Kegel exercise

Kegel exercise
Kegel exercises diagram
PronunciationKegel: /ˈkeɪɡəl, kiː-/
Other namespelvic muscles exercise

Kegel exercise, also known as pelvic floor exercise, involves repeatedly contracting and relaxing the muscles that form part of the pelvic floor, now sometimes colloquially referred to as the "Kegel muscles". The exercise can be performed many times a day, for several minutes at a time but takes one to three months to begin to have an effect.[1]

Kegel exercises aim to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.[2] These muscles have many functions within the human body. In women, they are responsible for holding up the bladder, preventing urinary stress incontinence (especially after childbirth), vaginal and uterine prolapse.[3][4] In men, these muscles are responsible for urinary continence, fecal continence, and ejaculation.[5][4] Several tools exist to help with these exercises, although various studies debate the relative effectiveness of different tools versus traditional exercises.[6]

The American gynecologist Arnold Kegel first published a description of such exercises in 1948.[7]

  1. ^ "Pelvic floor muscle training exercises". MedlinePlus. 10 October 2018. Archived from the original on 28 July 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  2. ^ "Pelvic floor muscle training exercises: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia". medlineplus.gov. Archived from the original on 2016-07-28. Retrieved 2019-02-26. Pelvic floor muscle training exercises are a series of exercises designed to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor.
  3. ^ "Kegel Exercises | NIDDK". National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Archived from the original on 2018-04-22. Retrieved 2017-12-02.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. ^ a b "Pelvic floor muscle training exercises: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia". medlineplus.gov. Archived from the original on 2016-07-28. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
  5. ^ La Pera, G; Nicastro, A (1996). "A new treatment for premature ejaculation: the rehabilitation of the pelvic floor". Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy. 22 (1): 22–6. doi:10.1080/00926239608405302. PMID 8699493.
  6. ^ "A randomised controlled trial of the PelvicToner Device in female stress urinary incontinence". BJUI.org. Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2011-09-02.
  7. ^ Huang, Yi-Chen; Chang, Ke-Vin (2024), "Kegel Exercises", StatPearls, Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing, PMID 32310358, retrieved 2024-10-21