Why Kegels Alone Aren't Enough - What Your Pelvic Floor Actually Needs

Like any other muscle in the body, the pelvic floor can contract and relax. Kegels do not work for some people because their pelvic floor muscles (PFM) are already contracted.

Let me explain with an example.

Imagine you have bent your elbow all the way to flex your biceps.

Your biceps is now contracted, it is shortened and is tight.

Now, if you want to bend your elbow any further, can you?

No!! You cannot, because the biceps is already flexed all the way. In order for you to flex it again, you need to first open your elbow and release the biceps, THEN you will be able to flex it again.

The exact same thing happens with your PFM! Once you kegel to contract it, if you do not let it go all the way to a relaxed state, you physically CANNOT do another kegel.

So the first thing you have to remember when doing kegels, is to relax 👏 after 👏each 👏contraction👏. This is called a High Quality Kegel

Now, the other thing is THE CORE!!

If you exercise your pelvic floor, but do not address issues with your core, your abdominals, your hip muscles, it overwhelms your pelvic floor. Most of the time your body works as a team. And we need ALL members of the team to play together.

Thus, fundamentally, your pelvic floor needs two things:

1. Relax after each Kegel to perform High Quality Contractions

2. Work as a Team Player with your Core and Hip Muscles

At Pelvic PT Plus, I use real time ultrasound imaging (RUSI) so you can SEE your pelvic floor ON A SCREEN, MOVING UP AND DOWN, to see exactly what you are doing!

There are other things too, like pressure management, biomechanics, load transfer, etc and of course the primary question of even whether kegels are ok for you - but that is for another time and another blog.

For now, if you are doing kegels, pay attention to these two things and see what changes!

Happy Kegeling! (if indicated 😜)