Are there any videos showing how to do Kegels correctly?

Before surgery when I was seeing my pelvic floor therapist, I planned for the worse and told her to prepare me for it. To that end, the chair part was a very common way that people lose continence. I repeatedly would practice engaging my core and my pelvic floor when getting up and sitting down, to the point that it became second nature. As for kegels with chairs, that's all I have to offer.

@victoria76

I found this one but I am sure that there are many more - just google and go through YouTube videos.

Before I had my RP I saw a Physical Therapist one month Pre-Op and I thought I was doing them correctly but I wasn’t. She was very good at showing me the correct way of doing them, the correct positions, intervals, hold times, etc.. Thankfully she was local only about 10 minutes from our home. I saw her 3 or 4 times Post-Op and was doing very well, I got a bad sinus infection and never went back. I leak so little now at almost 6 months Post-Op I barely even need one thin Depends shield per day.

I would recommend that everyone see a Physical Therapist, those videos are nothing like an actual person placing their hand down there to make absolutely sure you’re doing them correctly.

@im62at2024

Yes, but not everybody can do it or afford it.

My husband is doing his exercise alone and by using books and videos and even some phone applications and has very good and steady progress. He went to PT class in a hospital where he had RP 3 times and he did not find it helpful.

He is 9 weeks post op and he progressed from 70-80 ml a day to now 15 to 20 ml a day , which is truly minimal at this point. He also is down to one shield per day. We had post op app. with his urologist and doctor was impressed and told him that he will have this under 100 % control very soon. (knock the wood) .

I am saying all of this as an encouragement to everybody who can not have personal PT sessions for whatever reason. You can have success doing it by yourself 👍🍀🍀🍀, just be patient and be consistent.

I am only 3 weeks post-RARP. I am unsure of the ml amounts, but I think I am near 50-80 ml a day. I don’t leak when sitting or getting up or down. It happens mostly when I am walking. I have not resumed the floor exercises yet that I started pre-op, but the kegel exercises I started before my surgery do seem to help. The floor and chair exercises I use were demonstrated at the doctor’s office and I found additional on Youtube, as others have said. Thanks to all for the information and progress reports. I am scheduled for my post-op meeting with the doc in mid-November. Any information we discuss regarding further exercises, I will pass on. Best to all.

@surftohealth88 -- I agree that going to a PT is best, but many people can learn to do them by reading and watching good instructional videos. I actually had good insurance but I just was reluctant to go to a PT due to the personal nature of this (yeah, stupid, I know), so I decided to try them first using the YouTube videos and written instructions. I figured I could go to a PT later if I thought I needed to. I found Michelle Kenway's YouTube videos very good. I watched all of them dealing with Kegels for men recovering from proctectomy surgery, and then focused on the latest ones as I found she'd updated some of the details of her recommendations citing the latest research. I did find I had to watch them repeatedly and really practice them to do them correctly. That said, it worked for me. As an aside both pre and post surgery, the subject of Kegels has come up twice when talking to Mayo urologists. Both recommended them. Even though I've never really been incontinent after surgery, when I asked my surgeon at my 1 year appointment how long I should continue them, he said pelvic floor muscle health is important and just keep doing them (forever). That's my plan. Best wishes.

@retireditguy

Hey, I think you wanted to reply to somebody else ; ).
I stated that PT was not always necessary so we agree in that approach ; ). My husband is doing exercises on his own and is having very good results.

I also wish to use this opportunity to state that initial level of incontinence is not always related to number and amount of exercise before or after surgery but to many other factors !

Other factors that highly effect level of incontinence post RP:
Age, general fitness, weight, surgeon expertise (BIG time), amount of tissue removed during surgery, size of prostate (BIG time), core strength, etc, etc.

So even though Kegel's are of utmost importance, many other factors effect the speed and level of control achieved over time.

@surftohealth88 -- No, I was simply replying to you that I agreed with you. I was rushing to get out the door and I just didn't do a great job proof reading it so it was bit confusing. Sorry about that 🙂 I also agree with your thoughts about the other factors affecting continence. Best wishes.

Michelle Kenway's are very good a nice starting point.. Hang in there. I am at nine-ten months making progress slowly (two steps forward, one step backwards)
My PT was pushing core and specific Kegels for specific actions which I did not appreciate until recently.
I find that two behaviors ( 1) babysitting and (2) unusual positions (crouching under a rafter, climbing a ladder, throwing heavy objects) really upset my progress. Babysitting involves getting on all fours and bending, twisting etc. then other 'construction-type_ things like going up and down a ladder lifting in unusual ways can cause regression. This past weekend I was helping two of my sons with some building it felt great until the following day, my incontinence came rushing back and then when I finally paid attention I noticed my pelvic floor muscles were very tight and painful. I am not that good at localizing pain but am working on it. I tend to believe I will get better and need to practice more core and more Kegels while lifting and carrying weight. I can compare where I am now to what it was like the first and second month ( no progress at all) I did have a large prostrate before my prostrate had cancer so that might be more of why it is taking longer( urologist said something like a normal prostrate is the size of a walnut and mine was more like a lemon)
I really hope you get better

@surftohealth88
i watched the video for men but couldnt see the one for women .i did them anyway thanks
Vikki 🇨🇦