By SusanC HERWriter Guide September 30, 2010 - 7:27am

Kagels are what we call strengthening the muscles in our pelvic region. Our muscles here can loosen due to a variety of reasons and one main reason is child birth. All that stretching as baby comes out into the world can lead to loose muscles, making sex less enjoyable and potentially causing problems with continency. Persons who are incontinent are also encouraged to do Kegels. Menopause can also see our pelvic floor weaken.

So how do we do Kegels? It's not like we can see these muscles like we can the ones in our arms and legs.

One of our experts, Amy Scholten, MPH, tells us how:

How to Do Kegel Exercises
Kegel exercises are very simple, risk-free, and painless. They involve squeezing the pelvic floor muscles. They can be done any time, anywhere.

Identifying the Correct Muscles
Some women initially have difficulty identifying the correct muscles. They contract their abdominal or thigh muscles instead of their pelvic floor muscles. Here are some tips on identifying the correct muscles:

■Sit on the toilet and place one finger in your vagina. Squeeze your finger with your vaginal muscle. You should be able to feel the muscle tighten around your finger.
■While urinating, stop the flow of urine midstream by contracting your pelvic floor muscles. Do not do this repeatedly.
■Imagine that a tampon is going to fall out of your vagina. Tighten your pelvic muscles in order to hang onto it.
■Imagine that you are trying hard not to urinate or pass gas. Squeeze those muscles.

The muscles you tighten are the muscles you should contract during Kegel exercises. If you continue to have problems identifying these muscles, talk to your doctor or nurse.

Doing the Exercises
Once you have identified your pelvic floor muscles, you are ready to begin doing Kegel exercises. You may experience very mild muscle soreness when you first begin doing these exercises. If you do too many exercises before you are ready, however, you might experience more pronounced muscle soreness and fatigue. Starting out at the maximum number of exercises is not recommended.

You can read lots more here: https://www.empowher.com/media/reference/kegel-exercises

Has anyone experienced problems with their pelvic floor? Have Kegels helped?