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Kegels and more exercises
During the final months of pregnancy, doing a few simple exercises may help prepare your body for labor. For example, just squatting down every so often can help open the pelvic outlet and allow more room for your baby to descend. Squatting and other such exercises are often taught in childbirth classes. Learn more about these exercises that concentrate on the muscle groups receiving the most stress during the third trimester, labor and delivery. While you're most likely sick and tired of people telling you to exercise, exercise, exercise during your pregnancy, kegel exercises require so little effort from you, yet give you so much back in return, you really have no excuse not to do them. Kegels are named after their inventor, Dr. Arthur Kegel, who suggested them to his female patients in the 1940s. Kegel exercises target your pelvic floor muscles, helping to strengthen your urethra, bladder, uterus and rectum. Both women and men can become a kegel exerciser, although men won't gain the childbirth benefits that women do. Pregnant women are encouraged to do kegels because strong pelvic floor muscles help make childbirth, specifically pushing, easier. Plus, the exercise can lower your chances of tears happening during labor. During the postpartum period, doing kegels can aid in your healing from an episiotomy as well as prevent postpartum incontinence and tone your stretched out vaginal muscles, thereby making sex better. But the benefits don't stop there! Kegels can also:
Become a Kegel Master Easy childbirth? Better sex? What are you waiting for? It's time to get that kegel technique down! Thankfully, instructions for kegel exercises are very simple and easy to follow:
That's it. You've just done your first kegel. To begin with, try to do three to four sets of 25 repetitions several times throughout the day. As your pelvic floor muscles get stronger, increase the length of time you hold the contraction for, working your way up to ten seconds. When you contract your pelvic muscles, though, be careful not to squeeze your buttocks and abdominals. These muscles aren't needed to do a kegel. You may also find that you squeeze your rectal muscles. As you get better, you should be able to focus on just your pelvic floor muscles. To make your workout harder, and more effective, try changing your contractions. Do some quickly, like little flutters, while doing others more slowly. Do It Anywhere! The best part about kegels is the fact that you can do them anywhere at anytime. Whether you are watching TV, standing in line at the grocery store or are driving in your car; fitting kegels into your busy schedule is easy. Once you've had your baby, though, don't neglect these muscles that you've just built up. Make kegels are regular part of your fitness routine for life. Kegel exercises help tone your pelvic floor muscles, which may ease the discomfort of late pregnancy and minimize two common problems that can begin during pregnancy and continue afterward: urine leakage and hemorrhoids. You can generally do kegel exercises anywhere and anytime - for example, while sitting in your living room or while standing in your kitchen. To perform these exercises, contract your pelvic floor muscles. Tighten the muscles as if you're stopping a stream of urine. Try it at frequent intervals for five seconds at a time, four or five times in a row. Some More Exercises to Prepare for Childbirth Butterfly This exercise strengthens and stretches muscles in your back, thighs and pelvis and improves your posture. It can help keep your pelvic joints flexible, improve blood flow to your lower body and ease delivery. The butterfly position features outstretched knees with heels in toward your groin. Sit on the floor with your back straight, the bottoms of your feet together and your knees dropped comfortably. You should feel a stretch in your inner thighs. Don't bounce your knees up and down rapidly. If this is difficult for you, try using a wall to support your back, put cushions under each thigh or just sit with your legs crossed, changing the front leg occasionally. Keep your back straight. Pelvic tilt This exercise strengthens your abdominal muscles, helps relieve backache, eases delivery and encourages your baby to turn if it's in the posterior position. It can also improve your back's flexibility. You can do the pelvic tilt in various positions, but on your hands and knees is one of the easiest. Rest on your hands and knees with your head in line with your back. Pull in your stomach and pull your tailbone down toward the floor, causing your back to arch slightly, like a cat stretches. Hold the position for several seconds. Relax your stomach and back, but keep your back flat. Don't let your stomach sag or your back sway. Repeat three to five times, gradually working up to 10 repetitions. Wall slide Position your feet about shoulder-width apart and support your back flat against a wall. Slide your back down the wall until you're in a position similar to sitting on a chair - only there's no chair under you. Rest your hands on your thighs for better balance. Don't slide down far enough to let your knees extend over your toes. Keep your knees and feet pointing forward. Hold the position for a few seconds. Slide back up. Repeat the slide three to five times, working up gradually to 10 repetitions.
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