Women Must Know, These Are 7 Benefits Of Kegel Exercises According To Experts

Illustration of the benefits of Kegel exercises for women (Unsplash/Carl Bercelo)

JAKARTA – Kegels are muscles that surround and support the bladder, vagina and uterus, as well as the rectum. While Kegel exercises are training the contraction of the pelvic floor muscles or Kegel muscles. Kegel exercises are often a question of whether they are effective or not for overall health and fitness benefits.

Reported by Flo, Wednesday, December 22, the pelvic floor muscles can weaken due to various factors. These factors include childbirth, aging, obesity, heavy lifting, and straining. According to health consultant, Andrei Marhol, MD, Ph.D., sex does not cause the vagina to be 'loose', this is just a myth. That is, you don't have to worry about your vagina loosening up because of making out in bed with your husband.

Well, Kegel exercises are generally understood as tightening the muscles around the vagina. Besides this understanding, there are the following benefits of Kegel exercises.

1. Increase the intensity of orgasm

During sex, reported by Intimate Rose, Kegel exercises make the vagina feel tighter. Even more useful, Kegel exercises can help increase the intensity of orgasm because the pelvic floor muscles are very important for achieving satisfying sexual activity.

By exercising the pelvic floor muscles, increased blood circulation due to contraction increases sexual arousal, lubrication, and the ability to orgasm.

2. Keeping fit

Unhealthy lifestyles and habits that are done repeatedly can cause injury or decrease in body fitness. Like sitting for long periods of time, hip, lower back, or pelvic injuries can cause an overall deterioration. In these conditions, Kegel exercises are needed to reduce the risk of a number of risks including pelvic organ prolapse, incontinence, and painful sexual intercourse.

3. Maintain pelvic health during menopause

During menopause, fluctuations in estrogen levels can lead to reduced blood flow to the pelvic floor muscles and a decrease in overall muscle tone. Due to the hormonal changes during menopause, Kegel exercises can be done to help strengthen and improve blood flow to the pelvic area.

4. Helps recovery after childbirth

Both vaginal delivery and caesarean section, both trigger the pelvic floor muscles to weaken because they support the baby bump during pregnancy. The good news, these muscles will return to normal and can be helped with Kegel exercises to train the strength of the muscles.

5. Reducing pelvic organ prolapse (POP)

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a condition in which one or more of the pelvic organs press against the walls of the vagina. This usually occurs after the pelvic floor muscles or ligaments are stretched or weakened, for example after pregnancy and childbirth.

Women also have the potential to develop POP when they lift a lot of weight, exercise heavily, or experience chronic constipation. POP is not life-threatening, but it can cause pain and bladder or bowel problems. Kegel exercises can help strengthen pelvic floor muscles and reduce prolapse.

6. Cure urinary problems

Bladder muscle coordination is supported by the pelvic floor muscles. Incontinence, or bladder leakage, occurs when you make heavy movements, lift heavy objects, cough, sneeze, and laugh. In this condition, bladder muscle coordination does not work properly. This can happen normally when you regularly do Kegel exercises.

7. Back and hips support the body well

The back and hips are the core components in supporting the body. The muscles in the pelvic floor work and coordinate with the inner lining of the abdomen to support the spine while maintaining hip stability.

When the pelvic floor muscles do not have optimal strength and coordination, it affects the hip joints, tailbone, and spine. The effect, leakage of urine and experiencing pain in the lower back. That is, Kegel exercises can help overcome these problems.