Kegel exercises, or Kegels, are an easy way to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. You rely on these muscles to support all of your pelvic organs, including your bowel, bladder, and reproductive system. When these muscles are weak or dysfunctional, you can experience pelvic pain, urinary incontinence, and other age-related complications.
Kegel exercises sound simple, but they may not be as easy as you think. At Elation Physical Therapy in Houston, Pearland, and Katy, Texas, our team of certified physical therapists provides pelvic floor physical therapy and can teach you how to do it properly.
Here, we explore several common mistakes people make when doing their Kegels:
As with any exercise, you should never hold your breath while doing Kegel exercises. Breathing is essential during Kegel exercises because your pelvic floor muscles work in tandem with your diaphragm. When you hold your breath, these muscles can’t function properly. Additionally, holding your breath increases pressure on your pelvic floor muscles so the exercises are more difficult than they need to be.
It might seem sensible to exercise your pelvic floor muscles when you sit down to urinate. A moment in the restroom is a moment when you’re not otherwise occupied.
Even if you’ve heard that stopping your urine mid-stream is a great way to exercise your pelvic floor, this isn’t the best way to do Kegel exercises. In fact, doing this can lead to urinary troubles in the future.
You may think you’re contracting your pelvic floor muscles when really, you’re pushing down on the pelvic floor. A true Kegel exercise involves squeezing and lifting to contract the correct muscles.
For Kegel exercises to be effective, you must keep your spine in alignment. Poor posture during Kegels can increase pressure on your pelvic floor and make them more difficult.
Relaxing your pelvic floor between Kegel exercises helps you avoid painful muscle spasms and pelvic floor tension. Spasms and tension can lead to further pelvic floor issues like sexual pain, menstrual pain, or urinary incontinence. You should also learn to fully relax your pelvic floor muscles throughout the day when you’re not doing Kegel exercises.
To do Kegel exercises the correct way, you should squeeze the muscles you would normally use to stop your urine. When those muscles are contracted, you should feel some light tension in your vagina. To make sure you’re using the right muscles, you may place a finger in your vagina and squeeze the muscles around it.
Keep your spine in alignment while performing these exercises whether you’re sitting, standing, or lying down. Focus on only using your pelvic floor and not the muscles around it. Don’t flex your buttocks or abdominal muscles. Breathe freely while doing so.
To get the best results from Kegel exercises, do at least three sets of 10-15 contractions per day.
If you experience issues like urinary incontinence or pelvic pain, you may benefit from professional pelvic floor physical therapy. To learn more about Kegel exercises and their benefits, call Elation Physical Therapy or book an appointment online today.
