Identifying the Correct Muscles

It may be difficult to initially identify the correct muscles. You may mistake contractions of your abdominal or thigh muscles as pelvic floor muscle movements. Here are some tips to help you identify the correct muscles:

• Sit on the toilet and place one finger in your vagina. Squeeze your finger with your vaginal muscle. You should be able to feel the muscle tighten around your finger.
• Imagine that a tampon is going to fall out of your vagina. Tighten your pelvic muscles in order to hang onto it.
• Imagine that you are trying hard not to urinate or pass gas. Squeeze those muscles.

The muscles you tighten are the muscles you should contract during Kegel exercises. If you continue to have problems identifying these muscles, talk to your doctor or nurse.

Doing the Exercises

After you have identified your pelvic floor muscles, you are ready to begin doing Kegel exercises. These muscles will react to exercise like any other muscle. You may experience mild muscle soreness when you first begin doing these exercises. If you do too many exercises before you are ready, you might experience more pronounced muscle soreness and fatigue.

How to do Kegel Exercises

1. Lie on the floor. Choose a place that is comfortable, such as in your bedroom.
2. Find your pelvic floor muscles. Again, to do this pretend you are trying to stop urinating or passing gas.
3. Squeeze your pelvic floor muscles, hold, and count to three.
4. Relax for a count of 3.
5. Squeeze again for 3 counts, then relax for 3 counts. Do this 10-15 times.

When you are comfortable with the exercise, you can do them for 5 minutes, 3 times a day. You can do them lying down, sitting, and standing.

Making Kegel Exercises a Habit

The following tips may help you remember to do your Kegel exercises:

• Try to schedule your Kegel exercises at the same time every day, such as during a regular TV show, while you do the dishes, or before you go to bed.
• Find a way to remind yourself to do your Kegel exercises. For example, you could put a note or sign on your mirror or refrigerator.
• You may forget to do your exercises for a few days. It is common to have a few slips when you are trying to make any new change. Do not get discouraged. Just get back to your exercise program.
• Chart your progress on a daily or weekly basis. If you were leaking urine before, you should begin to notice that you are leaking urine less frequently or in smaller amounts.