All About Kegel's

Kegel's are often synonymous with pelvic floor muscle training and strengthening.  Most women perform Kegel's when they suspect their pelvic floor is weak and are combatting issues such as incontinence.

Interestingly enough, most women do not perform Kegel's the correct way.  

When contracting the pelvic floor, it needs to be done in an isolated manner.  Many women will engage their inner thighs and glutes and breath hold.  This does not promote isolation of the pelvic floor.  Think about engaging the area between the vaginal and rectal opening.  Make sure to breathe through the contractions.

Long holds and quick contractions are an important part of pelvic floor training.  The pelvic floor needs endurance and speed.  With practice, you should be able to do both, and differentiate between the muscles in the back vs. the front of the pelvic floor.  

Kegel's are not appropriate for everyone.  If someone presents with a hypertonic pelvic floor, meaning they have muscle tension, strengthening can cause more tension and irritability.  In cases such as this, the goal is to focus more on muscle lengthening and relaxation.  This is why it is crucial to get evaluated by a trained physical therapist who specializes in pelvic floor rehab.  

Kegel's have their place in a rehabiliation program but as a stand alone, are not the answer to pelvic floor dysfunction.  Issues such as incontinence occur for a variety of reasons.  Therefore, if you are only focused on pelvic floor strengthening, you are likely missing several other puzzle pieces that can continue to drive the issue.  It is important to look at the body as a whole.