Why Kegels aren’t enough for a strong pelvic floor

I’ve been looking forward to this one! This is one of my favourite topics and it is so, so relevant to pretty much every woman that’s given birth. Before I delve into why Kegels aren’t enough for a bullet proof pelvic floor, lets cover the basics of what they are and why they are needed…

What are Kegels and why are

women encouraged to do them?

Think of your pelvic floor muscles as a sling, stopping your pelvic organs (bladder, uterus, bowel) from falling out. Quite an important job, I think!

However, during pregnancy, carrying the baby puts an immense amount of pressure on our pelvic floor. The hormone Relaxin (as its name suggests) relaxes the pelvic floor muscles in preparation for pushing the baby out. Vaginal birth then adds to the trauma, and assisted births using forceps or ventouse even more so. If the mother has a C section, not as much damage is caused due to the lack of pushing, but the pelvic floor will still be lax and stretched simply from 9 months of carrying the baby.

During ante natal classes and post birth, mothers are often told (but not always taught) how to do a Kegel, in order to re-strengthen these muscles and prevent urinary or faecal incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse. These conditions are not just embarrassing and very inconvenient, but can also lower confidence, cause depression, and stop a woman from living her life to the full.

Often, women are simply taught to clench or squeeze their vaginal muscles, or pretend they are stopping urination mid wee (DO NOT do this for real as it can encourage UTI’s). Too much focus is often put on the vagina and urethra, when in fact the muscles of the pelvic floor cover the entire area between the pubic bone and coccyx (tailbone). Therefore, this entire area should be used during a Kegel. The most effective method is to imagine your pubic bone and tailbone coming together, and concentrating on the feeling of lifting your pelvic floor muscles.

So why are they not enough?

Post birth, common complaints include leaking urine during exercise, yet Kegels are usually taught as a stationary exercise. Women are encouraged to perform them whilst sat at their desk, watching TV or waiting for kettle to boil. But do we pee ourselves in these situations? No! The problem most likely occurs while we are moving – running, squatting, or jumping, or when there is a very sudden change in our bodies internal pressure i.e. when we sneeze or cough. A woman can do all the Kegels in the world and have great urinary continence whilst sitting or standing, but as soon as she needs to run for that bus or bounce on the trampoline with the kids, her pelvic floor muscles don’t seem as strong as she thought.

Also, the pelvic floor muscles do not work in isolation. They are connected to many of the other surrounded muscles, so we need to look at how our pelvic floor functions when these other muscles are moving.

This highlights the importance of integrating movement into pelvic floor rehabilitation and using proper breathing techniques to control the pressure inside our abdomens. Training these important muscles from every angle, whilst moving, is the absolute key to strengthening them in a way that keeps them robust (and you leak proof) in every situation.

The good news is it’s never too late to strengthen your pelvic floor, whether you’re 3 months post-natal or 30 years post-natal! Please don’t accept this problem as something you just have to live with. It becomes almost expected that women over a certain age will have these issues, that it’s part of getting older. This is wrong! It can and should be fixed!

If you would like to restore your pelvic floor, increase your body confidence, get fitter, and get stronger, please contact me for a free no obligation consultation at karen@transformtrainingpt.co.uk

Mobile personal trainer in Haslemere, Liphook, Hindhead, Fernhurst, Grayshott, Surrey, Hampshire, West Sussex.