Kegel therapeutic exercises are considered the most effective for the pelvic floor muscles. Are they really as useful as many people think? Let's figure it out.

Most recently, I went to my doctor to check the condition of the pelvic floor muscles after 6 births. To my surprise, the doctor did not find any problems with diastasis or with the muscles of the pelvis. We chatted with him about Kegel exercises and what can actually help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.

As it turned out, the kegel exercise has a place to be, but it is not suitable for everyone, and to perform itit is necessary in a complex, and not as an independent exercise. Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles is important, but Kegel exercises may not be the best option for this.

These exercises are mainly designed to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, also
known as the pelvic diaphragm. It is named after the gynecologist Arnold Kegel, who, in a 1942 paper, explains the benefits of strengthening the pelvic floor muscles. Over the years of his work, he came to the conclusion that improving muscle tone in this area helps to cope with urinary incontinence, and also enhances orgasm in women and men.

Dr. Kegel also invented a device to measure the strength of the pelvic floor muscles. The set of kegel exercises that he originally recommended were resistance exercises using aids and devices, and were not the usual muscle contraction and relaxation exercise.

It is for this reason that many experts recommend Kegel balls or a special machine in the form of eggs made of natural stone in combination with these exercises. My physiotherapist explained that kegel exercises without additional load are just like tensing the muscles of the arm, and if you add a special machine to them, it's like using dumbbells in exercises for the arm muscles. Both options are effective, but the best results and for a long time can only be achieved with the addition of weight.

Benefits of Kegel Exercises

The pelvic floor is made up of several layers of muscles that connect in opposite directions. Many people think that the vagina is just a tube that just compresses and relaxes, but the pelvic diaphragm is much more complex and has multiple layers working together. In some cases, skiing exercises are helpful in strengthening the pelvic floor muscles. But there are cases when, on the contrary, these muscles need to be taught to relax, since they are in good shape. As Dr. Grogan explained:

Kegel exercises are not for everyone. In some women, the muscles in this area are constantly tense, short and tight most of the time. As a result of pain during intercourse, difficulty urinating, a feeling of tightness or pain in the pelvic area, and that feeling of “I still don’t see any results even though I exercise every day!”

In this case, Kegel exercises will not work.

There is no need to give up Kegel exercises in general. It's just worth remembering that this is just a contraction and relaxation of an isolated muscle group, similar to a dumbbell curl or a hip extension! And for many women (with the exception of the women described above) it is useful to know about this exercise simply in order to better feel your body and even spice up your sex life.

You also won't have to worry about suddenly sneezing or coughing, because the contents of the bladder will remain in place, as well as lifting / pushing / pulling something heavy.

Do Kegel exercises work?

Here the situation becomes even more confusing. The answer to this question will depend on the cause of the pelvic floor muscle problems, how Kegel exercises are performed, and many other factors. Dr. Grogan shared her experience regarding when these exercises are needed and when they are not necessary:

When I was practicing as a women's health physiotherapist, I had the wonderful opportunity to measure pelvic floor muscle strength and study muscle control. Kegel exercises were especially helpful for women with incontinence complaints. They did indeed have weak and mismatched pelvic floor muscles. I recommended that they include Kegel exercises in their core strengthening routine, and the results were amazing.

Nevertheless, among my patients there were those who did not need Kegel exercises at all. During my practice, I learned to identify them, and my main goal was to teach them how to properly relax and develop the muscles of the pelvic floor.

How to do kegel exercises?

Dr. Grogan gave some advice on how to do this exercise correctly. Here are her instructions:

1. Lie on your back or on your side. This position reduces the pressure of gravity on the pelvic floor muscles, and it is more convenient to strain the muscles more.
2. Imagine the pelvic floor muscles. They are located at the base of the pelvis and wrap around the vagina and anus. Try to contract and pull these muscles towards the head. Imagine that you need to tighten the cobblestone into the vagina. It sounds strange, of course, but it really works.
3. Now relax your muscles and imagine that you are letting go of the boulder so that it rolls out. It was one repetition!
4. Now do the same one more time but this time, tighten your muscles for 5-8 seconds before relaxing. Perform 5-10 repetitions. This approach to doing Kegel exercises is great for increasing the strength and endurance of your pelvic floor muscles. It is known that it will help to cope with urinary incontinence, prolapse and prolapse of the genital organs, such as the uterus, for example, cure hemorrhoids. It will also bring color to your intimate life.

