Can Kegel Exercises Lead to Better Orgasms?

I'm sure you've heard of Kegel exercises, but the odds are good that you don't know exactly what they are. The word on the street is that they're a simple exercise you can do in seconds a day and they can dramatically improve your sex life. We asked sexpert Teesha Morgan to explain.

Q: What are Kegel exercises and can they really improve the quality of your sex life?

A: Kegels are the name of an exercise developed by Dr. Arnold Kegel. They involve contracting and relaxing ones PC muscles (Pubococcygeus muscles). These are found between the tail bone and the pubic bone and are in use when one stops the flow of urine. Both men and women can and should do these contractions (approximately 25 a day) as there are many health benefits.

For women, it prepares the pelvic floor for the stress of childbirth and helps prevent uterine prolapse. For men, it can help with prostate pain and swelling. They are also beneficial in preventing urinary incontinence in both men and women and can increase sexual gratification for both genders. This can range from more intense orgasms for men and women, to stronger erections, better erectile control and multiple orgasms for men. These exercises do not have to be done while urinating, but can be done at any time during the day. So yes, doing your Kegels can improve the quality of your (and your partner's) sex life.

Q: What kind of differences can you expect to see if you start doing the exercises?

A: If a women performs her Kegel exercises regularly, she will get stronger PC muscles which can create a 'tighter' vaginal feeling during intercourse. She may also choose to squeeze these muscles during sex. This can create beneficial feelings for both her and her partner. Having strong PC muscles can also lead to stronger and more intense orgasms (in both men and women). Men who perform their Kegels regularly can also see a marked improvement in their erectile control and when practised, can lead to multiple orgasms. How? The key is to separate your orgasm from ejaculation (as even though the two generally happen at roughly the same time, they do not have to be connected - meaning an orgasm occurs without ejaculation). The best way to achieve this is to work the PC muscles through Kegel exercises while masturbating. The man stimulates himself until he feels as though he is about to ejaculate (almost at the point of ejaculatory inevitability) he then stops stimulating himself and squeezes his PC muscles as tight as possible. Once the feeling of ejaculatory inevitability disappears he should continue this process, while getting closer and closer to orgasm (and eventually orgasm) without ejaculating.

Q: Can you provide a couple of examples of exercises that can help?

A: The most common Kegel exercises involve the squeeze, and squeeze and hold technique. The squeeze technique is done by squeezing your PC muscles as tight as possible and then releasing - this would count as one rep. Performing 25 of these consecutively, is a good daily routine. The squeeze and hold technique involves squeezing ones PC muscles as tight as possible and then continuing to hold them as long as possible. If your muscles are weak, you might not be able to hold them for more than a second or two. As they grow stronger however, you will be able to hold them for an extended length of time. It's also a good idea to do quick Kegel exercises 'on the go' while you go to the washroom (by stopping the flow of urine).