To kegel or not to kegel?

So, here’s the thing about the pelvic floor muscles— they’re different than the biceps and quads and should be treated as such. 

They have several important systems running through them, and have both somatic and  autonomic innervation (like your eyelids), meaning they should do their job automatically, but you can volitionally control them if you want. 

The pelvic floor muscles need to be able to both contract to maintain stability of the pelvis and continence, but also relax to allow for urine, stool, and babies to pass through. 

In my clinical experience, pelvic floor dysfunction (incontinence, prolapse, constipation, or pain) is not stemming from weakness of the muscles, though that is what society tells women. These muscles are more often too tense rather than too weak. The root of dysfunction varies from person to person, and should be evaluated treated as such. 

So, for a blanket treatment approach, I am going to say not to kegel, as kegeling could actually make your symptoms worse. Instead opt for an individualized evaluation and treatment to fit your goals and lifestyle. Besides, research shows that over 50% of women are not able to do a kegel correctly anyway.

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