The Truth About Kegels: Are You Doing Them Right?

The most common thing that folks know about the pelvic floor is the word “kegel.” A kegel is a pelvic floor contraction and many think that just by doing these muscle contractions that they will magically make all of their problems go away. But like most of what we hear through quick soundbites on the internet, the truth is a bit more complex. 

Think of your biceps muscles for a second; they bend your arm, right? But for your arm to straighten, your biceps also have to lengthen. If those muscles stayed tight and contracted all the time, your arm would be stuck – and that constant tension would actually make you weaker, not stronger.

Your pelvic floor works the same way! These muscles need to both contract and relax in order to function properly. And in fact what I see most often in clinic is a tight or overactive pelvic floor, rather than a weak one that might benefit from kegels.

Function and Coordination

During assessment, we look at how well you can both engage and relax your pelvic floor, to see how functional and coordinated your muscles are. Sometimes clients who come in for something like leaking find that just by learning to lengthen these muscles–or with a bit of manual release–their symptoms completely disappear! 

So, the next time you hear “just do your kegels,” remember that that’s only half the picture. You may actually need to work on relaxing or doing “reverse kegels” in order to help your body function at its best and reduce your symptoms. 

One of my favourite things about being a pelvic floor physio is debunking popular myths around pelvic health, and kegels is just the tip of the iceberg! Do you have questions about pelvic health? Reach out and I would love to help demystify this fascinating area of physical therapy!