Why are Kegel exercises so beneficial for women? TOP-4 mistakes that almost all beginners make, and which negate the entire effect of training intimate muscles
Every woman has heard about Kegel exercises. This is a simple yet effective pelvic floor muscle strengthening complex recommended during pregnancy and in preparation for childbirth. In addition, Kegel gymnastics helps to relax the muscles of the vagina and make them more elastic. So it, among other things, also improves the quality of sex. You can do the exercises yourself, anywhere and completely invisible to others. However, it often happens that the effect of them is not visible. And here the problem is not in the muscles, but in the main mistakes that many women make during training.
What are the benefits of Kegel exercises for women
Kegel exercises prevent many women's problems / istockphoto.com
Gymnastics to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor was not invented by a fitness trainer or sex therapist. This is a set of exercises that was developed by the gynecologist Alfred Kegel to prevent and treat the most common female problems. The fact is that with age, women's muscles weaken and lose their elasticity. Therefore, women over 40 are familiar with problems such as prolapse of the uterus, bladder and bowels, as well as mild incontinence (leakage) of urine when sneezing or coughing.
Only regular training of the pelvic muscles can prevent these problems. Therefore, Alfred Kegel came up with several exercises that will keep this zone in good shape. During the observation of the patients, the doctor came to the conclusion that his training was also very effective during pregnancy, preparing for the birth of a baby and recovering a woman after childbirth. A separate bonus is new, more vivid sensations during sex. Kegel gymnastics strengthens the muscles of the vagina, increases their elasticity and improves blood flow to the vagina.
Mistakes that spoil the effect of Kegel exercises
The principles of Kegel exercises are quite simple: they are based on alternating tension and relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles. Due to the fact that these muscles are inside, you can do gymnastics not only at home, but even in the office, on public transport or in line. If you bring your workouts to automatism, it will not even occur to others that you are engaged in such a delicate matter. And this will take no more than 5-10 minutes.
You can read about exactly how to perform Kegel gymnastics, how to prepare for it and how to determine the muscles that should be used during training. here. We will tell you about the main mistakes that almost all women make during classes. These mistakes not only delay the receipt of the result, but can lead to muscle hypertonia and negate the entire possible effect of exercise.
Error 1. Jellyfish
The main mistake of all beginners is the excessive intensity of muscle movement without relaxing them. In order to achieve a result faster, a woman keeps her muscles tucked all the time and performs sets of exercises from this state. Figuratively, this resembles the movement of a frightened jellyfish, which often and quickly contracts its tentacles in order to swim away from danger.
Learn to relax your intimate muscles while exercising / istockphoto.com
This mistake initially has a positive effect: the muscles of the vagina quickly become tightened, and the woman gets what is called a "tight entrance". However, in the long term, this leads to constant hypertonicity of the "pumped" muscles. As a result, blood flow in them deteriorates and nerve endings are pinched. As a result, we get a decrease in sensitivity during sex, and even serious problems with women's health.
Do not forget that training any muscles (including intimate ones) consists in alternating tension and relaxation. The more intense the contraction during exercise, the deeper you will need to relax the muscle after.
Mistake 2. Now I will give birth
The second error is the result of correcting the first. Trying to relax the intimate muscles, the woman "pushes" them in the opposite direction. This movement is somewhat reminiscent of pushing during childbirth, when a woman "pushes" the muscles down with the help of the abdominal press. There is nothing to do with relaxation here. Quite the opposite - this is excessive stress, which in the long term leads to the prolapse of the pelvic organs (even without obvious prerequisites for this).
No effort is needed to relax the perineum. You should not try in every possible way to "lower" the pelvic floor muscles. At this point, just take a deep breath and give your brain the “do nothing” signal. The tense section will relax by itself.
Mistake 3. Help booty
Avoid using your glutes / istockphoto.com
This mistake also stems from the desire to do everything as efficiently as possible. The fact is that the intimate muscles of a woman are very small and short. Often their contraction is perceived by the brain as insufficient, therefore it "connects" the strong gluteus muscle to the exercise. However, by squeezing the ass, we thereby turn off the training of the pelvic floor muscles - why should they strain if the buttocks are doing it for them?
To avoid such a mistake, first of all, you need to feel your intimate muscles well. This can only be done in a relaxed environment and during a few weeks of quiet workouts at home. Subsequently, try not to be zealous in the tension of this muscle group, so that stronger "neighbors" do not connect to them.
Error 4. Workout in the toilet
Don't do the Skittle exercises when you feel like using the toilet / istockphoto.com
How to find intimate muscles in your body? One of the easiest ways is to try to stop the flow of urine while urinating. Many women take this as a training basis and start doing Kegel exercises in the toilet. From a few times (until you get the hang of it) nothing will happen, but you should not do it regularly.
First, the constant interruption of urination leads to inflammation of the genitourinary system. Secondly, you can "train" so that the work of intimate muscles on the subconscious mind will be associated only with the urge to go to the toilet. As a result, during sex at the most crucial moment, you will want to write. Even if the bladder is empty, the brain will perceive perineal tension that way.
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