Every year, I eagerly wait to hear what treats will be inside the Oscar goody bag. Drum roll: This years’ Oscar swag bag included a limited edition Elvie which is a pelvic floor exercise tracker; a Fit Bit for kegels! The Elvie boasts “better core strength, control, and better sex “as it coaches you through your kegels and measures your progress using Bluetooth and an app. I have read some positive comments such as that it is user friendly and you get to see how to control your muscles in real time. Getting feedback helps you make the small corrections that lead to the success of the technique.
Our pelvic floor muscles get weaker from a variety of causes, including childbirth, surgery, being overweight, aging, and chronic coughing. Kegel exercises fortify the pelvic floor muscles which support the uterus, bladder, small intestine, and rectum.
Kegels can easily be done without the Elvie. The Mayo Clinic staff advises the following: Identify your pelvic floor muscles and work up to tightening and holding for 10 seconds and relaxing for 10 seconds… Breathe freely while doing kegels and focus only on the pelvic floor muscles. Aim for 3 sets of 10 reps a day.
Then, go ahead- laugh as hard as you want, sneeze, jump, and get to know and understand your body better as your muscles contract and relax.
Kegels are not just for celebrities!