Hey Cooks,
Hope your kitchens are warm and your ovens are hot! Since I am a firm believer in equality this topic is just right on time. Here's your your sexual health!
The Chef
Kegel exercises: not just for women
by Health News Team
They’ve been the topic of
women’s magazine articles for decades, but men may not know that Kegels
offer benefits for them, as well.
Kegel exercises, also called
pelvic floor muscle training, help prevent urinary incontinence, relieve
the symptoms of prolapse (a condition where the uterus falls out of
place) and prepare pregnant women for childbirth.
Kegel exercises
were developed by Dr. Arnold Kegel in the late 1940s to help his female
patients strengthen their pelvic floor, or pubococcygeus, muscles that
support the uterus, bladder, small intestine and rectum. These muscles
can weaken due to aging, pregnancy, childbirth, surgeries like cesarean
section, obesity or straining related to chronic constipation or
coughing.
Along with preventing and treating incontinence in both
men and women, Dr. Kegel’s exercises are now also believed to increase
both male and female sexual satisfaction. Just as women perform Kegels
to boost arousal and increase climax, men are encouraged to do Kegel
exercises to help reduce premature ejaculation and increase the size and
intensity of erections.
“Kegels absolutely work,” says Lisa Prieto, a physical therapist at Sharp Memorial Hospital.
“They are very effective in preventing and treating urinary and fecal
incontinence, and can improve both male and female sexual function and
pleasure. Also, because the Kegel muscles are part of the core muscle
group, strengthening them can help with chronic low back pain in both
men and women.”
Kegels work, but only if done correctly
Kegels
are performed by contracting the muscles you use to slow or stop
urination. Once you’ve identified the targeted muscles, you can perform
Kegels almost anywhere — while lying down, sitting at your desk or even
standing in line at the grocery store.
Prieto recommends that you
do 30 to 80 Kegels per day, spread throughout the day in three to eight
sets of 10 repetitions. Each repetition calls for holding the pelvic
muscle contraction for up to 10 seconds followed by relaxation for the
same amount of time. You can also practice quick contractions, rapidly
tightening and releasing the Kegel muscles several times in a row.
It
is important to maintain your focus while doing your Kegels to achieve
the desired results. Make sure you are only tightening your pelvic floor
muscles and not your abdomen, buttocks or leg muscles, and try not to
hold your breath during your repetitions.
If you perform Kegels
correctly, both men and women should enjoy the results of regular Kegel
exercises in two to three months. Talk with your doctor about the
correct way to perform Kegels and whether a pelvic floor “workout” is
appropriate for you.
