Exercises to Improve Incontinence
December 7th, 2007 by Tom Cobb
The condition of being incontinent is more frequent with age, indeed it has been said that incontinence is the major reason older adults need to be taken care of in convalescent hospitals. While the incidence of incontinence does increase with age, there are several risk factors that affect women of all ages. These risk factors are child birth, menopause, and hysterectomy. Other risk factors for both men and women include nerve damage from surgery or accidents.
While a medical evaluation is important, it is also important to note that simple pelvic floor exercises known as Kegel exercises can help prevent or improve incontinence significantly. Strengthening the pelvic floor musculature is similar to strengthening any other muscle and is accomplished through exercise. Kegel exercises themselves resemble isometric exercises where pelvic floor muscles are tightened and held for a length of time. Done frequently Kegels really do improve the muscle tone, strength and function of the pelvic floor muscles. We recommend that all adult men and women regularly perform Kegel exercises to strengthen their pelvic floor muscles.
There are even devices available that move Kegel exercises out of the realm of isometric exercise and into the realm of resistance exercise. These devices allow for the insertion of a ’squeezable’ probe into the vagina or rectum and will often give feedback as to the strength of the squeeze on a hand held meter. Professional equipment will connect to a computer for the accurate saving of data. With the use of a resistance device to improve Kegels, it is possible to keep records of improvement which is reinforcing and validating of the effort expended. It is often necessary to perform pelvic floor exercises for a minimum of 3 months, so being able to chart progress before seeing symptom change can be important in a successful program.
Read these articles to learn more about the treatment of incontinence: Types of Urinary Incontinence in Women and Adult Male Incontinence is Treatable