incontinence

Being in the last few weeks of my pregnancy, I have to confess that I haven't been keeping up with my kegels. Early in my pregnancy, new moms urged me to keep my pelvic floor strong, but distracted by the impending appearance of my new little one, exercising this area has not been a top priority. That is until now.

Helping a fellow instructor out at a postnatal yoga class over the weekend, I heard tales of new motherhood that both shocked and intrigued me. I felt like I was in junior high having a secret meeting in the bathroom with my girlfriends about tampons, complete with blushing. One woman admitted that she's had a real problem with incontinence ever since giving birth. After reading all the reviews on Amazon, she ordered some vaginal weights. She explained the weights go inside you to more effectively work your pelvic floor. From a strength training standpoint, that makes complete sense. I mean, if you want to tone your arms, lifting dumbbells is more worthwhile than lifting air. But seriously — vaginal weights?

Learn if they are safe when you read more

Who doesn't want to make her time under the sheets even better? When in search of the Big O, you may need to look a little deeper, as in deep inside. I'm not talking about touching your heart here — I'm talking about getting in touch with your pelvic floor muscles. I agree that doesn't sound too sexy, and neither does the word Kegels — the name of the exercises used to strengthen those muscles — but once you learn to control them, get ready for some major pleasure in the bedroom.

If you're unfamiliar with where your pelvic floor muscles are, or how to engage them, you're not alone. Here's a simple trick I learned from my Ashtanga Yoga instructor (since mula bandha is another name for these muscles). Pretend you're in the bathroom, and the guy you just started seeing walks in. Faster than you can scream "I'm in here!," you'll automatically engage your muscles and stop peeing midstream. Those are your pelvic floor muscles. While sitting at your computer reading this, practice squeezing those muscles. Be certain you're not just clenching your glutes or engaging your abs. It may take some practice to find your pelvic floor.

Once you do, here's an exercise you can do anytime, anywhere, to strengthen those muscles. It involves thinking of your Kegels as an apartment building. To find out what I mean, read more