Originally published on August 1, 2022 by Vital Physiotherapy & Wellness, now part of the Bravella Health network. Original author: Vital Physiotherapy and Wellness.
We often overhear phrases and advice like:
- ”Just do your kegels”
- “Did you do your kegels?!”
- “Don’t pelvic physios just teach you how to Kegel?”
The problem is, that most people don’t actually know WHAT a kegel is – let alone, if it’s good or actually bad for them! That’s why, we are here to help you learn more about what a kegel is, and how to know if it is going to be beneficial for you and your pelvic health goals!
What is a Kegel?
A kegel is a muscle contraction. Just like a bicep curl is a bicep muscle contraction.[1,2]
Some people have muscles that are too weak to perform the contraction optimally. Others are amazing at contracting and actually need to learn how to better relax their muscles![3,4]
So how do you find out if kegels are right for you?
Kegels may not be the answer for everyone, and in some cases, doing kegel exercises may in fact contribute to worsening your pelvic floor symptoms. That is why we recommend you seek advice from your pelvic health physiotherapist who can help determine whether or not you need help contracting or relaxing your pelvic floor muscles.[4]
As always, a pelvic floor physio can help you determine if kegels are the right answer for you!
Book an appointment with one of our Pelvic Health Physiotherapists today to find out if kegels are right for you!
References
- Kegel AH. Progressive resistance exercise in the functional restoration of the perineal muscles. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1948;56(2):238-248. doi:10.1016/0002-9378(48)90266-X
- Dumoulin C, Cacciari LP, Hay-Smith EJC. Pelvic floor muscle training versus no treatment, or inactive control treatments, for urinary incontinence in women. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;10(10):CD005654. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD005654.pub4
- Bump RC, Hurt WG, Fantl JA, Wyman JF. Assessment of Kegel pelvic muscle exercise performance after brief verbal instruction. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1991;165(2):322-327. doi:10.1016/0002-9378(91)90085-6
- Frawley H, Shelly B, Morin M, et al. An International Continence Society (ICS) report on the terminology for pelvic floor muscle assessment. Neurourol Urodyn. 2021;40(5):1217-1260. doi:10.1002/nau.24658
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