Why Aren't Kegels Making Me Better?
You went to your doctor and told them you were having issues with leaking or heaviness and your well meaning provider gave you the advice to "just do your kegels" and the issue will resolve.
So you went home and started doing your kegels. Every time your sitting at a traffic light, when you brush your teeth, every time you take a sip of water. You are on it!! So you ask yourself...."why are aren't kegels making me better?"
Reasons Kegels Might Not Be Working For You
Kegels are often recommended as a way to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles by doctors, social media influencers and your bestie but they may not actually be the best exercise for you. A few reasons that you may not be seeing the results you're looking for could be:
You may not be doing them correctly. Some people find it easier to contract the front or the back pelvic floor muscles but struggle to do a full contraction or they may not be coordinating the contract/relax correctly.
You may not be going through the full range of motion. If you have tight and tense muscles, you may not be getting a full contract and relax of the muscles. If this is the case, kegels may actually be making your symptoms worse and aren't actually a good exercise for you.
Pelvic floor muscle strength may not actually be your problem! Often times, pressure management is the bigger issue rather than strength of the muscles. So your pelvic floor may be strong and doing more kegels isn't going to help!
Kegels are only working the muscles in isolation. It doesn't take into account movement, impact or load. So you may be able to do a great kegel when sitting or laying down but once you are upright and running, your pelvic floor might not be responding in the same way.
Why Pelvic Floor Therapy Might Work When Kegels Don't
Pelvic floor therapy can help figure out the best exercise plan to help you with your symptoms that doesn't only include "just doing your kegels". We will figure out what the root cause of your symptoms is and the best plan to change it.
During the initial evaluation, we will take the time to evaluate you and what may be the underlying cause of your issues. Every evaluation includes:
screening for musculoskeletal differences
analyzing body mechanics
assessing for diastasis recti/core strength
identifying stressors that may be contributing
discussing your current habits and routines
developing a plan that fits your lifestyle
I use a whole body approach tailored to your specific exercise jam!
--If you're a runner, we'll do prep for running. If you're a lifter, we'll incorporate lifting into your program. Are you new to exercise and have no idea where to start? Great, I'm here to help develop a plan!
Pelvic floor therapy should not just be kegels!!!
Wondering if pelvic floor therapy is right for you? I offer pelvic floor therapy in Lancaster & Columbus Ohio. You can get started today by:
Taking my free questionnaire
Booking a free discovery call to chat about your symptoms and how I can help!
Booking an initial evaluation to identify the care plan you need!
Next on Reading List:
What Does The Pelvic Floor Do?
Pelvic Floor Therapy: What To Expect
Why Do I Pee When I Sneeze?
