The Buff Muff: Tips on Strengthening your Pelvic Floor

When thinking of all the body parts we want to tone up, the pelvic floor is oft-left behind in favor of arms, abs, and assets of the backyard variety. But this is folly fair femmes because just a few minutes each day of exercising your sexercise zone yields many benefits not only for today, but for tomorrow too.

The happy hammock: Your pelvic floor

Your pelvic floor is made of four major areas: the bladder, uterus, vagina, and rectum (visualize a hammock holding all of these bits and pieces up – that’s your pelvic floor). Pregnancy, childbirth, weight gain, and aging all weaken the pelvic floor. The weaker your pelvic floor is, the more likely you are to be susceptible to incontinence, pelvic prolapse (when your bladder or other organs drop and push against your vagina, causing the need for corrective surgery in most cases), and the dreaded not-so-snug vagina. Sigh.

The good news? Consistent exercise of the pelvic floor not only can prevent this, but repair it, and even make you stronger than you once were. The most common exercise to strengthen the region is the Kegel.

The mighty, tighty Kegel

How do you Kegel? It is a simple and discreet exercise. You can do them sitting, standing, or lying down. Tighten the muscles you would use to control the flow of urine (Tip: Get accustomed to the feeling by doing it in the powder room when you actually are urinating). Clench for two counts and release for two counts for a total of four seconds. Like all muscle-building exercises, the release is just as important as the contraction.

Beginners: Start out by doing 4-5 repetitions of 4 seconds each, twice per day.

Intermediate: Time to turn up your tone by working up to 3 sets of 10 reps for 10 seconds each.

Advanced/Expert: Continue your frequency adding a weighted Kegel ball. What is a weighted Kegel ball? Think of it as a medicine ball for your muffin. Get in a reclined position. Using ample lube, insert the Kegel ball, and do your Kegels focusing on both the clenching and controlled release.

The Benefits of a Buff Muff

First of all, a strong pelvic floor will reduce incontinence. This is great for those people who tinkle a bit when they cough hard or get caught in a laughing monsoon. It will also keep you out of adult diapers (the real granny of all panties) as you get older and leakage risk increases. Kegels also improve strength and stability in your core and prevent pelvic prolapse. These health benefits are great, but let’s face it, you want to hear about the sex-tacular rewards.

A strong, well-toned vagine has been shown to cause multiple orgasms, orgasms in new positions, more intense orgasms due to increased blood-flow, and an increased chance at female ejaculation. Basically if you build it, you will cum.

And then there are the ways you will amaze your partner with your new found vaginal prowess. Increased muscle control can not only give you a stronger grip on your partner’s penis, but also the ability to contract and massage the penis during intercourse (Be sure to be gentle at first, you aren’t trying to win an arm-wrestling match). Be prepared to hear things like, “You are the best lover ever,” and “That is magical!” and a few other phrases that aren’t fit to print. Just remember, it isn’t vaginal hubris if it is true.

There is no time like the present – strengthen those pelvic floor and reap the many rewards!