LIVING WITH INCONTINENCE
Incontinence exercise
Read moreWe’ve added this product to your sample pack
We’ve added this product to your sample pack
Even though these exercises are commonly associated with women, they can be very beneficial for men as well. As men age, their pelvic floor muscles weaken and this can lead to urinary incontinence. To help treat this condition it is important to keep the pelvic floor muscles both strong and flexible. This is where Kegel exercises come in. These exercises can greatly reduce the incidents of leaking when they are done properly and consistently.
It is extremely important that you do the exercise correctly in order to see results and prevent injury. In order to find the right muscles while you are urinating, stop or slow down the flow mid stream. The muscles that you have to contract to do this are the ones you will use for Kegel exercises. It is important to note that you should not tense your buttock, legs or abs during this process.
To do Kegels you first contract the pelvic floor muscles you identified before for a slow count of five. Then you release those muscles to a slow count of five. You repeat this 10 times, three times a day.
When you are first starting out it may be easier to do this exercise laying down so that way you are not working against gravity. Once you get better at them you can do them standing up.
The most important factor to seeing results is to stay consistent in your exercises. Three times a day does sound like a lot, however these exercises can be done anywhere without anyone knowing that you are doing them. For example, you can do them while you brush your teeth in the morning, while you are at your desk at work and then while you are watching TV.
Start Seeing Results
If you do your exercises consistently and properly you should see results in a few weeks to a month. It is important to be patient though. These muscles can be kind of difficult to find and work on since they are not commonly thought about. If you do not see any changes past a month you may want to see you doctor in order to make sure you are using the correct muscles and to make sure there are no other issues going on.
Did you know?
4.87 million Australians are affected by incontinence
70% of people with urinary leakage do not seek advice and treatment
Urinary incontinence affects up to 13% of Australian men in Australia – men’s guards and shields