Kegel Exercise: The Facts

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[x]   Transcript: If you have a vagina and youre old enough to vote, then Kegeling should be a part of your daily life. But before you dive in to pelvic fitness, its important to know what Kegel muscles actually DO. Kegels-or the levator ani muscles-wrap around a womans most important parts: her bladder, vagina, and rectum. Research shows that toned levator ani muscles can reduce urinary incontinence, prevent problems with vaginal laxity and help a woman achieve a stronger orgasm. Doctors also suspect that these muscles help prevent pelvic organ prolapse, a condition in which a womans bladder, rectum, or uterus falls into her vaginal canal. So clearly, strengthening your Kegel muscles for pelvic floor fitness-just makes sense! To get started, sit in bed, using a hand mirror to look at your perineum, which is the skin between your anus and vagina. Pull in using the muscles you use to urinate, as if youre trying to stop urine midstream. If youre Kegeling correctly, youll see your perineum retract into your body. You should feel the pull in your urethra and anus, NOT in your butt or abs. If you have trouble with proper Kegeling, talk to your gynecologist about pelvic floor physical therapy. This involves working with a Kegel coach using biofeedback and electrical stimulation all of which works together to train your body to perform correctly. Once youve got the art of Kegeling down, get in the habit of doing two sets of Kegels, twice a day. For the first set, perform 10 contractions, holding each for five seconds. For the second set, perform 30 quick contractions, holding each for just one second each. Theres no need for a break between the two sets. Simply move from one right on to the next. In terms of where you should do your kegel exercises, theres only one rule: NEVER do them on the toilet! Not only is 8 seconds of urination too short to really benefit your muscles, but its also distracting to your bladder, which has an important job of its own to do! Other than that, you can fit in a kegel routine whenever-and wherever-you prefer!

[x]   Bio: Dr. Lauri Romanzi is a reconstructive pelvic surgeon, urogynecologist and clinical associate professor at Weill/Cornell New York Presbyterian Hosptial in New York City. Her urogynecologic research includes prolapse, incontinence, overactive bladder, Kegel fitness scoring, genital sensitivity nerve testing and fistula repair. Her 2009 book Plumbing and Renovation: If you have a uterus or know someone who does, this book is for you provides the lay public with a review on pelvic organ prolapse, urinary incontinence and pelvic floor fitness.

Dr. Romanzi has been a featured expert on the Today Show, The Dr. Oz Show and Good Morning America. Additional media credits include: NY Times, Fox 5, London Guardian, More Magazine, Redbook, Oprah Magazine, Telemundo, Radio Ritas, Dr. Radio, Cosmo Radio, London Times, Playboy Radio and Italian Playboy.

Dr. Romanzi advises women with pelvic floor disorders who cannot travel to New York through her blog (www.urogynics.org/blog – ask Dr R feature). In 2008 she opened PHIT, the world's first medical spa devoted to Kegel -focused feminine rejuvenation (www.theperfectphit.com ).

Dr. Romanzi's international work with Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Surgeons Over Seas and other international groups includes teaching and volunteer surgery for women suffering childbirth injury and war trauma in Niger, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo.