Kegel exercises / Kegel muscles

Hey everyone! So, I’ve been spending the last few days reading up on all these exercises, but honestly, I’m feeling pretty lost... I wanted to check in and see if any of you have actually done them? More importantly—how do you even know if you're doing them right? I gave it a shot, but I can't tell if I'm even hitting the right muscles! Should I be focusing strictly on the pelvic floor, or am I supposed to be engaging other muscle groups too?

gentletrucker29 said:Hey everyone! So, I've been reading up on these exercises for a few days now, but honestly, I'm feeling a little lost... I was wondering if any of you have actually tried them? How do you even know if you're doing them right? I gave it a shot, but I seriously can't tell if I'm hitting the right muscles! Like, should it just be those pelvic floor muscles, or am I supposed to be engaging other parts too?

It’s basically like you're trying to hold in your pee.

And should I be squeezing my glutes at the same time or what?

I don't think so. To be honest, I tend to lose interest pretty quickly, and I find myself clenching my glutes instinctively—it feels a bit awkward without that extra tension...

How much have I actually grasped regarding which muscle we're targeting with these exercises? Is it basically the area stretching from the anus up to the urethra? Am I getting this right—like, when you're actually doing the movements, are you lifting the muscles from the anus all the way to the urethra? Please tell me I’ve got the right idea, because honestly, these exercises are driving me absolutely insane...🙏

gentletrucker29 said:And am I supposed to be squeezing my glutes too, or what?

Not really, though I guess it doesn't hurt if you squeeze them a bit by accident. It’s just not the main focus—you're supposed to be targeting the pelvic floor. Here, check this out, there are instructions on how to make sure you're actually doing it right:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kegel_exercise

Btw, if you try that other way of checking, it might actually be fun for your partner, too. Not just for you. From what I gather, guys absolutely love it, and apparently, only a tiny percentage of women can actually pull it off successfully. So, yeah... probably worth learning. There are plenty of reasons to do it. 😉

So, how am I actually supposed to squeeze just the vaginal muscles? 🤷Is it even possible if it’s all basically one interconnected muscle group? 🤷I tried testing it myself—you know, by doing a manual check—and my muscles just clamp down around my finger... plus, I have another question: is this the exact same muscle group responsible for vaginismus, or that whole vaginal spasm thing?

gentletrucker29 said:But how am I supposed to squeeze just the vaginal muscle? 🤷What if it's all just one big muscle? 🤷I tried checking myself and my muscles just squeeze around my finger... plus I have another question: is this the same muscle that causes vaginismus, or vaginal spasms, or whatever?

If your muscles squeeze your finger—like a ring tightening around it—then yeah, that's it. Don't overthink all the other muscles; they mostly just tighten up as a side effect anyway. The whole point is just to strengthen that entire lower area. It's a group of muscles, obviously. I mean, I don't really know what your end goal is, but I'm sure these will be useful for something eventually. Honestly, I've never even done them intentionally; I just kind of do them spontaneously throughout my life, so I figured out that's what it feels like. 😁

The good thing is you can do them super discreetly, like while you're sitting at your desk at work or riding the bus. You don't have to spend extra money or time on them like you would with, say, a gym membership. There are plenty of benefits, both now and when you're older. The only complication is... uhm... 😍... (which isn't always funny, but hey, let's stay positive)... if you get too good at it, it might be hard to let go of a guy later on. 😉

There are also exercises where you combine those movements with your lower abs, which involve the vaginal muscles too. One is a yoga move called "Nauli," which is supposedly great for you.

🙏🙏 You’re a lifesaver... everything makes way more sense now. I actually started doing these because a friend of mine who does yoga mentioned how much they help... so I figured, why not give it a shot? But honestly, I’ve been overthinking this for days—wondering if I’m even doing it right. See, I don't really feel that "external" vaginal muscle contraction, per se; instead, it’s more like when I insert a finger, the vagina tightens around it, almost like it's "inhaling" the finger🙂🙂 while at the same time, I can definitely feel the muscles lower down... toward the anus. Am I totally misinterpreting how this is supposed to work?🤷 I mean, if the vagina is squeezing my finger, does that count as a successful contraction?

gentletrucker29 said:🙏🙏 You're a lifesaver... everything makes way more sense now. I only started doing them because a friend of mine who does yoga mentioned they were super helpful, so I figured, why not give it a shot? But honestly, I've been overthinking it for days. I can't tell if I'm actually doing it right because I don't really feel that "external" vaginal muscle contraction, you know? It's like, I only feel it when I actually put a finger in there—then it kind of squeezes, like it's inhaling or something. I guess I'm just confused.🙂🙂 And at the exact same time, I feel these muscle contractions happening further down... closer to my anus. Maybe I just totally imagined how this was supposed to work? I guess I might have had the whole thing wrong in my head.🤷 So, wait... if the vaginal muscles actually squeeze a finger, that’s basically it? Is that the whole thing? I guess that's the test, right? Maybe?

