How to Do Kegels Correctly: Should Everyone Do Kegels?

By: Rachel Neiheisel, PT, DPT

If you’ve been told to “do your Kegels” for bladder leakage or pelvic floor problems, you’re not alone. Kegel exercises are one of the most commonly recommended pelvic floor exercises—but they aren’t the right solution for everyone.

One of the biggest myths in pelvic health is that everyone should be doing Kegels. In reality, the answer depends on why you’re having symptoms in the first place.

In this article, you’ll learn:

• What Kegels are

• How to do Kegels correctly

• Common mistakes people make

• Who should do Kegels

• Who may actually need to avoid them

• When to see a pelvic floor physical therapist

What Are Kegels?

Kegels are exercises that strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.

Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles that sits like a supportive hammock at the bottom of your pelvis. These muscles help:

• Support the bladder, bowel, and reproductive organs

• Prevent urinary and bowel leakage

• Assist with sexual function

• Work with your core muscles to stabilize your body

• Coordinate with your diaphragm during breathing

Like any other muscle in your body, the pelvic floor can become:

• Weak

• Tight

• Overactive

• Uncoordinated

• Fatigued

That’s why not everyone needs strengthening. Because if the muscle is tight or overactive, performing kegels may actually do more harm than good.

Should Everyone Do Kegels?

No.

This is probably the biggest misconception about pelvic floor health.

While Kegels are helpful for many people, they can actually worsen symptoms in others.

The key question isn’t:

“Should I do Kegels?”

Instead ask:

“Are my pelvic floor muscles weak, or are they too tight?”

Those are two very different problems that require different treatment approaches.

Who Should Do Kegels?

Kegel exercises may benefit people with pelvic floor muscle weakness.

Some common situations include:

Stress Urinary Incontinence

If you leak urine when you cough, sneeze, laugh, jump, or exercise, strengthening the pelvic floor may improve support around the urethra.

Recovery After Prostate Surgery

Many men experience urinary leakage after prostate surgery.

Pelvic floor muscle training is commonly recommended as part of rehabilitation and may help improve bladder control when appropriately prescribed.

Some Cases of Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Pelvic floor strengthening may improve muscular support and symptom management for some people with mild pelvic organ prolapse.

However, prolapse management often includes much more than Kegels alone.

Pregnancy and Postpartum Recovery

Some individuals benefit from pelvic floor strengthening during pregnancy or after childbirth.

Others may need relaxation, breathing, and coordination exercises instead.

Every postpartum recovery is different.

Who Should NOT Do Kegels?

This surprises many people.

Some pelvic floor muscles are already working too hard.

When muscles stay tight all day long, asking them to squeeze even harder often doesn’t solve the problem.

You may need caution with Kegels if you experience:

• Pelvic pain

• Pain during intercourse

• Tailbone pain

• Difficulty starting your urine stream

• Difficulty completely emptying your bladder

• Chronic constipation caused by difficulty relaxing during bowel movements

• Pain after sitting

• A diagnosis of an overactive or high-tone pelvic floor

In these situations, learning to relax the pelvic floor may be a more appropriate first step.

How to Do Kegels Correctly

One of the biggest challenges is identifying the correct muscles.

Research has shown that many people perform Kegels incorrectly.

Step 1: Breathe Normally

Do not hold your breath.

Your diaphragm and pelvic floor naturally move together during breathing.

Step 2: Gently Lift

Imagine you are:

• Trying to stop passing gas

• Gently stopping the flow of urine (for identification only—not as an exercise)

You should feel a small lifting sensation inside your pelvis.

Think “lift” rather than “squeeze as hard as possible.”

Step 3: Keep Other Muscles Relaxed

Avoid tightening:

• Your buttocks

• Your thighs

• Your jaw

• Your shoulders

Only the pelvic floor should be doing most of the work.

Step 4: Relax Completely

This step is often forgotten.

Your muscles should completely relax before the next repetition.

The relaxation phase is just as important as the contraction.

Common Mistakes When Doing Kegels

Many people accidentally perform Kegels incorrectly.

The most common mistakes include:

Holding Your Breath

Holding your breath increases pressure inside the abdomen and changes how the pelvic floor functions.

Instead, continue breathing normally.

Squeezing Your Buttocks

If your glutes are doing all the work, you’re probably not isolating the pelvic floor muscles.

Tightening Your Inner Thighs

Many people compensate with their legs rather than activating the pelvic floor.

Bearing Down Instead of Lifting

One of the most important differences:

A correct Kegel lifts upward.

An incorrect Kegel pushes downward.

Bearing down can actually increase pressure on the pelvic floor.

Doing Kegels While Urinating

This is one of the most common myths online.

Regularly stopping your urine stream as an exercise is generally not recommended.

Although a healthcare provider may occasionally use it to help identify the muscles, repeatedly practicing this while emptying your bladder may interfere with normal bladder function.

How Many Kegels Should You Do?

There isn’t one exercise program that works for everyone.

The best number of repetitions depends on:

• Your symptoms

• Your muscle strength

• Your endurance

• Your coordination

• Whether your muscles need strengthening or relaxation

More repetitions are not automatically better.

Quality is much more important than quantity.

Kegels Are Only One Part of Pelvic Floor Health

Healthy pelvic floor muscles don’t just contract well.

They also need to:

• Relax completely

• Coordinate with breathing

• Respond during lifting

• Support the body during movement

• Work together with your abdominal muscles and hips

For many people, improving bladder habits, managing constipation, strengthening the hips and core, and learning proper breathing techniques are equally important.

When Should You See a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist?

If you’re experiencing:

• Urinary leakage

• Frequent urination

• Urgency

• Pelvic pain

• Pain during intercourse

• Pelvic organ prolapse

• Constipation

• Fecal incontinence

• Difficulty emptying your bladder

A pelvic floor physical therapist can help determine whether your muscles need strengthening, relaxation, or improved coordination.

The right treatment begins with understanding the cause of your symptoms—not simply assuming you need more Kegels. If you have barriers to seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist, like lack of providers where you live or financial burden, the bladder health course located on my website can be a great starting point packed with loads of information regarding bowel and bladder health with more courses to come. https://thepelvicplatform.podia.com/courses

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Kegels make symptoms worse?

Yes. If your pelvic floor muscles are already tight or overactive, repeated Kegels may increase muscle tension and worsen symptoms such as pelvic pain or difficulty emptying the bladder or bowel.

How do I know if I’m doing Kegels correctly?

A correct Kegel should create a gentle lifting sensation in the pelvic floor while allowing you to breathe normally and keep your buttocks and thighs relatively relaxed. Some may feel a gentle abdominal draw in at the same time. Many people benefit from an evaluation by a pelvic floor physical therapist to confirm proper technique.

Can men do Kegels?

Absolutely. Men have pelvic floor muscles too. Kegels may help improve urinary control after prostate surgery and can benefit some men with urinary incontinence, although they are not appropriate for every pelvic floor condition.

Should I do Kegels every day?

It depends. The right exercise program varies from person to person. Your symptoms, muscle function, and overall pelvic floor health should guide how often and whether you perform Kegels.

Final Thoughts

If you’re searching for how to do Kegels correctly, remember that proper technique is only part of the equation. The more important question is whether Kegels are the right exercise for your body in the first place.

Pelvic floor muscles need to be strong, but they also need to relax, coordinate with breathing, and respond appropriately during everyday activities. For some people, strengthening is exactly what’s needed. For others, the path to improvement starts with learning to let those muscles relax.

Understanding the difference can help you choose the right treatment and avoid unnecessary frustration on your journey toward better pelvic health.