If you are a woman then you have certainly heard of kegel exercises. Whether you do them or not is another story, but we have all read about them in women's magazines, on the Internet, and even heard our friends talk about them.

However, are they important for conception? In general, Kegel exercises are used to strengthen a woman’s vaginal and pelvic floor muscles. It is important for these muscles to be strong during pregnancy because they will better be able to support the uterus. Kegel exercises probably won’t do much for conception, although they can be used during sex for added pleasure. They do a lot for pregnant women during their pregnancy and childbirth though. If you are here reading this article, you are probably trying to get pregnant, so starting now will give you a head starts for when you are pregnant.

They are good for after delivery, too. When women engage in kegel exercises regularly it allows these muscles to tone up. That way they are stronger for the birthing process not to mention you will have more control over relaxing your perineum for added pain relief.

Some studies have shown that kegel exercises help women to have shorter labors and fewer C sections. This is probably because the kegel exercises strengthen the muscles enough to aid in the pushing and delivering stage.

When the pelvic floor muscles are well toned this means that the risk of tearing is lower as is the need for an episiotomy. Also, some women experience stress incontinence during pregnancy and even afterward.

By engaging in kegel exercises women are less likely to have this particular problem.

 

Doing Kegel Exercises

 If you are interested in doing Kegel exercises, as every woman should, then you will need to find the muscles.

The easiest way is to go to the bathroom and stop the flow of urine. When you do this you are using your pelvic floor muscles.

All you need to do is relax the muscles, contract them and hold for a few seconds, release, repeat, and it’s only necessary to do them a few times per day. Be consistent and it will pay off.

The best part is that nobody will ever even know you are doing them!

 

 

How many Kegels do you need to do?

If you have never done Kegels before, you may find that it is absurdly difficult to do them effectively. You will want to start out by contracting your pelvic floor muscles, hold for a count of three and then release. Rest for a count of 3 and then repeat. The first day doing 10 is good. Your goal should be at least 3 sets of 10 Kegels a day.