Question: What are Kegels?

“I keep hearing and reading about the fact that I have to exercise my kegel muscles. I feel fine and even though I’m not having sex right now, I have no complaints in that department. I’m embarrassed to ask my doctor, and don’t really want to talk to my friends about this, but if there’s something big I’m missing out on, I want to know.”

Answer:

For starters, I wouldn’t worry too much about missing out on "something big." For some people Kegel exercises are an effective way to deal with physical complaints (like stress incontinence or ejaculatory control). For others, Kegel exercises can be a great way to keep your body fit and increase your sexual pleasure, but as with thousands of other ways to expand your sexual experience, they become a fad now and then, and everyone talks about them. On the other hand, even if you don’t have any complaints, you may want to give them a try.

To clarify the terminology: Kegels refers to a kind of exercise you can do to strengthen your PC muscle . They were designed by a doctor (named Kegel) to help women who were experiencing stress incontinence. They are still one of the best ways to help that problem, but more recently they have been lauded for the way they change the experience of orgasm (the PC muscles are involved in orgasm, and strengthening them, many say, enhances your control and experience of orgasm). Guys can also learn them as a way to control ejaculation.

If you’re interested here are some links to learn more about Kegel exercises and how to do Kegels exercises for men and women.