When you were pregnant, you no doubt heard about the importance of doing your Kegels, an exercise that strengthens the pelvic floor muscle and helps you to avoid leaking urine and helps prepare you for the rigors of childbirth.

But just because you've had your baby doesn't mean you'll no longer benefit from Kegels. The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that supports the uterus, bladder and bowel, and it gets stretched and weakened not only during pregnancy, but also from the trauma of childbirth. So it must be retrained and strengthened to work properly again. If not, incontinence can result (even more so in menopausal years, when the effects of gravity and hormones are thrown into the mix).

The benefits of doing these exercises daily are well worth it: If you've been leaking a mild to moderate amount of urine following childbirth, chances are doing Kegel exercises routinely will improve the situation, and perhaps even cure your incontinence. (If you've had significantly more leakage or experienced nerve damage as a result of childbirth, the exercises may not be effective and you may need to be seen by a urogynecologist.)

Kegels may also add a kick to your love life. Many experts say that stronger pelvic floor muscles can make sex more pleasurable for both partners.

Unfortunately, many women think they're doing Kegel exercises correctly when they're not. Instead of tightening the muscles, they actually take a deep breath and push down, called a valsalva maneuver, which is counterproductive, says Glenn Hurt, M.D., a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond.

In order to identify the correct muscles needed for Kegels, Dr. Hurt suggests voluntarily interrupting the urine stream. (But don't make a habit of doing this because it can lead to problems.) Then when you're aware of the correct muscles, you'll be able to do the exercises properly.

Tighten and hold the muscles for 8 to 10 seconds at a time. Kegel exercises should be done every day, multiple times. Aim for 10 to 15 repetitions 3 to 4 times per day.

For more information or to find a urogynecologist, contact the American Urogynecologic Society at 2025 M Street NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20036; 202-367-1167; HYPERLINK http://www.augs.org or e-mail: AUGS@dc.sba.com.




Christine R. McLaughlin is a freelance writer and editor from Oreland, PA, and mother of Joey, six months. She's written for Family Circle, American Health and Fitness magazines.