If you use Kegel balls or stones, then do the same, only before starting the workout, insert the simulators into the vagina.

How to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor? (with or without Kegel exercises)

If you do not have problems with the muscles of the pelvic diaphragm, then you can try other and more effective ways to make them even stronger and more elastic.

Here are some more core and pelvic floor tips and exercises from Dr. Grogan (no Kegels):

Move more throughout the day and every day

Humans were made to MOVE…not sit in front of a computer all day (I have that sin too!). We need to focus on how much and how we move during the day. Fill in breaks and pauses with movement. Stand up, sit down, bend over, rise up, down, jump up. Just move! Leave your car in the parking lot and walk to work! Climb up the stairs! Go hiking for the weekend!

And add more general strengthening exercises to your daily routine. Train several times a day and every day. In the video, I have collected some simple and effective exercises that will fit perfectly into any training plan. I called them Bath Fitness. You can perform it at home. Try it!

Squats

Squats naturally activate your pelvic floor and core muscles, and most importantly, they make the ass beautiful and elastic, thereby balancing the length and work of the pelvic floor muscles. I like doing air squats and deep squats (see the Bathtub Fitness video above).

Move like a lady

What else did Dr. Grogan say: “Those who know me personally know very well that I really like to shake my booty and move my hips. Exercises such as hip circles or the number 8 engage all of your core muscles, including your pelvic floor, hips, back, and abs. Slowly rotate your hips in a circle every day, and you will not be afraid of any back pain.

All these exercises must be performed as correctly and gracefully as possible, while maintaining posture. You can also try some breathing exercises to strengthen your core, planks, exercise, and more.

Zip up

When we think about strengthening the core muscles and correct posture, we usually undertake to train the abdominal muscles. We stand straight and draw in the stomach. But in order to truly and safely engage the core muscles, which by the way protect the back and prevent prolapse of the pelvic organs, you need to start from the base of the core muscles, namely from the pelvic floor.

You do not need to train individual parts of the body, you need to strive to engage the muscles of the core as a whole.

Imagine lightning that starts from the pelvic floor. Start zipping with light Kegel exercises, then move on to the abdominal muscles, gently pull the navel in. HFinally, straighten your shoulders and don't let your back round. So, the zipper is closed!

Resort to this practice every day while performing everyday tasks, such as vacuuming the apartment,taking out the trash or lifting dumbbells in the gym. Zip up your zipper before completing a task, keep it open while you're at it, and relax when you're done.

Final Thoughts

Aiming for curves is great, walking and running is great, lifting weights is great, but strengthening and toning the middle part of the body—the core muscles— just as important as exercising the arms and legs.

Exercises for the muscles of the cortex and pelvic floor should be in the fitness program of every woman who loves herself. This means not only doing Kegel exercises with or without special equipment, but also moving more, squatting, walking, doing stretching exercises and not sitting in one place for a long time.

This article of the section "Lady's Anatomy" is devoted to the consideration of female intimate muscles.

MUSCULAR SYSTEM OF THE PERINE

In preparing the material, information was used from the book by B. Calas-Jermain "The Female Pelvis", the material from the site of the International School of Imbuilding StanuSuper.ru, as well as materials and illustrations from medical reference books.

The perineum is made up of two types of muscles:
- Muscles of the pelvic floor- a group of muscles that form the bottom. (The pelvic floor consists of two layers: superficial and deep. These muscular connections support the pelvic organs - the bladder, uterus, rectum).
- Muscles that form the openings of the pelvic organs.(The openings of the pelvic organs are the sphincters of the urethra, anus, muscles of the rectum and vagina. They are much smaller in size than the muscles that form the pelvic floor.)

These two types of muscles are intertwined, they are linked by fibrous joints arranged crosswise. To create an understanding of this area, it is necessary to understand the differences between them.

