How to do pelvic floor exercises (Kegels)
This article teaches you the 5 essential steps plus expert tips for how to do pelvic floor exercises also known as Kegel exercises.
Before starting with these 5 essential steps it is important you can already feel your pelvic floor muscles working. If you’re not sure whether you are activating your pelvic floor muscles correctly refer to 7 Top Tips for Finding Your Pelvic Floor Muscles.
How to do pelvic floor exercises (Kegel exercises) – the 5 essential steps
Step 1 − Position your body for pelvic exercises
Position your body where you can best feel your pelvic floor muscles working. This might be lying down on your back, or on your side. You may feel your pelvic floor muscles working better when you sit or stand. Sometimes the best position to start your Kegel or pelvic floor exercises is lying down so that you don’t have to lift your muscles against the downward force of gravity.
Step 2 − Attend to the correct posture
Make sure that your low back is curved slightly inwards as you exercise your pelvic floor muscles, regardless of the position you are in. If your back is slumped forward, then your pelvic floor muscle exercises won’t be as effective. If you are sitting or standing, then sit or stand with your spine tall and lift the crown of your head up towards the ceiling |
Step 3 – Squeeze, lift and breathe
Squeeze and lift your pelvic floor muscles by squeezing your pelvic openings (your anus, vagina and urethra) and lifting them up inside your body. Try to keep breathing normally as you squeeze and lift. It’s really important that you learn to contract your pelvic floor muscles correctly right from the start. Try not to hold your breath or change your regular breathing pattern – if you think about it, if you can’t hold your pelvic floor muscles up against your normal breath, it’s going to be almost impossible for you to hold them against the force of your cough or sneeze.
Step 4 − Relax your pelvic floor muscles
The next step is to fully relax your pelvic floor muscles as you slowly lower them back to their starting position. Make sure that after each attempt to contract your pelvic floor muscles you let them relax and recover. A couple of deep breaths can help you relax your pelvic floor. Try to avoid the big mistake of holding your pelvic floor muscles on all the time without resting them, as this can cause you pelvic pain and even interfere with the way your muscles should work.
Step 5 − Rest your pelvic floor muscles
Take at least 15-20 seconds to rest your pelvic floor muscles before starting your next exercise. This allows your muscles to recover from their effort. If your muscles become fatigued they will be difficult to contract and will not strengthen well. In the past it was sometimes suggested that women should perform up to five hundred Kegels a day. Fortunately for all of us this is no longer the case. Over-exercising your pelvic floor muscles will fatigue your pelvic floor and may make your pelvic floor problems worse. It’s not a case of the more pelvic floor repetitions you do the better! What is important is that you do your pelvic exercises correctly. Make each attempt your best and stick to the current scientific guidelines for how many repetitions and how often you exercise.
Now that you know the necessary steps for how to do a Kegel or pelvic floor exercises, read on with Expert Guidelines for Strengthening Your Pelvic Floor Muscles which gives you your daily workout prescription for a stronger pelvic floor OR for more detailed information on how to find and strengthen your pelvic floor muscles refer to Inside Out – The essential women’s guide to pelvic support by Michelle Kenway Pelvic Flor Physical Therapist & Dr Judith Goh Urogynaecologist
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