Womanhood Workout: Kegels & Vaginal Tightening

There are some things women tend to take for granted or simply we don’t really give it much thought. And since we rarely think about it, I’m going to tell you right away what is that something we hardly ever think about: pelvic floor muscles…not the answer you were expecting, right? The pelvic floor are a group of muscles that support the bowel, uterus and bladder. So, yes, it is definitely very important for you.

And many of us don’t think about it because we simply ignore its importance until something comes up that makes us remember it. For example, pregnancy and carrying extra weight can weaken the pelvic floor and when that happens, you may get vaginal prolapse at varying degrees. If you don’t know what that is, I don’t blame you, but it can cause pain and incontinence; in short, things you don’t want in your life. You can “feel” your pelvic floor when you squeeze as when you are stopping urination or when you squeeze the muscles between the rectum and vagina.

In order to work out those muscles, you can help yourself with some Ben Wa Balls. Some women even find it easier to work with them because they get the feeling they are actually holding something; that’s why some even suggest is more effective to do them with them inserted. And there are some balls that have extra weights, perfect for Kegel time.

The important thing here is to make a habit out of it. Make Kegel’s a part of your routine; the cool thing about them is you can multitask and even do them in public because no one will know. So you can do them when you’re working behind the desk on a computer, or when you’re getting coffee, watching TV, etc.

So, an easy way to work them and build your routine is the next one:

• Squeeze the pelvic muscles and hold that contraction for five seconds. Now, you will need to really focus for this to work, so make sure you’re really working them out. After squeezing for 5 seconds, relax the muscles for 10 seconds and repeat the process 10 times. For better results, do the whole cycle three times a day; I find it easier to do them in the morning, afternoon and night, that way you can remember and make a habit out of it.

• When you’ve been doing them for a while, try making 15 contractions and then 20 and then 25 and so on. The idea is to always make it challenging for you.