If you do remember them, then you’re like me, and came across them as a young mother. We did Kegel exercises back then to ‘keep our figure’ and didn’t stop to think that they were originally developed in 1948 for control of incontinence.

Well, it’s time to bring back the Daily Kegel.

After menopause begins and when lower estrogen levels accelerate muscle weakening, you may have problems with bladder control. Small embarrassing moments when laughing or coughing, little accidents while sneezing, exercising or just bending over.

• Leakage of urine that impacts your activities
• Leakage of urine causing embarrassment
• Leakage of urine after an operation.
• An urgent need to rush to the bathroom and loss of urine if you don’t arrive in time
• Frequent bladder infections
• Urinating more frequently than usual without a bladder infection
• Pain related to filling the bladder and/or during urination in the absence of a bladder infection
• Progressive weakness of the urinary stream, with or without a feeling of incomplete bladder emptying

First : Find these muscles by stopping and starting the flow of urine. Once you have located the muscles, simply exercise by tightening and relaxing the muscles over and over.

Start off with five minute sessions done twice a day. We should be exercising daily anyway and kegelling can fit in with your routine.

Slowly tighten, lift, and draw in the pelvic floor muscles. At first, you’ll be a little rusty, and your muscles won’t want to stay contracted or tightened too long but try and hold them for a count of five.

If you feel the contraction letting go, just retighten the muscles. Rest for 10 seconds between each contraction.

If you can manage only 1-2 seconds at first, don’t worry just keep at it and you’ll see an improvement as you go along. Progressing slowly over the next few weeks to a goal of 10-seconds. Remember it takes regular practice to see results.

No time for exercising ? No excuse. Kegel for five minutes in your bed before you settle down to sleep.

We have to exercise and maintain the strength of all our muscles as we grow older. I don’t know what you may have planned for your future, but I for one do not intend to become an old Dame in Diapers!

But we can take up arms against the enemy of middle aged spead and manage our menopausal symptoms at the same time!

Other factors which contribute to middle aged spread

Reduced activity : We often exercise less when we enter menopause, why is that? Not because we become lazier, but because we are genuinely more tired and half the time we are too busy!

Decreased metabolism : One reason metabolism declines with age is the loss of muscle mass. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so when you lose that muscle you don’t burn as many calories.

Increase in calories : As metabolism drops, many of us just don’t think of adjusting our calories accordingly.

Managing our menopausal symptoms with exercise

There are any number of ways to manage menopause symptoms but one simple thing you can do right now is to exercise.

A regular programme of physical activity will help manage many of the uncomfortable symptoms of menopause as well as the related health concerns, such as heart disease and osteoporosis.

Mini Workout

Inverted Push Ups

• Stand with your legs two to three feet from a wall and your palms on the wall
• Slowly lower your chest to the wall by bending your elbows and then slowly push your body back to starting position
• Repeat 10 times

Chair Exercise – Waist Toner

• Sit toward the edge of your chair with your back straight and feet planted on the floor, shoulder-width apart
• Keep your stomach tight, and with a litre bottle of water in each hand, let your left hand slide down the left side of your body toward the floor, only as far as you can without leaning forward
• Alternate sides.

Chair Exercise – Hamstring Stretch

• Sit in a chair and extend one leg forward
• Flex the foot with toes pointed (toward the ceiling and back toward your body) and place heel on the floor
• Brace hands on the sides of your calf and lean forward at the hip
• Stretch and hold
• Alternate sides.

When you’ve finished, walk around for at least five minutes.

Just the sort of thing to ruin your entire day if you don’t tackle it immediately. If you wake up too stiff to straighten out, don’t bother. Roll yourself into a ball instead. Simple.

* Slowly reach down and put your hands underneath your knees

* Bring your knees up slowly and gently as close as you comfortably can to your chest

* Rock forward slightly on your curved back

* Rock gently a few times and then gently roll from side to side

A good, gentle, easy massage