cannot be overstated. The same can also be said about the sexual life of an individual. The Kegel exercise is a form of exercise that aims to strengthen the sexual ability of men and women by toning the pelvic floor muscles, also called the pubococcygeus (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 women for childbirth.
The importance of Kegel exercises was discovered by an American gynecologist, Dr. Arnold Kegel, and named after him. He initially developed the exercises to help pregnant women control their bladders and facilitate childbirth. The women found that these exercises could also increase their sexual desire, 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 pleasure for both of them.
The PC muscles make up the largest muscle group in the body, and like other muscle groups, they can lose their tone. This is more particular for women who have sustained significant trauma to the muscles surrounding the vaginal opening during labor. If a woman’s PC muscles are weak or too tight, or if she lacks 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 now used by men 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 the strength of the PC muscles and a woman’s orgasmic response. Therefore, women who have very weak PC muscles generally have difficulty having orgasms, while those who have particularly strong muscles often have multiple orgasms. Kegel exercises help a woman’s vagina to become tighter as she increases the strength of her PC muscles, feeling tighter when contracting 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 inevitability of ejaculation, thus preventing ejaculation, a man can experience “dry” orgasms whereby he achieves the sensation of having an 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 new dimension of pleasure and satisfaction as both of you will benefit from stronger Kegel exercises. For starters, during intercourse, when the man comes out of a deep thrust, his partner can squeeze his PC muscles (by doing a Kegel exercise against a sturdy device) and squeeze his vagina around his penis. during extraction. An interesting option would be if both partners had sex that only involved squeezing each other, rather than shoving.
Identifying your PC muscles
To do Kegel exercises it is important to first find the correct muscles. In both men and women, the PC muscle is easily identified as the one that allows the arrest of 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 halfway. You should not squeeze other muscles at the same time or hold your breath. You should also be careful not to tighten your stomach, leg, or buttock muscles.
Women can alternatively find the PC muscles by inserting a finger into the vaginal opening and trying to squeeze the muscles around it. If the initial test is difficult and some urine comes out during the contraction, your PC muscles may be weak, but don’t worry, you’re about to get stronger.
Strengthening your PC muscles
Once you have figured out the PC muscles as illustrated above, care should be taken not to try this 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 start 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. Perform up to three sets of 10 repetitions. It is advisable to start Kegel exercises lying down. This position is the easiest to do Kegels because the muscles don’t need to work against gravity. When your muscles get stronger, you will be able to stand up or sit down.
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 PC muscles for 5 seconds; release for 5 seconds. Repeat 5 times
* Contract your PC muscles 5 times faster
* In the same session, repeat steps (a) and (b) 5 times
* Perform 5 sessions per day
Like any exercise program, to get the benefits of Kegel exercises, you must continue to exercise your muscles safely and regularly. Don’t give up and be patient as you may not notice benefits for around 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 contraction of the prostate muscle activates the sympathetic nerve to 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 him to ejaculate prematurely.
Also, your PC muscles can ache, just like they do after any exercise. Avoid the temptation to try too hard; gradually increase the repetition. Consistency is more important than quantity.