PELVIC FLOOR

This is the name of a group of muscles surrounding the bottom of the lower part of the pelvis.
The muscles of the pelvic floor cover the vagina in the lower part.

The pelvic floor, as already mentioned, consists of two layers:
- surface layer of long fibrous muscles called crotch(outside covered with skin);
- deep layer from large dense muscles, also called pelvic diaphragm.

This muscle connection is located on the inner surface of the small pelvis. The deep layer is located along the edge of the middle entrance plane, and the surface layer is located along the edge of the lower entrance plane.

A few facts about the pelvic floor muscles:

• Muscle fibers are directed downward and outward (from the center);
• The muscle group as a whole is shaped like a ship's hull;
• Muscles are intertwined, surrounding the three openings (or slits) - the urethra, vagina and anus (helping control the sphincters).

This muscle structure serves two purposes:
- it supports the pelvic organs. This support is enhanced during childbirth, as well as when the volume and weight of the internal organs increase. This function is more related to the ability of muscles to contract.
- it serves as a passageway from the inside to the outside, this characteristic refers to the elasticity of the muscles.

MUSCLES OF THE SURFACE LAYER OF THE PERINE

These muscles form a structure bordering the pubis and coccyx in front and behind, and on the sides with two ischial tuberosities. These muscles are arranged in the shape of a figure eight, in the center of which, at the intersection, is the central muscular point of the perineum, or the central tendon. The upper loop of the figure eight is located inside the front triangle.

bulbospongiosus muscle (bulbospongiosus) on the one hand, it is attached to the pubic bone and the shell of the clitoris, on the other hand, to the tendon center of the perineum, which is located between the vagina and the anus. This small muscle, about the size of a little finger, is considered the entry muscle because it closes the entry to the vagina when contracted. There is an assumption that this muscle has weakened as a result of the fact that it has lost its main meaning - to close the entrance of the vagina, in connection with such an achievement of civilization as the invention of underwear, which instead of this muscle began to protect the genital gap from dirt and dust.

When training this muscle during its contraction, you can feel the clitoris and even experience pleasant sensations.

It is believed that this muscle, being an entry muscle, during training creates the so-called “tight entry” effect. V.L. wrote about this in his books. Muranivsky. Another opinion is shared by Yu. Kornev and the International School of Imbuilding. According to imbuilding instructors, the "tight entrance" is created by the levator ani muscle due to the retraction of the anus.

muscles bulbospongiosus and ischiocavernosus cover cavernous bodies.

In the upper triangle there are two groups of muscles of the surface layer. They are located between two layers. perineal membrane.

The cavernous bodies are anchored below the deep layer of the membrane. These organs are made up of tissues rich in capillaries that can expand and swell. Cavernous bodies (corpus covernosum) are located along the branches of the pubic bones and are connected in front, forming body of the clitoris.

Clitoris- This is a cavernous body, similar to the male penis. It is located just behind the pubis and has the shape of a cylinder measuring 3 cm in length and 0.5 cm in diameter. (For more on the clitoris, see Pleasure Points.)

bulbs of vestibule located on both sides of the vulva.

bartholin glands located behind the back of the vulva. They highlight lubricant that flows into the vagina during intercourse.

DEEP LAYER OF THE PELVIC MUSCLES

These muscles are located deeper and higher than the previous level of the pelvic muscles, closer to the internal organs. This muscle group is shaped like an inverted dome. Its upper part is opposite diaphragm, this is where its name comes from. pelvic diaphragm.

pelvic diaphragm- this is, so to speak, the collective name of the muscles. These muscles form a kind of hammock, inside the domed surface of which all the pelvic organs are contained. They passively (elasticity) and actively (tonus) respond to various movements in the abdomen.

There are two muscles here:
- Muscle that lifts the anus (Levator ani) - This is a strong muscle, consisting of various muscle bundles located around the openings of the internal organs. Its shape resembles a horseshoe.
This flat muscle has three bellies that sag like hammocks from the pubis to the sacrum. Sometimes this muscle is compared to a "tile roof", because. muscle belly overlap each other. Muscle fibers are woven into the rectum and braid the vagina from the sides and back. With its contraction, the anus rises, the vagina contracts, and the internal organs are also supported.

