Kegel and a Cup

Birthing Naturally is campaigning to help women remember to kegel every day. We all know it is good for us, we all know we should do it and we'll be sorry later that we didn't do it more often. But most women rarely remember to kegel regularly.

Kegel and a Cup is an easy way to remember to kegel every day when you drink your coffee, tea, juice, milk or water. If you sit down with your first "cup" of something in the morning, do your kegels. If you stop for a coffee or other beverage break in mid morning, kegel. If you drink a bottled water after a workout, kegel. If you enjoy a cup of coffee, tea or even a glass of wine after dinner, kegel.

Why should I kegel?

Kegel's are important throughout a woman's life. They strengthen the pelvic floor preventing problems with sagging and incontinence. Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles will also increase sexual pleasure.

During pregnancy the pelvic floor must support the weight of the growing baby. Without exercise the muscles weaken and sag causing incontinence and increasing the risk of injury to the birth canal when the baby is born. Kegel exercises also help you learn how to push effectively, relaxing the pelvic floor to allow the baby to pass through.

During menopause, the drop in estrogen decreases the strength of the kegel muscles. If your muscles were weak before starting menopause, you may find yourself suddenly dealing with incontinence. In fact, as many as 40% of post-menopausal women deal with incontinence. But this condition is treatable without medications. Even if your pelvic floor is already weak enough to cause urine leakage, you can strengthen it to regain control.

You May Also Be Interested In: The Coach's Notebook of positions, techniques and tools for labor Pregnancy Nutrition to help you experience a healthy pregnancy. Natural Childbirth Directory to find other websites that will help you prepare to give birth. The Monthly Guide to Pregnancy helps you understand the changes in you and your baby. Birth Challenges helps you learn to navigate through a challenging labor.

© Copyright 2000-2007 Jennifer VanderLaan and Birthing Naturally

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