The Ultimate Cheat Sheet for Reverse Kegel Exercises

    The Ultimate Cheat Sheet for Reverse Kegel Exercises
    Updated 10 November 2020 |
    Published 03 October 2019
    Fact Checked
    Tanya Tantry, MD
    Reviewed by Tanya Tantry, MD, Obstetrician & Gynecologist, Medical Consultant at Flo
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    Most women have heard about the importance of performing Kegel exercises to strengthen their pelvic floor. Kegels can also prevent urinary incontinence and pelvic prolapse. 

    But have you ever heard about reverse Kegels? These simple exercises also have many health benefits — even for men! Read on to learn more.

    What is a reverse Kegel?

    A reverse Kegel is a simple exercise that works the muscles in your pelvic floor area. Reverse Kegels can relax, stretch, and lengthen these muscles. Both men and women can perform reverse Kegel exercises, although they will have different effects.

    Regular and reverse Kegel exercises are very important if you want to keep your pelvic floor healthy. The pelvic floor is formed by three main components:

    1. Levator ani muscles 

    • Pubococcygeus muscle
    • Puborectalis muscle
    • Iliococcygeus muscle

    2. Coccygeus muscle

    3. Muscular fascia

    Your pelvic floor muscles support the pelvic fascia, which contains your bladder, rectum, terminal urethra, and genital organs. 

    If your pelvic floor muscles are damaged or become too weak, you could have a higher risk of developing urinary or fecal incontinence, pelvic prolapse, and less intense orgasms. Fortunately, something as simple as regular and reverse Kegels can strengthen your pelvic floor.

    How are reverse Kegels and Kegels different?

    Just as their name suggests, reverse Kegels are simply the opposite of a normal Kegel exercise. Regular Kegels are very important, but adding the opposite motion through reverse Kegels provides a more complete workout for your pelvic floor muscles. 

    Regular Kegels are very important, but adding the opposite motion through reverse Kegels provides a more complete workout for your pelvic floor muscles.

    During a normal Kegel, you will tighten your pelvic floor muscles. But during reverse Kegels, you will lengthen and relax the same group of muscles. Combining regular Kegels with reverse Kegels can help you achieve better results in a shorter amount of time than if you were simply doing regular Kegels on their own.

    The benefits of reverse Kegel exercises

    Reverse Kegel exercises can have a healthy impact on your sex life. For women, reverse Kegels can lead to more powerful orgasms and a higher sex drive. They also make vaginal orgasms more likely. 

    Reverse Kegels can be very helpful for women who experience painful sex, since you will find it easier to relax your pelvic floor muscles on command. This exercise will make it easier for you to enjoy a pleasurable sex life and all the health benefits that come from sex!

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    Reverse Kegel exercises can have a healthy impact on your sex life. For women, reverse Kegels can lead to more powerful orgasms and a higher sex drive. They also make vaginal orgasms more likely.

    This exercise may be useful for pregnant women, since it can help you learn to relax the tension in your pelvic floor muscles. This knowledge can come in handy during childbirth. Even if you aren’t expecting a baby, reverse Kegels can give you greater control over your pelvic floor.

    For men, reverse Kegels can increase their control over their penile muscles. They can also provide more sexual strength and stamina. For these reasons, reverse Kegels may be useful for men who suffer from erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation.

    Reverse Kegels can strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, regardless of gender. A strong pelvic floor can help prevent or treat urinary or fecal incontinence and constipation. It can also help prevent the prolapse of your pelvic organs (such as your vagina or uterus), which is more common after pregnancy. Reverse Kegels can also help relieve pelvic tension, lower-back strength, hip stability, and muscular imbalance.

    Why you should care about your pelvic floor

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    How to do reverse Kegels

    Now that you understand the benefits of this simple exercise, here’s how to do reverse Kegels.

    First, identify exactly which muscles you’re supposed to be working on. The pelvic floor muscles are the ones that control the release of your bladder and bowels. A good way to identify them is to stop the flow of urine while you are urinating. The muscles that contract to stop the flow are the muscles that you are going to exercise.

    Since reverse Kegels involve relaxing these muscles, it’s always a good idea to go to the bathroom beforehand. Relaxing these muscles with a full bladder or bowels could lead to an uncomfortable accident!

    Since reverse Kegels involve relaxing these muscles, it’s always a good idea to go to the bathroom beforehand.

    You can perform reverse Kegel exercises while sitting, lying down on your back, or standing. Make sure you’re in a comfortable position and then follow these steps:

    • Begin with a regular Kegel.
    • Breathe in deeply and identify your pelvic floor muscles.
    • Release the Kegel and focus on stretching your pelvic muscles as much as possible. The muscles should feel elongated — this is a reverse Kegel exercise.
    • You should feel your pubic bone and your tailbone stretching apart.
    • Your anus and vagina will move downwards if you are doing the reverse Kegel correctly.
    • Hold the reverse Kegel for five seconds and release for another five seconds.
    • Once you have identified the motion that you need to do, skip the regular Kegel at the beginning of the exercise.
    • Make sure you are breathing deeply as you perform the reverse Kegels.
    • Try to perform three sets of three reverse Kegels.
    • Don’t overexert your muscles. If you feel any pain, stop the exercises, give your body some rest, and do not hesitate to contact your doctor.

    How often do you need to do reverse Kegel exercises?

    Just like with any other type of exercise, it’s important to increase the intensity and frequency of your reverse Kegel exercises gradually. Otherwise, your muscles can become tired, sore, or rigid. 

    You can start by doing three sets of reverse Kegels per day. Once your pelvic floor muscles are stronger and you feel more comfortable during the exercises, you can add more reps or hold each reverse Kegel longer.

    When to expect results from Kegel exercises

    If you are consistent and perform your reverse Kegels every day, you could see results after a few weeks. Full results will probably take a few months to become apparent. Your pelvic floor strength will improve faster if you also perform other pelvic floor exercises, such as incorporating Kegel weights to your routine.

    If you are consistent and perform your reverse Kegels every day, you could see results after a few weeks. Full results will probably take a few months to become apparent.

    Pelvic floor dysfunction can lead to many uncomfortable health problems, including incontinence, organ prolapse, and low libido. Anyone can be affected by this problem, since most of us don’t remember to exercise our pelvic floor muscles regularly.

    Fortunately, simple reverse Kegels can help you gain more control over these muscles and strengthen them. These exercises are simple and don’t require a lot of time. If you combine regular and reverse Kegels, your pelvic floor muscles will become stronger and more resilient in a short amount of time.

    History of updates

    Current version (10 November 2020)
    Reviewed by Tanya Tantry, MD, Obstetrician & Gynecologist, Medical Consultant at Flo
    Published (03 October 2019)

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