Muscle that lifts the anus, consists of two main parts.
- The middle part consists of puborectalis muscle (puborectalis) , which starts at the pubis and wraps around the rectum, as well as pubococcygeus muscle (pubococcygeus) , which runs from the muscular arch of the buttock and surrounds the rectum.
pubococcygeus muscle- this is also a "collective" muscle, which "entered" several muscles of the pelvic floor. Arnold Kegel united these several muscles into a single concept.
- The side part that bears the name iliococcygeal muscle (iliococcygeus) , and consists of a large fibrous web. It runs along the posterior muscular arch and ends at the coccyx.

These knots of muscle tissue are of great importance for the maintenance of internal organs.

coccyx muscle coccygeus located on the same level with the muscle that lifts the anus. This muscle is stretched between the ischial spine, sacrum and coccyx.

URINARY SINUS

In front, to the right and to the left of the insertion of the levator ani muscle, there is a recess, or notch, a zone in which there are no muscles. They call her urinary sinus. This zone corresponds to the junction of the bladder/uterus and the uterus/vagina.
Its physiological function is to serve as a wide passage for the fetus. But at the same time it is a weak link in the structure that supports the internal organs.
If the middle portion of the levator ani muscle (the puborectalis fasciculus) is well toned, it is able to actively support the bladder and uterus. Weakness of this zone almost always causes prolapse of organs and urinary incontinence (miction).

TWO LEVELS OF PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLES

The two layers of muscles mentioned above - superficial and deep - are located at different levels of the small pelvis.
They also differ in shape and direction.

The deep layer forms upper level. It is composed of muscles that form a broad surface attached to the median plane of the entry. As can be seen in the frontal cross section, this layer has the shape of a funnel, narrowed downwards.

The surface layer forms Lower level and consists of thin, woven muscular knots attached to the inferior plane of entry. As can be seen in the frontal cross section, this layer is located horizontally.

Located at the intersection of muscles central perineal tendon.

CENTRAL PERINETENDON

This is a zone of connective tissue, which includes most of the muscles in this area:
- deep transverse muscles of the perineum;
- bulbous spongy muscle;
- muscle that raises the anus;
- anal sphincter.

The central tendon is very elastic. During childbirth, this area is subjected to pressure, especially at the time when the fetal head erupts. It is in this place during childbirth, in case the fetus cannot come out, that a surgical procedure called episiotomy or, more simply, a cut.

You can read about the main female organs in 1 parts, about the structure of the bones of the female pelvis - in part 2 section "Lady's Anatomy". In the next part, we will talk about the main "Points of Pleasure".

The art of being a woman Frolova Evgenia Valentinovna

Learning the muscles of the pelvic floor

Learning the muscles of the pelvic floor

Consider how the muscular frame of the innermost female organs is arranged. The muscles of love in medical language are called the muscles of the pelvic floor. They are connected into a whole system, since in the body many internal muscles perform a vital function - supporting internal organs.

There are three diaphragms in our body. Above (approximately at the level of the solar plexus) is the respiratory diaphragm, which is responsible for inhaling and exhaling, rising and falling. Also, the urogenital and pelvic diaphragms. They work like hammocks that support all the abdominal organs. Just imagine for a moment what a weight it is - stomach, intestines, liver, kidneys, bladder! Therefore, everything in the abdominal cavity is supported by the pelvic floor muscles, which are so important for training that unlocks female potential.

Female reproductive organs

Muscles of the pelvic floor:

1. Bottom (outer) layer consists of muscles that converge in the tendon center of the perineum. In shape, they resemble a figure eight suspended from the bones of the pelvis. bulbospongiosus muscle ( m. bulbocavernosus) wraps around the entrance to the vagina, attaches to the tendon center and the clitoris. When this muscle contracts, the entrance to the vagina is compressed.

