Skip to main content

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.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Benefits of Exercise During Pregnancy!

 We all know exercise is great for our bodies and quality of life. So, why do moms tend to stop when they are pregnant? Sometimes they are told to do so or they don't want to hurt their baby. But, the research supports women to continue to be active and it has been proven that no harm can be done to the baby! (Prather et al, 2012). We want mothers to move and exercise! Exercising can even help your baby in development and continue to help your quality of life during this amazing and exciting time in your life! We NEED healthcare providers to provide education regarding the appropriate type, amount, frequency, and intensity during all stages of pregnancy. Especially if you were sedentary prior to pregnancy, you should seek medical clearance before beginning exercise. We DON"T need social media, Instagram influencers, Tik Tok'ers that have no professional medical background or specialization in this population to make a 15-20 second video of a "how to" exercise for...
Post a Comment
Read more

What is Better: 3 Wheel Jogging Stroller or 4 Wheel Jogging Stroller?

  It honestly depends on your needs and what type of runner you are. In this blog we will discuss the pro’s and con’s of both and let you decide which is best for you! Regardless, running is a lot of work! It is a high impact physically demanding sport, now we add in a stroller which will alter your running mechanics. Therefore, it is so important to run with an upright posture, relaxing your shoulders and mid back and allowing the force of pushing the stroller with your legs and core. With the altered body mechanics and if muscles are weak this is a recipe for an overuse injury! So, we want to prevent injuries by posture awareness and strengthening areas that may have been weakened due to pregnancy! So, now you know a little about posture awareness and changes with running with a stroller. Let’s talk about the two different types! A 3 wheel jogging stroller is great on all different terrains for running. So, if you enjoy running on pavement and trail running this may be a better o...
Post a Comment
Read more

Healthy Head and Neck Development

  When babies are born, their skulls can be soft and they can have weak neck muscles. It is important to reposition your baby often throughout the day in order to help their head and neck to develop properly at that age. Repositioning your baby keeps them from spending too much time in one position. Most of the time, babies spend a lot of time on their backs. However, lying on their back for a long period of time can increase the pressure on the baby’s skull because it is very soft. This pressure can lead to the baby having a flattened area on the baby’s head. Furthermore, babies often turn their heads to one side when placed on their backs, which can lead to a different condition called torticollis. Torticollis is when the muscles on one side of a baby’s neck become tight and increase difficulty to move to the other side or in general. Repositioning them can help prevent these conditions and aid in overall healthy development for the baby. Below are some tips to reposition your ba...
Post a Comment
Read more