How to Treat and prevent incontinence with kegel exercises

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By Summer Banks
eHow Contributing Writer

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Exercises are not just for kung fu!

Kegel exercises have been practiced by women who are pregnant for years. These exercises focus on the urethra and help to prevent incontinence by strengthening the muscles that control the urine stream. Read on to learn how to treat and prevent incontinence with kegel exercises.

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Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Full bladder
Bathroom
Practice

Step 1

Learn the method. At first, Kegel exercises may seem hard to understand. The best way to learn the movement is to practice when using the bathroom. As you begin to urinate, try your best to stop the flow three or four times throughout. The more your practice the longer you will be able to hold the muscles tight during urination. This will isolate the muscles needed for the Kegel exercise.
Step 2

Tighten and loosen. Once you learn the feeling of the Kegel muscles, you will be able to tighten those muscles while doing just about any normal daily activity. Sitting at your desk at work, fixing dinner or simply taking a walk are all great places to practice Kegel exercises.
Step 3

Linking Kegel exercises and incontinence. The muscles in the urethra are the ones that control the flow of urine from the body. When these muscles are strengthened they will naturally tighten and help to prevent urine leakage or incontinence.