Kegel exercises are exercises performed to strengthen the muscles in the pelvis.

They were developed by Dr. Arnold Kegel in 1948 as a way to treat women experiencing urinary incontinence following childbirth. They are now one of the methods taught to help treat incontinence in women and men and to improve pelvic muscle tone. Some women perform Kegel exercises before, during and after pregnancy to assist with delivery and help prevent problems with incontinence following childbirth.

Before Kegel exercises can be a useful treatment, the proper muscles to exercise must be identified. This can be accomplished by stopping the flow of urination midstream and repeating the process until becoming familiar with the sensation of contracting the proper muscles. Another technique that can be used is to insert a finger into the vagina (in women) or rectum (in men). The muscles can be identified by touch when contracted.

The exercises are performed by contracting the pelvic floor muscles for up to 10 seconds (a count of 10), then relaxing them for the same amount of time. In order to be effective, eight to 12 repetitions of the exercise are performed three to four times a week for at least 15 to 20 weeks.

When performed correctly, the exercises have been demonstrated to strengthen pelvic muscles and significantly improve urinary incontinence. Because Kegel exercises strengthen the vaginal muscles, they may also improve sexual satisfaction for some women.