Pelvic floor exercises
Pelvic Floor Exercises
Pelvic floor exercises, also known as Kegel exercises (pronounced kee-gul), are exercises designed to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. These muscles support the bladder, bowel, and uterus in women and bladder and bowel in men.
Pronunciation
Pelvic: /ˈpɛlvɪk/ Floor: /flɔːr/ Exercises: /ˈɛksəsaɪzɪz/
Etymology
The term "pelvic floor" refers to the group of muscles that form a supportive sling in the lower pelvis. The term "exercise" comes from the Latin "exercere", meaning to keep busy or to work. In the context of physical health, exercise is the performance of activities that maintain or improve physical fitness.
Description
Pelvic floor exercises involve a series of contractions and relaxations of the pelvic floor muscles. These exercises can help improve muscle tone, prevent or control incontinence, and improve sexual health. They are often recommended for women during pregnancy and after childbirth, and for men following prostate surgery.
Related Terms
- Incontinence: The lack of voluntary control over urination or defecation.
- Prostate: A gland surrounding the neck of the bladder in male mammals and releasing prostatic fluid.
- Uterus: The organ in the lower body of a woman or female mammal where offspring are conceived and in which they gestate before birth; the womb.
- Bladder: A membranous sac in humans and other animals in which urine is stored before being excreted.
- Bowel: The part of the alimentary canal below the stomach; the intestine.
See Also
This WikiMD.org article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.