Recently I have become interested in kegel excercises. After gaining some weight and aging in general, I am interested in keeping my vaginal walls fit. This is also important because I started the nuva ring, and I need to keep fit down there to make sure it stays in place properly.
Does anyone have success/stories/advice about kegels? I am still a little confused about where the PC muscles actually are. I did do the whole "urinate, then make yourself stop." thing. They say that helps you locate exactly what muscles you should be excercising. I think I've got it, but it also seems there are a lot of specific muscles down there! Sometimes I feel like my anus is tightening, sometimes I can make it so my stomach tightens and I can feel my vaginal muscles sort of "pull inward". They say to tighten the muscles, and hold it for 3-5 seconds. I am finding that while my PC muscles are in fairly average shape (I am able to hold my bladder, stop urination with ease, hold the nuva ring in e.t.c.) I am having trouble holding the muscle in a tight position. I'm not sure what should be tight and what shouldn't!!
Any advice on what to do? Should i just continue tightening and releasing quickly, and try to build up to holding it longer? I've also heard about certain toys that can help excercise your PC muscles. Anyone ever tried them?
To locate your Kegels, simply try to stop the flow when you are urinating. The muscles that do that are the pubococcygeal muscles (aka, PC or Kegels). That much you already know.
These muscles are interconnected with other muscles in your pelvic cavity, including the muscles that tighten your anus, so it is very common for you to be able to feel that when you're squeezing your Kegels (the next time your orgasm, try to focus on what your anal muscles are doing, and you'll see how integrated they truly are).
As for your abdominal muscles, if you're feeling them or contracting them, you're actually involving another set of muscles that have nothing to do with your Kegels. In fact, doing that decreases the effectiveness of Kegel exercises. You need to focus on and isolate the Kegels specifically in order to achieve the maximum benefit from it.
Keep in mind that the objective when doing Kegel exercises is not to be able to hold the squeeze for long periods of time, but to allow you to gain better control over the squeeze itself. So, don't worry about how much time you can actually hold the squeeze.
You can find the specific routines for Kegel exercises in several places on the net (maybe even on SexInfo101, I don't know). I have them on my site at:
http://www.caitlainscorner.com/13/sex/sex_kegels.html
I've been doing Kegel exercises daily since I was 15, and I believe I have excellent control of not only my ability to tighten my vagina when I want, but they also work to increase the intensity of your own orgasms.
They do have toys that help you with this, though they aren't really necessary. The Kegelcisor is a good example.
http://evesgarden.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=3&products_id=239
Remember, the key to making the exercises effective, as is the case with any other muscle, is to keep up the work across time. If you stop doing them, you will gradually lose the ability to control them like you would be if you performed them religiously.
Let me also say that I have no idea how this would affect your ability to use the Ring. I don't use that, so I don't konw if this helps with that or not. Perhaps someone else might chime in on that subject.
Doing these also enhance your sexual intercourse I have found. My husband loves when I do that during sex.
BenWaBalls can also be used to tighten the vaginal muscles. Actually that is what they are intended for. They come in set of 2. You start by inserting one at first and try holding it in. It will most likely fall out almost instantly the first couple of times. After you can hold one in (standing up) for about 20 mins then you can add the second one and hold them both.
Alot of women are worried about them getting lost up there but there is no where for them to go unless you just gave birth. Don't worry that they will get stuck either they are weighted all you have is squat down and they will come right out.
benwaa balls are great.
the kegels are wonderfull.
some like it tight
some like to stretch using ballons and stuff