Winkfeel Women's Health Notes

At a glance Kegel exercises build strength and endurance in the pelvic floor muscles , which support the bladder, urethra, vagina, and rectum from below, by repeatedly squeezing and relaxing them. To get results, follow three rules: ① find the right muscle, ② relax for as long as you squeeze, ③ keep going for weeks at a time . If leaking urine or a feeling of vaginal looseness stays the same after months of exercise, or if you feel pain while exercising, see a doctor to check your condition. Kegels look easy when you first learn them, yet many people feel nothing has changed after several weeks. That is because learning the movement even slightly wrong can mean working the wrong muscles. This post explains which muscle to use, how many seconds and how many times to do it, and when you can expect to judge whether it is working. Which muscle do I squeeze during Kegel exercises? The pelvic floor muscles are invisible and rarely used on purpose in daily life, so if you start wit...

At a glance A cough briefly raises the pressure inside your abdomen. If you have stress urinary incontinence , leaks can happen more often during a cold, when you are coughing a lot. When a cough drags on for weeks, the muscles that support the pelvic floor are strained again and again, so you may notice leaks even in situations that used to be fine. Squeezing your pelvic floor just before you cough and leaning slightly forward are commonly recommended. If symptoms remain two to three weeks after the cough has stopped , see a doctor to find out what type of incontinence it is. Some people notice that they leak urine more often while a cold keeps them coughing for days. When something that rarely happens starts repeating only while you are coughing, it is hard to tell whether the condition has gotten worse or whether it is just temporary. This post walks through why leaks happen when you cough, what changes when a cough lasts a long time, how to manage while you are coughing, and...