Yes, you can. Kegel exercises can be done while sitting, standing, and even walking. Just remember, for the most effective results from your workout, don't contract the muscles in your abdomen, thighs, or buttocks while you're doing them.
Pelvic floor exercises are a crucial part of both men's and women’s daily exercise routines. These muscles are critical for supporting a range of pelvic organs including your bowel, bladder, and reproductive system. Strengthening your pelvic floor helps you get on top of potential health problems later down the line, like bowel or bladder leakage, risk of organ prolapse or decrease in intimate sensation.
Worryingly, 50% of women that perform pelvic floor exercises do them incorrectly. Luckily, you’ll find everything you need to know about Kegel exercises and how to perform them correctly, right here.
When it comes to how many Kegel exercises you should do in a day, it drastically varies from person to person. The golden number of Kegels you should do in a day is 150 contractions a day – these should be ideally split up into ten sets of 15 and split throughout the day. If you can’t reach this number right away, don’t worry. Doing as many repetitions as you can until failure will still help you progress towards your long-term goals.
A Kegel exercise is the repetitive contraction or relaxation of your pelvic floor muscles to stimulate growth in strength and durability. You can train your pelvic floor the same way you stimulate any other muscles. While our pelvic floor muscles naturally weaken over time, some activities – like childbirth or high-impact activities like weight training or running – can put immense additional pressure on your pelvic floor.
And when our pelvic floor muscles weaken, we risk health problems such as bowel and bladder leakage and reduced sexual sensation. Thankfully, there are exercises we can do to reduce the impact of a weakening pelvic floor and regain control of our health.
Simply squeezing and relaxing our pelvic floor is vital to keeping our muscles strong and supportive. However, to fully reap the rewards of Kegel exercises, we must first understand how to properly practise Kegel exercises.
To activate both types of muscle – known as the slow- and fast-twitch muscle fibres – you need to do different types and variations of Kegel exercises.
To perform slow Kegel exercises, you need to:
Top tip – don’t get disheartened if you’re struggling to meet these recommendations. If it’s too uncomfortable, try fewer repetitions – your pelvic floor will get stronger with time.
These are similar to slow Kegel exercises. However, they target the fast-twitch muscle fibres that give us the initial burst of strength that keeps everything in control.
To perform fast Kegel exercises, you need to:
Top tip – you can add variety to your exercises by alternating sets of fast and slow Kegels. The slower Kegel exercises help you increase durability while the rapid contractions help build that initial strength.
"If you're not exercising them (pelvic floor muscles) the problem is you could start to become incontinent and the problem could get steadily worse... The good news is that if you do exercise them regularly you can prevent it." Dr. Dawn
The following three positions are proven to be the most optimal for strengthening and conditioning your pelvic floor.
However, choosing a comfortable position for you is most important and will come down to your body and personal preference. For example, if you’re recovering from surgery or childbirth, you should adopt a position that naturally offers the least resistance to ease you back into your Kegel exercise routine.
Practising different body positions can help you target all muscle groups more effectively across your pelvic floor.
1 Lying Down If you’re recovering from major surgery or childbirth, you’ll most likely feel comfortable doing Kegel exercises lying down. This is the least strenuous position on your pelvic floor muscles – making it easier for those learning or relearning to contract. When you’re lying down, you can choose to have your legs up at a slight angle or flat on the ground, shoulder-width apart. In these positions, you can still comfortably use a probe or electronic pads to further strengthen your pelvic muscles. However, if lying on your back is uncomfortable, try lying on your side with your legs bent up – you can still effectively work out your pelvic floor in this position.
2 Standing Up The beauty of Kegel exercises is that you can do them anywhere – even while on the go. Although most pressure is placed on your pelvic floor while standing, it’s important to keep up the exercises as best you can, whenever you can. The benefit of doing Kegel exercises while standing is that you can target a range of muscle groups in your pelvic floor by slightly changing the position of your legs and feet. Click here for more information on Kegel exercise techniques. However, bear in mind that you shouldn’t tighten your glutes or abdominal muscles while working your pelvic floor. Additional contraction of these muscles puts pressure on the pelvic floor, causing greater discomfort.
