Most women have heard about Kegels, but how much do you really know about them?
“Kegels” were started by gynecologist Dr. Arnold Kegel, who introduced the concept of exercising the pelvic floor muscles in the 1940s. The contraction exercises that help strengthen a woman’s pelvic floor were then named after him.1
The name of these pelvic floor muscle exercises may be well known, but many women either don’t know how important they are, aren’t sure exactly how to do them, don’t perform them properly, or don’t do them at all!
We’re here to help with everything you need to know about Kegels.
What are Kegels?
First off, it’s important to know that Kegel exercises and pelvic floor exercises are the same thing. The purpose of Kegels is to strengthen your pelvic floor.
The simplest way to describe Kegels is that they involve tightening and then releasing the muscles in your pelvic floor to strengthen them.2
Why Is the Pelvic Floor Important?
Your pelvic floor is a hammock-like structure of muscles that support the organs in your pelvis — your bladder, bowel and vagina.
The pelvic floor is vital because it holds your organs in place. Besides supporting your bladder and colon, the muscles of the pelvic floor help the bladder and rectum contract and relax on demand when you need them. That means the pelvic floor assists with bodily functions like peeing and pooping. It also supports sex, pregnancy, and the delivery of babies.
Your pelvic floor is always working for you, but you don’t always think about it until they don’t work properly. When these muscles are too loose or too tight, problems can occur.
In particular, weakened pelvic floor muscles are a problem for many women, leading to pelvic floor dysfunction. For instance, urinary Incontinence, or the involuntary loss of urine, and pelvic organ prolapse (POP), when one or more pelvic organs drop from their proper position, are two common problems caused by weak pelvic floor muscles.
That’s where pelvic floor muscle exercises or Kegels come to the rescue.
Why Are Kegels Important?
You might walk or swim for heart health, and lift weights to keep arm and leg muscles strong. In the same way, Kegel exercises contribute to your health by helping to keep your pelvic floor muscles strong.
In fact, research has proven that pelvic floor exercises help keep pelvic floor muscles “fit,” and can be used as an effective treatment, for instance, for women suffering with stress urinary incontinence. Kegels can give you better control over your bladder and bowels, and prevent your pelvic muscles from getting weak.2
Here are just a few of the possible benefits from an improved pelvic muscle tone:3
- Longer time between trips to the bathroom.
- Fewer urine or bowel leaks.
- Faster recovery from childbirth.
- Possibly more intense orgasms.
When Should I Start Doing Kegels?
There are a number of life events that put stress on your pelvic floor and cause those muscles to weaken—like pregnancy and childbirth, and the natural process of aging.
Other factors include being obese, having surgery in your pelvic area, excessive straining—such as being chronically constipated or having a chronic cough—and some exercises like jumping or lifting heavy weights.2
If you’ve been diagnosed with a pelvic floor dysfunction, then your doctor or physical therapist has probably told you to begin a regime of Kegel exercises. By performing regular pelvic floor muscles exercises, you may be able to eliminate the problem by addressing the root cause—weakened pelvic floor muscles.
However, you shouldn’t wait until there’s a problem to perform Kegels on a regular basis. A strong pelvic floor is also a form of prevention against pelvic dysfunction. In fact, women as young as those in their 20s can and should include these exercises in their regular routine.
How to Perform Kegels
Performing Kegels isn’t necessarily straightforward. In fact, it’s easy to do them the wrong way, or contract the wrong muscles.
The first step to perform Kegels is to find your pelvic floor muscles.
Here are a few ways to make sure you’re contracting the correct muscles:4
- Pretend you’re trying to prevent gas from passing. That should create a “pulling” feeling in your vaginal or rectal area.
- While you’re peeing, stop your urine midstream. The muscles you squeeze to stop the urine flow are your pelvic floor muscles. However, don’t do Kegel exercises every time you pee as it could lead to a bladder infection. Try it once or twice to isolate the muscles.
- Insert your finger into your vagina and squeeze the muscles as if you were trying to hold in your urine. If you feel tightness on your finger, you are squeezing the right muscles.
You can also ask your health care professional to help you, or seek the advice of a pelvic floor physical therapist who can guide you to the proper technique for Kegels.
Then contract your pelvic floor muscles for 3 seconds, followed by fully relaxing the muscles for 3 seconds. Work up to 10 to 15 repetitions each time you do Kegels. It’s suggested that you do 3 sessions a day, once sitting, once standing, and once lying down. Using all three positions makes the muscles strongest.4
Some things to avoid:
- Don’t squeeze other muscles, like your stomach, leg or buttock muscles, and don’t lift your pelvis. Place a hand on your stomach to be sure you aren’t contracting other muscles.5
- Be sure to fully relax between contractions. To be effective, the pelvic floor muscles require a full range of contraction and relaxation. If the muscles don’t properly relax, they can become tight. There is another condition known as hypertonic pelvic floor, which is when the muscles are too tight. To avoid this condition, be sure to relax between contractions.
- If your stomach, lower back or head hurt after doing Kegels, you’re probably holding your breath or clenching the wrong muscles. Kegels should not hurt! If you have trouble finding your pelvic floor muscles or you’re finding the exercises painful, there’s a good chance you’re doing it wrong. In this case, see your healthcare provider for guidance.2
Tools to Make Sure You’re Doing Kegels Properly
There are also tools available that can help you perform Kegels. These tools will make it easier for you to be sure you are doing Kegels regularly, and in most cases will also ensure you’re using the proper technique.
A clinically proven tool is Gynesis. Gynesis pelvic floor trainer shorts support women to take control of their pelvic health with a simple, effective, external, and accessible solution. Using advanced technology, Gynesis delivers targeted muscle stimulation with Kegel exercises that helps retrain and rebuild your pelvic floor—so you can achieve stronger bladder control and with confidence.
Kegel weights, also known as Kegel balls or ben wa balls, are another product that can assist with pelvic floor exercises. These are smooth weights that you place in your vagina. Then you squeeze your pelvic floor muscles to keep the weight from falling out.
Variations on the ancient Jade balls include cones, balls, and double bulbs, and some have a string that helps when you want to remove them. Women can wear them from a few hours to all day. Be sure to wash your hands before and after inserting, and thoroughly wash the balls after using them.
Biofeedback devices are available for purchase now too. These are inserted in your vagina and will provide feedback on whether you’re squeezing the correct muscles, and how hard or how well you’re squeezing them.
Get Advice
There are other tools available, such as electrical stimulation, and other over-the-counter devices that you’ll find online. It’s best to seek the advice of a doctor, or pelvic floor therapist, who can guide you to the proper technique for the exercises. They can also recommend exercise aids, which should be ones approved by the FDA.4
See A Doctor
Whether or not you have a pelvic floor condition, it’s worth adding Kegels or pelvic floor exercises to your daily routine. If you’d like advice and guidance, or suggestions for a tool that will help you perform Kegels properly, use our Physician Finder to find a doctor near you with expertise in women’s health. Don’t wait until it’s too late and you require more invasive treatment for a pelvic floor disorder.
