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Can You Do Too Many Kegels?


YES! So many people have told me that their doctor handed them a brochure and was told to do as many kegels as they can in a day to help stop their leaking whether it is from just having a baby or many years later dealing with stress urinary incontinence. So, what happens if you are doing too many kegels in a day or your doctor told you to do as many as you can in a day without a specific regime? The pelvic floor muscles are just like any other muscle in our body. Would you do an unlimited amount of repetitions of your quad or hamstring muscle in your leg? What would happen? They would get tired, compensation may occur with other muscles to do the task due to the fatigue and therefore ruin the entire purpose of the exercise for strengthening a specific muscle. It can cause gait or walking dysfunctions due to pain, and increased risk for further injuries. Overall, your symptoms get worse because the muscle is so tired. The pelvic floor muscles are the same! People need the proper exercise prescription or dosage, not a brochure! 

So, how many kegels are you supposed to do a day? Well, that depends (and a great reason to see a physical therapist that specializes in the pelvic floor and exercise). This is specifically person dependent and the amount of laxity or low tone in their pelvic floor. Whereas someone that has some strength, but difficulty with the coordination and timing of the contraction. The general consensus is to do the minimum of 30 kegels with 5-10 second hold a day up for a minimum of 3 months for any differences to be observed (1,2).  Now the question is are you doing them correctly?! Schedule an appointment with us today for an assessment and program designed for your unique needs! 
1. Fantl, J. A., Newman, D. K., Colling, J., DeLancey, J. O. L., Keeys, C., Loughery, R., ... & Staskin, D. (1996). Urinary incontinence in adults: Acute and chronic management. Clinical practice guideline, No 2, 1996 Update. Rockville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services. Public Health Service, Agency for Health Care Policy and Research. AHCPR Publication, (96-0682), 1996.

2. Yount, S., Fay, R. and Kissler, K., 2021. Prenatal and Postpartum Experience, Knowledge and Engagement with Kegels: A Longitudinal, Prospective, Multisite Study. Journal of Women's Health, 30(6), pp.891-901.


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