Lingering Incontinence? Try "Stream Control" Kegel Exercises
I had robotic surgery 14 months ago but still suffered some leakage despite gallant efforts with standard Kegel exercises. I tried every regime imaginable, from four sets of 10 exercises every day to one intense set every day. It seemed that I had hit a plateau with no further improvement and had resigned myself to wearing pads permanently.
Since the standard Kegel exercises didn’t help, I started experimenting with other variations. By chance, I seem to have stumbled on to an entirely different exercise approach that really works! I have had significant improvement in only ONE WEEK.
I call this new approach the “Stream Control” Kegel Exercises. It consists of two practices:
Practice 1 - Whenever you urinate, stop the stream after five seconds and hold for five seconds. Then start the stream again for five seconds and hold for another five seconds. Continue this sequence until your bladder is empty. Repeat these exercises every time you urinate.
Practice 2 - Instead of urinating frequently, try to hold off until your bladder is fuller. Forcing the muscles to oppose a full bladder seems to strengthen them quickly.
This approach has a number of advantages. First, it targets the actual muscles that control the stream – it can be difficult to identify them otherwise. Second, you don’t have to set aside a special time for Kegel exercises because you do them every time you urinate. Third, this approach seems to minimize the problem of “over exercising” the key muscles that can lead to muscle fatigue and less control. Finally, it seems to be very effective and works quickly.
I don’t know if this exercise regime will help others with lingering incontinence, but why not give it a try? If you have some success, please respond to this post.