Kegels

Doing Exercises Right? 5 Big Mistakes

Reviewed by: Joanne Poje Tomasulo, M.D., ACOG

Pelvic floor exercises, or Kegels, sound simple, and they are, once you know how to do them. But many women do them wrong, and as with any kind of exercise, that can do more harm than good. “I’ve had patients squeeze their legs together, cross their legs, squeeze their buttocks, or suck in their abdomens, without ever exercising the pelvic floor muscles at all,” said Jane Frahm, PT, supervisor of women's physical therapy services at Detroit Medical Center’s Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan. “I’ve had people come to me and say they’ve been doing this for years, asking me what I can do to help them. I evaluate them and see they’ve been doing the wrong thing completely.”

Here, the 5 biggest mistakes, and how to avoid them:

• Doing your Kegels during urination. It’s true that stopping your flow while urinating is a good way to identify these muscles. But actually exercising them this way is a big mistake: Interrupting your stream on a regular basis may draw bacteria into the urethra or bladder, increasing the risk of getting a urinary tract infection.

• Exercising several muscle groups at once. Don’t tense your abs or thighs. As you contract your pelvic muscles, put your hand on your abdomen and then your thighs to make sure you are not contracting them. You can also insert a finger into the vagina while contracting the pelvic floor muscles to identify them. You should feel the muscles tense around your finger.

• Holding your breath. While contracting your pelvic muscles, you may tend to contract your diaphragm and hold your breath. Don’t. Breathe normally.

• Overdoing it. You wouldn’t do 30 sets of barbells lifts, would you? That would just exhaust your muscles. Similarly, doing Kegel exercises too often can strain your pelvic floor, causing muscle fatigue and eventually worsening your incontinence. Start slowly and build up. Eventually, you’ll perform them in sets of 10, three times a day.

• Expecting quick results. Like any exercise, Kegels take time to show results. It may take six weeks or longer to reduce your urinary continence. Pick certain times of day to perform the exercises, like morning, evening, or in the shower, so you can keep track of how long you’ve been at it. If you don’t notice improvement after two or three months, talk to your doctor.

So, maybe these exercises aren’t that simple. If you have any problems with Kegel exercises or just suspect you are doing it wrong, consult your doctor, nurse or physical therapist. They can help you correctly identify the muscles to do the exercise. As with other exercise plans, talk to your doctor before starting Kegels, especially if you are pregnant! Some people have more success with Kegels when the exercise is supplemented, either through biofeedback, electrical stimulation or by using special weights in the vagina. With multiple methods available, one should work for you.

And once you do, you can use what you’ve learned for your particular situation. “You’ll have increased strength and awareness, and an ability to elicit pelvic floor contractions when they’re most needed,” said physical therapist Jane Frahm. “That can result in a decrease in all, or a great percentage of, leakage.” Once you learn it, it can be a lifelong habit. Said Nancy Muller, executive director of the National Association for Continence, “My 83-year-old mother still does her Kegels!”