Pilates Kegel Exercises

Kegel exercises are floor exercises that strengthen the pelvic area. The exercises were originally designed to control incontinence in women, especially for women who had just given birth. Kegel exercises toughen the muscles that help the urethra, bladder, uterus and rectum function. You should verify your technique with a medical practitioner before you practice Pilates Kegel exercises at home by yourself. Employing Kegel exercises regularly, you should notice improvements in the control of your urinary tract system within six to 12 weeks.

  1. Find Your Pelvic Muscles

    • Pelvic muscles are also known as the pubococcygeus muscles, or the "PC muscles." Locate them by lying on your back and squeezing the muscles that you use when you are holding in urine or feces. These are the muscles that you will be strengthening when doing Kegel exercises. When practicing Kegel exercises, visualize your PC muscles clenching like a fist. It helps to actually clench your fist while you are clenching your PC muscles.

    Beginning Kegel Exercises

    • Begin by lying on the floor and clenching your PC muscles for one second and then releasing. Repeat this cycle of clenching and unclenching 25 times. Take a short rest after this by breathing in and out slowly, and then begin the cycle again 25 times. Take another short rest where you relax your muscles and breath in and out slowly. Finally, complete the workout by doing a final set of clenching and unclenching 25 times. Once you get more comfortable with the routine of three sets of 25 repetitions, increase your set limit to four, then five, then six. Practice your Kegel exercises at first three times a day.

    Increasing the Workout

    • Once you are comfortable with clenching and unclenching your PC muscles for one second, increase the amount of time you clench your PC muscle to 10 to 12 seconds. Try to do three sets of 15 repetitions, at least twice a day. Eventually work your way up to three sets of 25 repetitions. Once you have practiced using your Kegel exercises enough, the process of clenching and unclenching the muscles will seem natural and relatively easy.

    Practice Everywhere

    • At the beginning, it is easier to practice Kegel exercises while lying on the floor. After you feel comfortable with your Kegel exercises, you should do them wherever you go. You can do them for a second, 10 seconds or 15 seconds--however long you feel like it. After the exercises become habit, you can incorporate them into your daily routine. Practice them while you are sitting at your desk, while you are waiting in line at the grocery store, or while you are watching television. The beauty of Kegel exercises is that they require no specific environment or equipment to strengthen them. Pilates Kegel exercises only require time, patience and persistence.