Sexercises: Do Your Kegel's

You may get embarrassed at the idea of doing exercises your pelvic area but you will reap amazing benefits from it. Beyond the sexual aspects it is also for better health for men and women.

History
Exercising the pubococcygeus muscle (or PC muscle) was first developed by the Taoist movement in China. Their exercises were meant to strengthen various muscles in order to promote health, longevity, spiritual development and better sex. Dr. Arnold Kegel brought attention to the idea and made it easier and more popular.

The PC Muscle
If you stop urinating mid-flow then you will find your PC muscle. Anybody who has ever tried to keep from urinating knows instinctively what muscles to tense in order to close the urethra. The muscle is located between the scrotum and the anus. Men can usually identify the PC muscle by tensing the muscles in their pelvic floor until they find the one that makes their penis jump. This is best done with an erect penis, because the movement of the penis is easier to observe.

Why Exercise the PC Muscle?
The goal of these exercises is to restore and increase the tone of the PC muscle by regular clenching and unclenching. A strong PC muscle helps men maintain control of erections and ejaculations, increases the flow of blood to the penis, keeps the prostate in check in old age and prevents incontinence. Women can also use these exercises to bring their vagina back into shape after the stretching caused by childbirth. The exercises are great for both men and women as they also prepare the pelvic floor for old age. Now for the best part: toned pelvic muscles, including the PC muscle, improve sexual control and play a key part in achieving orgasm.

What to Kegel
For optimal pelvic floor health you need to practice two types of kegel exercises: fast and slow. This is because there are actually two different types of muscle fibre in the pelvic floor.

Fast kegels improve how quickly your pelvic floor tightens when you cough or sneeze. They work on what's know as the Type II or fast twitch muscle fibers.

Slow kegel exercises will strengthen your muscles and improve the length of time you can consciously hold them. They build up and maintain the general level of muscle support in this area. Slow kegels help to avoid or reduce prolapse of any of the organs that the pelvic floor supports. Slow kegels are working on the Type I or slow twitch muscle fibers.

Some Techniques
The great thing about doing Kegel's exercises is that you can do them anywhere, anytime and no one will know it. There are also a variety of ways to do them so you won't get bored doing them.

• Sit on a hard chair; lean forward and tighten all your sphincter muscles, anal, vaginal, and urethral, in succession, front to back; hold the squeeze for one or two seconds; release, then contract from back to front.
• If you are in a line-up at the store, you can squeeze all your PC muscles and lift up. You will notice that when you do this, you tuck in your tailbone and tighten your abdominal muscles at the same time. That's a good thing. Now, gradually release the muscles slowly, one by one.
• You contract all the PC muscles quickly, and then release repeatedly.
• Squeeze your PC muscles briefly for a count of five; hold; then squeeze harder, and hold for another five seconds; then squeeze as hard as possible and hold again for a count of five. Then, slowly reverse the process, releasing a little, holding for five, repeat, until your muscles relax completely.

As with all exercise programs, start gradually. When your muscles begin to strengthen, increase the number of Kegels you do every day and the length of time you hold each contraction. You can test how well it is working when urinating and how fast/well you can stop the flow. Your partner should also be able to tell the difference as well.