You don’t need Kegels to strengthen your Pelvic Floor

After years as the go to Pelvic Floor (PF) exercise, Kegels are finally getting a re-evaluation. They were first described by Arnold Kegel in 1948. Kegels involve contracting and relaxing your pelvic floor muscles for various numbers of reps. They can be done almost anywhere, very discreetly and eventually became the go-to exercise for post-partum folks, and anyone experiencing incontinence. Add in a dash of misogyny, and the idea that we need to keep our vagina “tight” drives people to do Kegels anywhere and everywhere without much thought to the consequences.

The problem is, the PF requires much more nuanced support than a set of discreet contractions. Like any other part of the body, the PF does not operate in isolation, and too much “strengthening” can cause just as many problems as muscles that are not properly firing. Other muscle groups that contribute to a strong and healthy pelvic floor include glutes, hamstrings, quads, abs, and lower back muscles. Basically anything connected to the pelvis.

And guess what? Just because you have a vagina, does not mean you need to be going around doing Kegels all the time. In fact, you are probably already doing things that strengthen your PF. Some examples: Walking, Chair Pose/Uttanasana, Lunges/Anjaneyasana, Squats, deep core work.

Luckily, the last few years has seen more awareness of PF health and practitioners specializing in PF, including PT’s and movement professionals. I recommend all of my pregnant and post-partum clients connect with PF floor PT even if they don’t feel like they need it. The PF goes through a lot during pregnancy and child birth. Recovery goes a lot smoother when the initial focus is rebuilding a healthy PF to support other activities.