How to Do Kegel Exercises

Yes, you've read about Kegels before. Maybe you've even promised yourself that you'll do them ... someday. Don't put it off any longer - Kegel exercises are well worth the effort. They'll help you reach orgasm more easily and feel it more intensely. And they're easy to do anywhere, anytime.

First, a little background: Kegels tone and strengthen the pubococcygeal (PC) muscles - three sets of muscles that run like a hammock from your back to your pubic bone, encircling the openings to the vagina and the rectum. "During orgasm, these muscles contract rhythmically. The stronger they are, the more intense the sensation," says urogynecologist Hilary Cholhan, M.D., director of the Rochester Regional Continence Center in Rochester, NY. Another sex bonus: A woman with strong PCs can grasp her partner's penis and heighten his sensations by contracting and releasing her muscles.

Locate the right muscles by stopping your urine stream the next time you're in the bathroom. (Don't routinely do Kegels while urinating or with a full bladder, though, because this can actually weaken the muscles.) You can also find your PC muscles by inserting a finger into your vagina and trying to squeeze your finger. Make sure you're not tensing your thighs, buttocks, or anal muscles. Then try these exercises:

The Basic Kegel: Slowly contract your muscles, drawing inward and upward. Hold for a count of three; then slowly relax for three seconds. Repeat as many times as you can, working up to 25 or 30 three-second squeezes.

Flutter Kegels: Squeeze and relax the PC muscle rapidly, in a pulsing motion. In the beginning aim for consistency of pulses, rather than speed; that will come with time and practice. Work up to 25 or 30 pulses.

The Kegel Push-Out: After releasing the contraction, gently push down and out with your PC muscles (no bearing down!). Create Kegel sequences that combine long and short repetitions with push-outs - for example, 10 short squeezes, 10 long squeezes, and five push-outs (any sequence will do).

Elevator Kegels: Picture your vagina as an elevator shaft, with the elevator car at the opening of your vagina. Slowly tighten your muscles as you imagine raising the elevator, pausing at the top, and then lowering it again. Repeat 10 times.

Finally, to really work the PC muscles, do Kegels in various positions - while sitting, standing, lying down, or kneeling - two or three times a day. If you do them regularly, you'll feel the difference in eight to 12 weeks.