“One myth to watch out for is that Kegel exercises fix everything. That’s not necessarily true. Kegels can make things worse for people who are experiencing high tone pelvic floor problems, for example, because the exercises are further engaging the already overly tight muscles.”
Have you been diagnosed with or suspect you may have some type of pelvic floor issue? If so, please know that you are not alone!
In fact, it is estimated that 1 in 3 women in the United States has a pelvic floor condition. Though men can also experience pelvic floor dysfunction, women are more often affected due to weaknesses that can be caused by pregnancy, childbirth, family history, obesity and peri and post menopause (declining estrogen levels can weaken the ligaments and muscles that surround and support the pelvis).
Our pelvic floor muscles play an important role in bladder and bowel control and in supporting the organs in our pelvis, and if left untreated, pelvic floor disorders can greatly affect our quality of life due to their impact on our physical and emotional well-being.
If you are looking for ways to help strengthen your pelvic floor, don’t just skip to adding kegels to your routine (see quote above), as there a few things to consider first:
It is imperative that you visit with a pelvic floor specialist, therapist or specially trained nurse. They are best qualified to diagnose and treat your symptoms and can evaluate whether you may need to first heal an injury prior to beginning a strengthening routine, or to determine if you may have a condition (such as myofascial pelvic pain syndrome) that may be worsened with traditional kegel exercises.
After you have consulted with your doctor and determined whether or not a specialist is right for you, you may want to consider adding some pelvic floor strengthening exercises to your routine (again, please be sure to follow your doctor and/or specialists’ recommendations first as you may need to follow a different course of action for your specific needs).
While many of the exercises we do regularly in our workouts (such as bridges, quadruped hovers, lunges, squats, clamshells and opposite arm and leg reaches, aka bird dogs) can help to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles as much or even more than kegels, not all pelvic floor work is suitable for everyone’s needs or condition(s), which is why it is so important that you seek an expert diagnosis and treatment from a qualified professional first.
If you are dealing with pelvic floor issues, know that you are not alone and that you do not have to suffer.
Pelvic floor health is an important piece of our overall well-being and the sooner you can address what may be causing your specific issues and seek treatment, the sooner you can begin to feel and perform better and continue to get stronger.
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