Expert Kegel Advice

 

What You Need to Know About Your PC Muscle

We know that exercise has numerous benefits, from improving your heath to developing a more attractive physique.  Whether you want to focus on your cardiovascular health or you just want to look hot in that new bikini, it’s not difficult to see how regular exercise is an important part of maintaining your health and wellness.  But what about your sexual health?  Can you also improve that through exercise?  You'll be excited to learn the answer is indeed yes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picture of Jessica Browning-Cassaday
Picture of Ryan Browning-Cassaday

Dr. Jessica Browning-Cassaday and Ryan Browning Cassaday. 

The PC muscle (pubococcygeus muscle) is a muscle that is essential to sexual health.  It is shaped like a hammock and found in both women and men, stretching from the pubic bone to the tail bone, forming the floor of the pelvic cavity.  It performs the very important task of supporting the pelvic organs.

An added bonus of increasing pelvic floor muscle strength is to increase sexual satisfaction and the ability to achieve more fulfilling orgasms.  Many women find that stronger PC muscles increase sensations during arousal and orgasm. Squeezing well toned PC muscles during sex can bring many women to orgasm and also provide additional stimulation for their partners.

Just like other muscles in the body, PC muscles need to be worked out or they will become weak.  So how do you exercise your PC muscle?  Exercises that strengthen the PC muscles are usually referred to as Kegel exercises, or "Kegels", after Dr. Arnold Kegel, the doctor who developed them.  Kegel exercises strengthen PC muscles through a series of voluntary contractions.  Many women attempt Kegel exercises, but aren't sure exactly how to do them.  It takes diligence to identify your pelvic floor muscles and learn how to contract and relax them.  It is important to do them correctly so you can derive the most benefit from your new exercise program.

Tips for Tightening Your PC Muscle:

 

1. The easiest time to find your PC muscle is when you urinate.  Try to intentionally stop the flow of urine and do this several times until you can clearly feel the muscle you are using to stop the flow.  Congratulations, you have found your PC muscle!

 

2. You can also confirm that you are contracting the correct muscle by inserting your finger into your vagina and squeezing.  If you feel your vagina tighten around your finger and your pelvic floor move upward, you’re using the right muscle.

 

3. To exercise your PC muscle and perform Kegels, you must contract and relax your muscle.  When you relax your muscles, you will feel your pelvic floor move down to the starting position.  Try contracting your muscle and holding it for three seconds and then release.  Repeat this a few times.  As your muscle strength improves through regular exercises, this movement will be more pronounced and you will be able to tighten your muscles for longer periods of time.

 

 

 

 

 

4. A helpful exercise is to imagine an elevator. As you contract, visualize an elevator traveling up four floors. At each floor, contract your muscles a little more until you reach maximum contraction at the fourth floor.  Hold the contraction and then slowly release the tension as you visualize the elevator returning to the ground floor.  Repeat ten times.

Pelvic floor muscle weakness can be caused by a number of factors including childbirth, low estrogen levels, menopause and even lack of use.  When your PC muscles are weak it is difficult to stop the flow of urine and actions such as sneezing, coughing or laughing can lead to leakage of urine. This can be very embarrassing and it can make a person feel anything but sexy! 

 

Kegel exercises are very discreet.  No one will know you are doing them and they can be performed while driving, sitting at your desk at work or relaxing on the couch. Wherever you choose to perform your Kegel exercises, make sure to do them regularly for maximum benefit.  The best way to do these exercises and strengthen pelvic floor muscles is to use the Intensity.™ This product is truly your first step toward complete sexual health and wellness.

 

 

Would you like to learn more?  Watch the Intensity video.

Dr. Jessica Brownin-Cassaday and Ryan Browning-Cassaday are a team of relationship counselors.  She is a clinical psychologist and sex therapist, he is a certified life coach and author. 

 

Together this husband and wife are an expert source for all things regarding sexual health. 

 

They host a monthly webcast about sexual health and pleasure products.  They offer free advice about sexual wellness topics and provide a complimentary newsletter to interested subscribers.