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Kegel Exercises

In the 1940's, a gynecologist Dr. Arnold Kegel developed an exercise which has become so famous it continues to bear his name. The purpose of doing Kegel's exercises is to strengthen and tone the muscles in the pelvic floor, specifically the pubococcygeus or (P.C.) muscle that ultimately supports the bladder and urethra, the uterus and the rectum. Both women and men have this muscle which runs from your pubic bone to your tailbone.

Practicing Kegels will give you voluntary control of the P.C. muscle and will bestow additional benefits including: preventing and controlling incontinence, easier birthing with less likelihood of having to have an episiotomy, and best of all, enhanced sexual pleasure in both men and women! Males who regularly practice Kegel exercises are also believed to produce firmer erections. One study revealed that up to 10% of males that practiced Kegels on a regular basis were able to achieve multiple orgasms! (ed. Sounds good to me where do I sign up?!)

After childbirth, the vagina often looses some of its elasticity as it has been over stretched causing diminished sensation for both, as it doesn't envelope the penis as tightly. Doing Kegels will tone this muscle and restore it to its original shape. Circulation to the genitals also increases greatly, which causes both a greater awareness of the sensations in the genital area, creating increased arousal, and more intense orgasms.

By using the Kegel method, a man who is prone to premature ejaculation can prolong intercourse before climaxing. Prolonging ejaculation can also be easily assisted by the woman utilizing the same method. Sex can be enhanced by either partner squeezing their P.C. muscle to make the blood flow more freely to the genitals, augmenting the sensations.

How do I discover and isolate my P.C. muscle for exercise? It's easier than you think, but requires a little practice. Start by sitting on the toilet with your legs open fairly wide and begin urinating (men, this applies to you too). Try to stop the flow of urine partway through. If you can do this, then you have found the right muscle, although at first you might have a tendency to contract your buttock, abdominal and thigh muscles as well, but the more you practice, the easier it becomes. Once you can do this effectively, it is no longer necessary to practice while urinating, simply sitting down will do. At first, try doing these exercises a few times a day, holding the contraction for three or four seconds, gradually extending the time over a number of weeks until you can hold the contraction for 10 to 15 seconds at a time, these are slow Kegels. You can also try fast Kegels, which is rapidly letting the contractions in and out as fast as you can. It is generally recommended that you do Kegel exercises for five minutes a day, twice a day using both methods. There are different variations of the Kegel, such as gradually contracting the muscle bit by bit, getting progressively tighter and then letting the muscle relax incrementally as well. If you are having difficulty relaxing, try to breathe slowly and deeply or even try playing some relaxing music. If your muscles get tired easily at first, don't worry, just take a rest and continue along, this will happen less and less as you practice.

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