Comments on: Get To Know Your Muscles ‘Way Down There’: The Importance of Kegels http://prenatalyogacenter.com/blog/get-to-know-your-muscles-way-down-there-the-importance-of-kegels/ A New York City mom sharing her knowledge as a childbirth educator, labor support doula, and her own journey through motherhood Thu, 17 May 2012 03:38:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Deb http://prenatalyogacenter.com/blog/get-to-know-your-muscles-way-down-there-the-importance-of-kegels/#comment-2169 Deb Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:26:30 +0000 http://prenatalyogacenter.com/blog/?p=67#comment-2169 Hi Adriane Thank you for reading my blog and offering a comment. You do not necessarily need to coordinate the breath with kegels. For the more basic kegel, you can simply inhale as you engage the vaginal muscles and anal sphincter and exhale as you relax. Since exhaling is often used to relax of surrender tight muscles, this linking of breath and movement might be helpful. But again, it is not completely necessary. You can still pulse the muscles with out match the breath to the movement. We also instruct the "elevator kegel" which is engaging the muscles for 4 counts, keeping the muscles toned for 4 counts and then releasing the muscles for 4 counts. Since we do not want to encourage the pregnant mom to hold her breath, the idea of inhaling to activate the muscles and exhale to relax may need some tweeking for this exercise. If you find you work better with breath and movement together, try - engage for 4 while inhaling, keep the muscles toned and exhale for 2 counts, muscles still toned as you inhale for 2 counts and then release the muscles as you exhale for 4 counts. If this is getting you tense and tight while counting and working the pelvic floor, you are better just trying to breath normally while doing your kegels I hope this long winded answer helps!! Take care Deb Hi Adriane

Thank you for reading my blog and offering a comment.

You do not necessarily need to coordinate the breath with kegels. For the more basic kegel, you can simply inhale as you engage the vaginal muscles and anal sphincter and exhale as you relax. Since exhaling is often used to relax of surrender tight muscles, this linking of breath and movement might be helpful. But again, it is not completely necessary. You can still pulse the muscles with out match the breath to the movement.

We also instruct the “elevator kegel” which is engaging the muscles for 4 counts, keeping the muscles toned for 4 counts and then releasing the muscles for 4 counts. Since we do not want to encourage the pregnant mom to hold her breath, the idea of inhaling to activate the muscles and exhale to relax may need some tweeking for this exercise. If you find you work better with breath and movement together, try - engage for 4 while inhaling, keep the muscles toned and exhale for 2 counts, muscles still toned as you inhale for 2 counts and then release the muscles as you exhale for 4 counts. If this is getting you tense and tight while counting and working the pelvic floor, you are better just trying to breath normally while doing your kegels

I hope this long winded answer helps!!

Take care
Deb

]]> By: Adriane http://prenatalyogacenter.com/blog/get-to-know-your-muscles-way-down-there-the-importance-of-kegels/#comment-1953 Adriane Sun, 03 Jan 2010 19:24:33 +0000 http://prenatalyogacenter.com/blog/?p=67#comment-1953 Hi, and thank you for the Kegel information. How would you recommend linking the breath to the exercise? Does it matter whether I am inhaling or exhaling as I contract? Hi, and thank you for the Kegel information. How would you recommend linking the breath to the exercise? Does it matter whether I am inhaling or exhaling as I contract?

]]> By: Jenny http://prenatalyogacenter.com/blog/get-to-know-your-muscles-way-down-there-the-importance-of-kegels/#comment-607 Jenny Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:35:13 +0000 http://prenatalyogacenter.com/blog/?p=67#comment-607 Thank you so much for this straightforward explanation. I have been trying to find out good, simple information on the pelvic floor muscles since I am recently pregnant and have been hearing about the importance of Kegel exercises. It is surprising how difficult it is to find any text that will simply show and explain where these muscles are, what they include, and how to access them for exercise. Thank you so much for this straightforward explanation. I have been trying to find out good, simple information on the pelvic floor muscles since I am recently pregnant and have been hearing about the importance of Kegel exercises. It is surprising how difficult it is to find any text that will simply show and explain where these muscles are, what they include, and how to access them for exercise.

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