Kegels: The Workout You Can Do Without Anyone Knowing
by Harry de Haas
You can do them sitting at your desk, standing in line, or lying in bed. Nobody has to know. But what exactly are Kegels? And does everyone need to be doing them?
Most of us spend plenty of time thinking about our abs, legs, arms and glutes.
But there's another group of muscles quietly doing some pretty important work down below: your pelvic floor.
And yes, men have one too.
So, what exactly is a Kegel?
A Kegel is simply the deliberate tightening and relaxing of your pelvic floor muscles, the hammock-like group of muscles that helps support organs including the bladder and bowel and plays a role in continence and sexual function.
One way people are taught to identify these muscles is to imagine trying to stop yourself from passing gas or stopping urine flow.
But don't routinely practice Kegels while you're actually urinating. Interrupting your urine stream is sometimes used to identify the muscles, not as the exercise itself.
Why would women do them?
Pregnancy, childbirth, aging and menopause can all affect the pelvic floor.
Pelvic-floor muscle training can be particularly useful for certain forms of urinary incontinence, including leaking when coughing, laughing, sneezing or exercising.
Pelvic-floor physiotherapy is also increasingly part of pregnancy and postpartum care.
And pelvic-floor function can matter for sexual health as well.
Men, you're not off the hook!
The male pelvic floor matters too.
Pelvic-floor exercises are commonly recommended for men experiencing urinary leakage, particularly around prostate surgery, and pelvic-floor function is also involved in erections and ejaculation.
So Kegels aren't a “women's exercise.”
They're a crotch exercise.
How do you actually do one?
Once you've correctly identified the muscles, gently contract them without clenching your buttocks, thighs or abdomen.
Hold briefly.
Relax completely.
Repeat.
The key isn't simply squeezing as hard as possible. Control, relaxation and correct technique matter.
And that's where Kegels get more interesting.
More Kegels aren't always better.
Here's the part that doesn't get talked about enough.
Not every pelvic-floor problem is caused by weak muscles.
Some people have pelvic-floor muscles that are overly tight or have difficulty relaxing. Symptoms can include pelvic pain, painful sex, difficulty emptying the bladder or bowel and other pelvic-floor problems.
Hammering away at Kegels when your pelvic floor is already too tight may not be what you need.
A pelvic-floor physiotherapist can assess whether your pelvic floor needs strengthening, relaxation, coordination or some combination of all three.
And yes, there's an entire Kegel industry!
Once you start looking, you'll find Kegel trainers, weighted devices, biofeedback systems and smartphone-connected pelvic-floor products.
Some may be useful for certain people but you don't necessarily need a gadget to exercise your pelvic floor, and a device isn't a substitute for figuring out what your particular pelvic floor actually needs.
That's something we'll be exploring in The Crotch Care Marketplace.
The Crotch Doctor's Bottom Line:
Your pelvic floor is one of those parts of the body you can go decades without thinking about until suddenly you have a reason to.
Kegels can be genuinely useful.
But the better message isn't: Everybody should do more Kegels.
It's: Know your pelvic floor. Learn how it works. And give it the same attention you'd give any other important group of muscles.
After all, you wouldn't walk into a gym and randomly exercise a muscle without knowing what you're doing.
Why should your crotch be any different?
This article is for general educational purposes and isn't a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Comments