Kegel exercise
A Kegel exercise, named after Dr. Arnold Kegel, is an exercise designed to strengthen the pubococcygeus muscles. The exercises consist of the regular clenching and unclenching of the muscles which form part of the pelvic floor (sometimes called the "Kegel muscles").
Explanation
The aim of Kegel exercises is to restore muscle tone and strength to the pubococcygeus muscles in order to prevent or reduce pelvic floor problems and to increase sexual gratification. Kegel exercises are said to be good for treating vaginal prolapse[1] and preventing uterine prolapse in women.[2]
Kegel exercises may be beneficial in treating urinary incontinence in both men and women.[3] Kegel exercises are also known as pelvic floor exercises, or simply Kegels.
Although Dr. Arnold Kegel has contemporized and popularized this practice, it is by no means new. The Taoists of ancient China developed a number of different sexual practices to strengthen and tone these same muscles for health, longevity, sexual gratification, and spiritual development. [citation needed] Directly akin to the Kegel exercise is the Taoist practice of the Deer Exercise. The Yogis of India also had a similar practice in Hatha Yoga known as Aswini Mudra (the horse gesture) that is taught and practised till this day. [citation needed]
Benefits for women
Factors such as pregnancy, childbirth and being overweight often result in the weakening of pelvic muscles. Kegel exercises are useful in regaining pelvic floor muscle strength in such cases. Regular Kegel exercise can also increase sexual pleasure for females and their partners. After childbirth, practicing pelvic floor contractions during sexual intercourse with a male partner will allow the woman immediate feedback from her partner, who can tell her whether or not he can feel her muscles tightening around his penis. In this manner, a newly postpartum woman can retrain her pelvic floor muscles to their pre-pregnancy strength and tone.
Benefits for men
Men can also use Kegel exercises. They are used to strengthen the pubococcygeal muscle, which may allow them to achieve orgasm without ejaculation and perhaps reach multiple climaxes during sexual activity.[4] In men this exercise lifts up the testicles, also strengthening the cremaster muscle as well as the anal sphincter, as the anus is the area contracted when a Kegel is done. It is not clear whether the urinary sphincter should also be contracted. While women are able to add resistance to the exercise through isometrically gripping a hard object (such as a Kegel exerciser), or by compressing an object such as foam, there are no known techniques that would add resistance to male Kegel exercises. Some believe draping a towel over the shaft and lifting it does this, but any force possibly applied to the muscle in this way would be limited to the biological heritability of the penis' shaft to stay erect and resist bending, in a combination of blood flow ('hardness'), genetic construction, and tissue integrity. No serious scientific studies have been done into the 'bodybuilding' and strength-building of the member through this method, although a niche market definitely exists in the realm of penis enlargement, and various urban legends abound for (with groups dedicated to the propagation of) methods of strengthening and enlarging the penis through various methods of exercise and resistance.
Potential concerns
The pubococcygeal muscles are those used to stop the flow of urine during urination, and they may be easily identified in this way. However, after the muscle has been identified, practicing Kegel exercises during urination is not recommended, as this could lead to a urinary tract infection.