3 Sitting Down The preferred position for many, sitting down lets you target the pelvic floor muscles with a small amount of resistance. As your pelvic floor muscles recover after trauma, you can progress from lying down to sitting upright to test them with slightly more gravitational resistance According to research, participants in a study that sat upright with good posture – as opposed to slouched or slightly reclined – found the greatest results from their Kegel exercises.
Kegel exercises are important for many reasons. They help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles to avoid a range of health problems and prevent feelings of ‘looseness’ down there.
A strong pelvic floor is vital for preventing incontinence issues and potential organ prolapse, while helping to keep your lower organs well supported. It is also proven to increase time in the bedroom by improving the frequency and quality of orgasms – so Kegel exercises are well worth doing.
When should I call a doctor? / When to ask for help with a weak pelvic floor
If you’re experiencing pain in your lower back and pain in the genital, rectal and pelvic areas, you should refer to a GP or a urogynaecologist as soon as possible.
Other symptoms like persistent constipation and loss of bladder and bowel control are also reasons to see a doctor. However, it’s reason enough to go to the GP even if you just don’t feel right down there – a professional can help diagnose potential problems before they worsen.
When to do your Kegel exercises
Kegel exercises can be done anywhere and everywhere, depending on how comfortable you feel doing them on the go. When it comes to a recommended number of Kegel exercises, you should be aiming for – or building up to – a minimum of three sets of 10 Kegel contractions. Don’t worry if you can’t do this many repetitions yet – doing them until failure will help you build enough strength to get there over time.
When you feel confident that your pelvic floor is strong enough, begin to incorporate a mix of fast and slow Kegel exercises into your workouts.
How to find the right pelvic floor muscles
There are two sets of muscles that you should ‘feel’ during your workouts – those around the genitals and the anus.
There’s a simple trick to finding them. Firstly, when urinating, stop and hold it in. you’ll feel the muscles contracting to stop the flow – this is your pelvic floor going to work. Similarly, pretend you’re trying not to pass wind – the muscles you feel contracting around the anus also make up your pelvic floor. Working these muscles will help alleviate many of the symptoms we’ll inevitably experience as time goes on.
How do you know if you are doing Kegel exercises correctly?
You’ll know you’re doing your Kegel exercise routine correctly when you feel the sensation of contracting pelvic floor muscles without feeling other muscles tightening, like the buttocks or the abdominal muscles. You should not feel your abdominal core tightening, nor should you be clenching your glutes.
Long-term, you’ll know you are performing Kegel exercises correctly when you can increase the time, repetitions and intensity of your workouts – the result of a stronger pelvic floor.
How long does it take for Kegel exercises to make you tighter?
Provided you’re following a regular Kegel exercise programme and doing the required repetitions every day, you’ll likely notice significant changes in your body in as little as 8-12 weeks.
You’ll find you have better control when you need the loo – and you may even find sex more pleasurable in just a couple of months.
Can you do Kegel exercises while walking?
Yes, you can. Kegel exercises can be done while sitting, standing, and even walking. Just remember, for the most effective results from your workout, don't contract the muscles in your abdomen, thighs, or buttocks while you’re doing them.
It’s also important to remember that practising Kegel exercises while walking can place additional gravitational stress on your pelvic floor muscles, so beginners may need to build up to walking workouts.
Can you overdo Kegel exercises?
Performing Kegel workouts that are too strenuous can cause your pelvic floor to become too tight. If your pelvic floor is too stiff, you can experience painful muscle tension, spasm, and uncomfortable intercourse.
Similarly, overdoing your Kegel exercises can cause the muscles to become tired, which can lead to, or even exacerbate, the symptoms of a weak pelvic floor.
The Kegel8 Vaginal Cones are a complete at-home pelvic floor strengthening system that can give you fast, effective results in just 12 weeks. Designed with top UK physiotherapists and available on prescription, these cones allow you to target the correct muscles and exercise effortlessly. The Kegel8 Vaginal Cones feature a unique indicator tail that shows you, in real time, whether you're exercising your pelvic floor muscles correctly or not. Simply squeeze and lift your muscles, and the tail waves down! "My physio said that I would need these because they have resistance - something to squeeze against, with weight as well for best results. Love these, notice the difference already even after 2 weeks."
