Strengthening the Pelvic Floor: Exercises Better Than Kegels
If you have ever struggled with any sort of pelvic floor issue and all you were told is to, “Just do Kegels!”, then this blog post is for you! In the past, knowledge and awareness of pelvic floor treatment options were fairly limited - both in the general public and in the professional community. Even today, this is still an area that lacks in full awareness, which is why the standard treatment for pelvic floor conditions became the one and only thing people DID know about - the Kegel. Unfortunately, ‘just doing Kegels’ is NOT always the right thing to do and almost always should not be done initially or in isolation. In this blog post, we are going to uncover why pelvic floor strength is important, what a Kegel is and when they may be appropriate to perform, potential risks of doing too many Kegels, and some alternative options for strengthening the pelvic floor that may actually be BETTER than Kegels!
Pelvic Floor Strength: Why is it Important?
Pelvic floor strength is crucial for optimal functioning purposes, with one of those purposes being to support our organs. Functionally, the pelvic floor is supposed to either stop or allow bodily functions, like bathroom habits, sexual function and stability. Aside from supporting our organs, because the location of the pelvic floor is at the base of our core/torso, it truly plays a major role in supporting our whole body! The pelvic floor is a key player for our body in so many ways, which is why it needs to be up to par in the strength department.
So, if strength is so important, should we just be doing Kegels all the time??
Absolutely…NOT! But first, let’s back up. The word Kegel gets thrown around a lot, so let’s make sure we know exactly what it is. A Kegel is simply a pelvic floor muscle contraction. That’s it! Nothing fancy, just a simple muscle contraction.
But here’s the deal - we actually HARDLY EVER need to be doing isolated Kegels for strengthening purposes, and in fact, in my professional and clinical experience, there have only been a handful of times that I prescribed specific Kegels to a client. If this a shock, hear me out! The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that actually function better in CONJUNCTION with surrounding muscles, so isolating them is hardly ever a great (or effective) idea.
There are instances and specific clients who may need Kegels prescribed to them; however, in my experience, these clients are not the majority. So, are Kegels bad?? NO! Not bad at all! The bad part is that they often are over-prescribed and wrongfully prescribed to clients who either don’t need them, or even worse, to those who’s symptoms can get worse by doing them.
Wait, so doing Kegels can actually make my pelvic floor condition worse??
Yep, for certain pelvic floor conditions, doing Kegels can absolutely make your condition worse. First of all, not every pelvic floor condition is caused from muscle weakness, so therefore, not everyone needs to focus on strengthening to fix the problem. Also, if we overly focus on strengthening, often times this can lead to an overly tense (hypertonic) pelvic floor, which is also not good. A tense pelvic floor can cause pain, incontinence, low back issues and even anxiety. If you’re interested in learning more about how to relax your pelvic floor, head over to THIS BLOG POST to learn more.
How to Properly Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor
So, if you are someone who KNOWS for sure that you have a weak pelvic floor and that strengthening your pelvic floor is the best course of action, here is what I recommend for strengthening the pelvic floor.
Full body movement
It is so important to find the connection to the pelvic floor and core WITH movement, not just in isolation. This is the entire premise of my Mind Body Core program, connecting the mind, the body and the core with specific movements designed to walk you through a full postpartum recovery! If this is something you need help with, Mind Body Core is IT! You can learn more by CLICKING HERE.
Coordinating your breathing with those full body movements
It ALWAYS starts with breathing - another thing that my program covers in depth. Learning how to perform diaphragmatic breathing and then combining and coordinating that with different full body exercises is the FOUNDATION for your pelvic floor recovery. If you’re not sure what this means, watch the video below for a better understanding.
Need ideas for exercises that actually recruit the pelvic floor more than an isolated Kegel?
According to an article published in the AJOG (American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology) in 2016(*), here is a list of exercises and the percentage of greater pelvic floor muscle recruitment than just doing an isolated Kegel…
Lunge: 42%
Squat: 30%
Side Lying Bent Knee Lift: 25%
Side Lying Straight Leg Circle: 25%
Butterfly: 36%
Bridge: 56%
Corkscrew: 21%
Hovering: 49%
All 4’s Bent Knee Lift: 30%
Cat Into Cow: 41%
Anyone notice that bridge number at 56% higher recruitment?? So, if strengthening the pelvic floor is the goal, look at all the exercises you can incorporate into your full body movement routine that will not only strengthen the pelvic floor, but do it better than the Kegel! Also, make sure to check out my FREE guide to exercises that strengthen your pelvic floor better than doing Kegels alone…click below to get an instant download to them!
For a little recap…
…know the problem first! If your pelvic floor is not weak, then don’t focus your rehab on strengthening! If it is weak, know that your options aren’t limited to just doing Kegels for all of eternity. And instead of jumping right into strengthening, remember to start with the foundation of diaphragmatic breathing, then combine that with full body movements!
Being able to incorporate the breath with full body movements and DAILY movements/bracing will not only help you have a stronger pelvic floor, but it will also protect your core and pelvic floor from poor pressure management that can lead to pelvic floor dysfunction. The last thing you want is for your pelvic floor treatment to WORSEN your condition, so those foundational aspects and learning the correct technique are so crucial for a positive result.
I hope this blog post gives you some fresh ideas and further information on strengthening your pelvic floor, especially for those of you who have only ever been told to “Just do Kegels!”.
And if strengthening your pelvic floor continues to be an issue, remember, there IS help. Mind Body Core is here to support you and walk you through pelvic floor healing. You don’t need to do it alone!