Among the most important exercises for pregnant women, if not the most important, are Kegel exercises. They were named after the doctor who first identified the group of muscles that are an essential part of female health, whether pregnant or not. These muscles are the pelvic floor muscles - the group of muscles you contract to stop the flow of urine. (However, after locating these muscles, do not carry out Kegel exercises while urinating so you don't run the risk of developing a urinary tract infection.)
Kegel exercises are about the contraction of a small group of muscles that form the floor of the pelvis. They work in conjunction with the abdominal, back and buttock muscles. They are part of the antigravity muscles, which support our internal abdominal muscles like the bladder, rectum and uterus. As pregnancy progresses, the weight of the baby, amniotic fluid and uterus increase the pressure on the pelvic floor muscles causing them to become weak. Giving birth will put more strain on those muscles.
If you allow your pelvic floor muscles to weaken, later on in your life you may suffer from conditions such as urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse (a condition where pelvic organs may descend and bulge into your vagina). Hence, doing the exercises is imperative.
How and when to do Kegel exercises
The pelvic floor muscles respond to frequent, short numbers of repetitions. You can alternate between doing slow contractions (holding, then slowly releasing) or faster and shorter contractions.
You are advised to do the following counts:
1. During pregnancy: 6 to 10 contractions every hour. Your total should be 100 per day.
2. After you have recovered from the delivery completely and for the rest of your life: 50 to 60 contractions per week.
When doing Kegel exercises, make sure never to clench your abs, inner thighs and buttock muscles.
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