KegelsDo they improve sex?

culled from:pulse.ng

Even if you're not quite sure what Kegels are, you've probably heard of them.

Named for Dr. Arnold Kegel, the exercise is done by contracting, then relaxing the pelvic floor. Go ahead, do it now. Can you feel it? Pull your pelvic muscles in, then release. In, then release.

Feel calmer yet? Sure you did!

On top of helping with urinary incontinence later in life, keeping your lady parts nice and taut, and making childbirth smoother, you've probably also heard that Kegels are a great way to keep your sex life in tip-top shape. And that if you can incorporate them into your between-the-sheets routine, you're making the experience even more intense for both parties — or so they say.

According to a new study, "doing your Kegels" may not improve sexual function.

In researching a group of 32 post-menopausal women who were asked to do Kegels for three months (twice a week in clinician group-guided sessions and three times a week on their own), São Paulo University scientists found that the participants had stronger muscles in their pelvic region and an overall change in their moods and anxiety levels as a result.

Forty-four percent of the women reported anxiety before the workouts, whereas afterward, that percentage dropped to only 28 percent.

So despite age-old theories that Kegels were some sort of miracle exercise when it comes to sexual satisfaction, none of the women reported any changes in that department. Granted, there could be many other factors that contributed to this, like physical and mental issues, the fact that they were post-menopausal and so on.

Do they help you in general, yes! But as far as sex is concerned, they actually do nothing for you in that area. How sad.