Kegel Exercises: Brief Version

What do Kegel exercises do?

Kegel exercises help strengthen your pelvic muscles. These muscles are used when you urinate or have bowel movements. If your pelvic muscles have weakened, urine can leak out. Kegel exercises help strengthen these muscles so urine does not leak out. Kegel exercises can also help improve a woman's sexual function by strengthening the vaginal muscle tone and sensation.

How do I do Kegels?

You can do Kegels anywhere: while you sit at a desk, wait for a bus, wash dishes, drive a car, wait in line, or watch television. No one will know you are doing them.

Here's how you do it:

• Find the muscles to use by squeezing the muscles in your genital area. You might find that it helps to pretend you are stopping a flow of urine or trying to stop from passing gas.
• Tighten these muscles and hold for 4 seconds. Then relax. Tighten and relax these muscles at least 10 times.
• Do these sets of exercises 10 times a day.
• Do not do these exercises while you are urinating.

You will probably have less leaking of urine after doing these exercises every day for 3 to 6 months. It is important to keep doing Kegels the rest of your life.