Article updated January 2025.
Eryn Ford is a Pilates teacher and pre / postnatal fitness specialist. In this article, Eryn explains the importance of Kegel exercises and why we need to give some attention to improving our pelvic floor strength.
What are kegel exercises?
Kegel exercises are simple clench-and-release exercises that you can do to make the muscles of your pelvic floor stronger. Your pelvis is the area between your hips that holds your reproductive organs. The pelvic floor is really a series of muscles and tissues that forms a sling, at the bottom of your pelvis. This sling holds your organs in place.
Identifying the pelvic floor muscles
Looking to locate your Kegel muscles? Try stopping your stream of urine when you pee. That’s one of the pelvic floors many functions and makes it easy to figure which muscle you are trying to exercise.
Please ONLY use this method for learning purposes only. It isn’t a good idea to start and stop your urine regularly, or to frequently do Kegel exercises when you have a full bladder. Incomplete emptying of the bladder can raise your risk for a urinary tract infection (UTI).
The importance of strengthening your pelvic floor
A weak pelvic floor may lead to issues such as the inability to control your bowels or bladder. Doctors often prescribe Kegels for:
- Stress incontinence – This means leaking urine when you laugh, cough, sneeze, jog, or lift something heavy.
- Urge incontinence – This is a need to urinate that is so strong you can’t reach the toilet in time.
- Pelvic floor weakness due to childbirth. Childbirth can stretch and weaken pelvic floor muscles. And that can cause urine control problems. It can also allow one or more pelvic organs to sag. When the uterus sags, it’s called uterine prolapse. Women can help prevent this problem by doing daily Kegels during and after pregnancy.
Beginning with pelvic floor exercises
When you first start doing Kegel exercises, tense the muscles in your pelvic floor for a count of three, then relax them for a count of three. Keep going until you have done 10 repetitions. Over the next several days, practice until you can hold your muscles tense for a count of 10. Your goal should be to do three sets of 10 repetitions every day. This can be done anywhere as simple as sitting at your office desk.
The important of Kegel exercises
In my experience it seems lots of women seem to think C-section births make exercises less important. Although C-section is less traumatic to the pelvic muscles than a vaginal birth, you’ve still had nine months of wear and tear on your pelvic floor.
Kegel exercises are crucial for maintaining pelvic floor strength during and after a C-section. If you’re used to high-intensity exercise, Kegel exercises might not seem too exciting, but they really make a difference.
Kegel exercises are so important for everyone! Get into the habit, ladies – your body will thank you for it!
Eryn Ford is the founder and head trainer at Mummy Physiques, where she specialises in women’s fitness with a strong focus on pre and post natal exercise.
Check out these articles:
Mid-Life Women as PT Clients: Exercise for Hot Flushes and Sleep Problems
Article by Mish Wright. If you believe the current fitness headlines, there’s only one prescription for midlife women: lift heavy and lift often. Strength training is vital — no argument there — but the problem is the way it’s become the only message. Cardio is being quietly cancelled, as if running, cycling, swimming, or even
Personal Training Clients on Weight Loss Medication
As more Australians embark on medical weight loss treatments, many trainers now find themselves training clients on weight loss medication without fully understanding what these drugs do, how they affect exercise performance, or what’s within their professional scope. Clients may casually mention, “I’ve just started Ozempic,” leaving trainers torn between curiosity, concern and confusion. In
Training Clients with TFCC Injury: A Practical Guide for Fitness Professionals
You’ve worked hard programming an intense session for your client, only to have them walk into the gym clutching a crumpled radiology report and saying, “My physio says it’s a TFCC tear.” It’s normal for trainers to freeze at a point somewhere between concern, confusion, and “Wait… what complex?” before realising that all your programming
Promoting Progress Over Perfection: Guiding Clients In Pursuit of The “Beach Body”
With summer just around the corner, it’s no surprise that many Australians are starting to think about how they’ll look and feel when the weather heats up. But new survey findings show that plenty of people are still chasing the idea of the “perfect summer body” and some are willing to take extreme measures to
The Muscle Trainers Forget: Coaching The Pelvic Floor Safely
Article written by Mish Wright. Let’s clear this up right away: the pelvic floor is a muscle. Like any other muscle in the body, it can get weak and dysfunctional, it can be too tight and dysfunctional, and here’s the good news – it can get stronger at any age or stage of life. But
Exercise as the Key to Independence for Older Adults
Less than a generation ago, turning 40 was thought of as middle aged, and starting a ‘Fitness Over 40’ exercise program would have been shrugged off as a waste of time for it being too late to get in shape. Now, what we think of as ‘middle aged’ or ‘old’ has changed as people live
Fitness Racing Continues to Thrive with YOHKA Sports at the Forefront
Obstacle, adventure or fitness racing – whatever you call it, there’s no doubt that people around the world love this dynamic sport. Aussie-born fitness racing brand, YOHKA Sports, recently announced the appointment of Todd Liubinskas as CEO and with the sport gaining serious momentum on a global level, he takes the reigns moving into an
Pantry Staples For Transitioning To A Healthier Lifestyle In 2025
With crisp, new planners and journals being purchased and new year’s resolutions being pondered, there are a lot of us setting the intention to eat better and exercise more. WNiF’s resident nutritionist and dietitian, Talia Sparks shares some tips for setting yourself up for success in 2025… Having a well stocked pantry complete with nutritious
Our 2024 Guide To Christmas Gifts For Fitness Trainers
It’s that time of year when the shops are getting busier and you have to check the expected delivery dates for the things you order online. With only weeks to go before the fat man in the red suit comes to town, you need to get your butt into gear when it comes to your