That’s basically exactly what I’ve been doing, and honestly? It seems to be working for me. I mean, I guess we should probably ask Dr. Kegel if this was actually his intention, though. 🙂
Look, besides the fact that you’ll probably thank them one day when you aren't stuck buying up a mountain of adult diapers or facing some major surgery to fix everything that's sagging... there's more to it. Strengthening that entire lower region isn't just about keeping your pelvic organs in place; it actually helps with your posture and getting a flatter stomach, too. Plus, it gets the blood flowing to everything down there, which keeps things working properly. For me, personally, I haven't missed a single period in all these years—so, I guess my hormones are doing just fine for now. It's hard to say exactly how long I've been at this, though. Like I told you before, I just kind of started doing them on my own, but it’s definitely been a long time.

Just to clear things up regarding my last post. Look, Nauli isn't actually hitting your pelvic muscles; it’s more about the abs and helping out with digestion. These Kegel exercises, though? They target the pelvic floor and everything around it. I guess you could try combining them later on, but honestly, it’s probably better to keep them separate at first. You really need to get a feel for each muscle group individually so you can actually control them—plus, it helps make sure you aren't accidentally using one muscle to cheat for another.

Actually, looking back on it now, I realized I was subconsciously doing them without even knowing it—basically practicing while I was with my boyfriend, because the sensation was so much more intense. I started wondering what the actual difference was, and then it hit me: I was basically just squeezing my pelvic floor! If I could feel that kind of difference during my very first attempt, can you imagine how much better it’ll be once I actually become a Kegel expert😉😍?!

Ugh, I know I’m probably starting to annoy you with all these questions, but how on earth do you make sure you aren't engaging your abs? Because mine definitely seem to be jumping around a little... thanks...

p.s. If I've become a total nuisance, please just tell me, but I really want to master these properly😉🙂

I mean, I honestly think a lot of us are doing this stuff without even realizing it—not like Dr. Kegel just invented it out of thin air or anything. Our grandmothers knew all these tricks way before Dr. Kegel was ever a thing...

I don't think it's such a big deal if you end up tensing your stomach at first; you'll get the hang of it eventually, I guess. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to practice diaphragmatic breathing at the same time (which is good for other things too), so you can actually figure out how to consciously relax or tighten your core while you're doing other stuff. The whole point of these exercises is, among other things, to make us actually notice parts of our bodies we usually just take for granted.

Sarah Rodriguez68 said:But I get bored with it so fast...

So, I did a little digging through the forum and stumbled onto a subforum I don't usually check out. It looks like this group knows a lot more about this, especially regarding how to exercise without getting bored.😉

http://www.reddit.com

I’m trying my hardest to stop using my abs during these exercises, but it’s just not happening... I guess it'll get better with time, right? I read somewhere that ancient Chinese medicine actually refers to these types of movements as "anal contractions," and they supposedly used them to help heal all sorts of ailments...
Lately, I’ve started feeling this slight pressure near my urethra when I do them—though I have to hold the contraction much longer than I used to. Does that actually mean I'm making progress?

You’ll start feeling better as time goes on—eventually, you’ll be doing it almost subconsciously. For me, it’s become such a routine part of my day that it's like saying a quick hello 😍 I don't even have to think about it anymore

Hey ladies,

Whether it’s after childbirth, a miscarriage, just getting older, or hitting menopause, those muscles that support our lower bodies can really weaken.
Vaginal muscles lose their tone, which can affect intimacy with your partner, or even lead to incontinence that keeps you from living your life comfortably.

But honestly, with just five minutes of daily exercise, you can get that firmness back. 🙂

Here’s how: Lie on your back, bend your knees, and squeeze your vaginal muscles—kind of like you're trying to stop yourself from peeing. Do that for five minutes, and you'll start feeling the difference in as little as two weeks. Don't stop once things feel normal again; keep going!

Let's get back to feeling like ourselves again.😉
Also, this is actually recommended for men dealing with prostate issues, too... so pass it along.

good luck!!!

Look, we get it—we’re already doing the work. Between sitting at my desk, standing around, cooking, ironing, driving, or just chatting with people, we’re basically hitting those muscles 😍 in all sorts of positions 😉
. Thanks for the advice, I suppose, but there’s actually already a thread covering this exact topic
.

I just do them whenever they cross my mind 😉 and honestly, I think they're pretty great 😁

I get a little bit of work done, then I forget, then I start again, then I forget. It’s my bladder after my second child 👎. I'm honestly struggling here. As soon as I try to exercise, I leak a little bit just from jumping twice—unless I was in the restroom literally a second before.

I’ve given it a shot, but I just can't seem to find those vaginal muscles no matter how hard I squeeze. All I end up hitting are my abs—which, thank God, are doing just fine since I knock out 100 crunches every single day. Down there, though? It feels like there's nothing at all. 🤷

Giving birth, miscarriages, and all that other stuff can definitely weaken those muscles for some women.
But honestly, genetics plays a huge role too.

For instance, my mother-in-law actually had to go under the knife for bladder surgery when she was only 45 because things just weren't holding up. Same thing happened to my sister-in-law, too. She ended up needing surgery as well. And let me tell you, those procedures only last a year or two before you're right back where you started.

I’ve been pretty lucky in that department, though. Even after three births—babies weighing 4kg, 4.5kg, and 5kg—my husband says I’ve still got the same grip I had before they were born.