Like most of you, I’ve been a tad consumed with this (oh, I don’t know) little inconvenience of Covid-19. And every day, I can’t help but feel like we are all actors in one of the most surreal episodes of the Twilight Zone. At any rate, since one of our new but necessary realities is wasting an inordinate amount of time each week in the grocery line (first waiting to get into the store, then waiting in the interminable lines winding down the aisles, spaced six feet apart), why not put that time to good use? Embrace a paradigm shift and decide that the longer the line is, the more opportunity you’ll have to make sex better for both you and your partner. How? By tightening your vaginal muscles, of course.

The technical term for tightening and releasing the PC or vaginal muscles is called doing Kegels. As an aside, a few months ago, I had to have carpel tunnel surgery on my wrist, and guess what my surgeon’s name was? Dr. Kegel! Surprisingly, I remained exceedingly mature as he introduced himself while shaking my hand (who does that anymore??), being sure not to giggle as I thought about how many times over my decades in women’s health I’ve waxed poetic about doing Kegels.

At any rate, if you aren’t sure what the muscles are that you need to focus on, just imagine stopping your stream when you are urinating. And after you’ve done these muscle contractions for a few weeks, you can check how much progress you are making by inserting a finger into your vagina and feeling if you are able to tighten your PC muscles around it.

So the next time you have to wait in line, or waste time in traffic (who am I kidding? When was the last time you drove during the lockdown?) or wash dishes, alternate the following two exercises:

Slow Kegels: Hold it for a slow count of three. Rinse and repeat. No wait—wrong instructions. Relax and repeat.

Fast Kegels: Tighten and relax the PC muscles as rapidly as you can. Repeat.