2. The middle layer is the urogenital diaphragm (diaphragma urogenitale), occupying the anterior half of the pelvis. It is a triangular muscular plate located in the pubic arch. The urethra and vagina pass through the urogenital diaphragm. In the anterior part of the urogenital diaphragm, muscle bundles surround the urethra and form its external sphincter. In turn, in the posterior section, muscle bundles are laid, running in the transverse direction to the ischial tuberosities. This part of the urogenital diaphragm is called the deep transverse perineal muscle ( m. transverse perinea profundus).

3. The anal muscles are the upper (inner) layer of the pelvic floor. , which is also called the pelvic diaphragm ( diaphragma pelvis). This layer consists of a paired muscle that lifts the anus ( m. levator ani). Both broad muscles that lift the anus form a kind of dome, the top of which is turned down and is attached to the lower rectum (slightly above the anus). The wide base of the dome is turned upwards and is attached to the inner surface of the walls of the pelvis. In the anterior part of the diaphragm, between the bundles of muscles that lift the anus, there is a longitudinally located gap through which the urethra and vagina exit the pelvic cavity ( Hiatus genitalis). The muscles that lift the anus consist of separate muscle bundles that start from different sections of the pelvic wall.

This layer of the pelvic muscles is the most powerful. If the anal muscles are in good tone, when emptying, a complete cleansing of both the rectum itself and the entire large intestine occurs.

With a weak work of these muscles, the intestines are not completely cleared, constipation begins, our body is poisoned by toxins. In this case, they begin to take laxatives, give enemas, and resort to hydrocolonotherapy. But the body can and should remove the decay products itself. And he does a great job with it if the anal muscles work as they should.

The development of hemorrhoids, that is, the bulging of the walls of the veins of the rectum, is also associated with detraining of the anal muscles. If they are in good condition, their tone is transferred to the walls of the colon and veins. Otherwise, the veins begin to bulge. (By the way, in the initial stages of hemorrhoids, this trouble can be dealt with by simply strengthening the anal muscles.)

The weakening of the pelvic floor muscles, which occurs due to their insufficient training or natural age-related changes, leads to a displacement of the pelvic organs. First of all, the functions of the bladder, uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, and sexual function suffer from this.

Almost all female gynecological problems are associated with the weakness of these muscles - stress urinary incontinence, prolapse of the uterus, vaginal walls, inflammation, tumor processes (uterine fibroids, endometriosis, etc.). How many people know that the correct location of the uterus depends on these muscles, without which the normal course of pregnancy and childbirth is almost impossible?

Infertility can also be associated with muscle weakness (often a long-awaited pregnancy occurs after their strengthening). During childbirth, all three layers of the pelvic floor muscles stretch and form a wide tube of the birth canal. If a woman wants to quickly restore her health after giving birth, then with the help of special exercises and simulators, her pelvic floor muscles quickly regain their original shape.

Insufficient tone of the pelvic floor muscles is the source of the vast majority of sexual problems: from general dissatisfaction with intimate relationships to the complete absence of orgasm.

As for men, their insufficient work of the muscular apparatus leads primarily to erectile dysfunction (from which impotence is within easy reach), as well as prostatitis and vasculitis. It will be quite good if men understand that trained pelvic floor muscles are:

Possibility of controlled ejaculation (increased duration of sexual intercourse); ? strengthening and strengthening erections, which increases your "rating" in women.

An erection occurs, of course, not only and not so much due to muscle tension, but as these muscles strengthen, its quality undoubtedly improves. In addition, when the muscles of the pelvic floor are tense, a natural massage of the prostate gland and seminal vesicles occurs. This reduces blood stasis in these organs and has an anti-inflammatory and resolving effect - something that was achieved earlier with the help of conventional manual prostate massage. So, we got a little acquainted with the muscles of the pelvic floor. If, while exploring ourselves, we dip our fingers into the vagina and try to contract the muscles that control the clitoris and side walls, then we will shrink 25% of the vagina. And if we now tighten the anus, then the remaining 75% will also be reduced.

STUDYING THE OBJECT OF ATTENTION The more you know about men in general, the easier it is for you to understand a particular candidate. The more transparent their thoughts and behavior are, the more success you will achieve with the men you date. Know what their reaction to women