Review by Ginni Find out more now >
The Kegel8 Biofeedback Pelvic Trainer is like weighing scales are to your diet; without them you feel like you’re getting nowhere but getting on them every day and watching that number drop with the pounds week on week keeps you going. The Kegel8 Biofeedback Pelvic Trainer measures your squeeze giving you a Squeeze Scale™ score. Record your progress and watch your Squeeze Scale™ climb as you squeeze! You’ll know you’re doing it right and you’ll know how effective your Kegel exercises are! "The real bonus for me is to be able to see the results of what I am doing on the screen, it really encourages me to squeeze harder and get a higher reading. I am only on level 4 but I actually look forward to using it each time."
Review by happy lady
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Get in the Kegel8 Habit for the Best Pelvic Floor Exercises This is the biggest hurdle for many of us; finding the time or getting into the habit. So here are some handy tips on how to make your pelvic health a habit:
Kegel exercises should be an every day essential to your health, just like brushing your teeth… so why not do them at the same time, morning and night! We can spend the majority of a day getting from A to B. Use this time wisely; every time you hit a red light – kegel, every time your bus comes to stop – kegel, every time your train is delayed – kegel!
You could use your favourite TV programme that you make sure you never miss; kegel during the opening credits, again during the ad breaks and then during the closing credits. ‘Whistle while you work’ – how about kegel while you work? Pick a chore: vacuuming, ironing, pot washing; and kegel while you do it!
These are all options but a simple must is the Kegel8 12 Week Exercise Plan – sign up for FREE and we’ll send you a fortnightly email full of useful tips, pelvic health information and a kegel challenge to really keep you motivated! Get your FREE 12 Week Plan now >
"The probe stimulates the muscles - the right muscles in the right way."
Dr. Chris Steele
Does Kegel Exercise Work for You? 5 Mistakes You Could Be Making
Now that you know how to Kegel, and the best position to do it in, it's time to make sure you're doing it properly! 1 in 2 women perform Kegel exercises incorrectly. The pelvic floor is complicated and it’s easy to make a mistake without realising – we’ve got a list of the 5 most common mistakes we’ve come across and how to fix them…
1: Bearing Down Instead of Lifting The most common mistake when it comes to Kegel exercising is that instead of correctly squeezing and lifting the pelvic floor muscles, you push and bear down on them, causing further strain. This can make weak pelvic floor symptoms even worse! Instead, you should feel like your muscles are lifting upwards. Imagine your pelvic floor as an elevator - take your muscles upwards to each level.
2: Not Activating Every Muscle Your urethra, vagina and anus are all part of your pelvic floor. A proper Kegel contracts these muscles together. It's common for people to think that they're doing a Kegel when they're actually just squeezing their bum cheeks! If you’re having a lot of trouble finding the right muscles, you’ll benefit from using a Kegel8 Ultra 20 Electronic Pelvic Toner.
3: Contracting But Not Relaxing A complete Kegel should involve total relaxation of your muscles at the end. Failing to relax can cause strain, muscle spasms and fatigue. It can also cause hypertonic muscles (muscles which are too tight) and an overly tight pelvic floor can lead to conditions like chronic pelvic pain and constipation. Make sure that you are fully releasing your pelvic floor after each contraction. Count slowly to 5 and breathe in while you contract your muscles, and breathe out to a count of 5 while you're relaxing them.
4: Bad Posture It's really easy to end up slouching if you sit down a lot during the day. This will cause bad back pain and other health problems, your pelvic floor included. Sitting up straight while you do Kegels makes them 24% more effective [2] as your torso is properly aligned and your pelvic floor can contract more efficiently. A posture cushion can help you to perfect Kegels. Our Kegel8 Pelvic Floor Exercise Wedge Cushion has been specially designed with Kegels in mind.
5: Bracing Too Much
The pelvic floor muscles should work in harmony with the abdominal (core) muscles. However, activating your core muscles TOO much puts strain on your pelvic floor, especially if you suffer from a prolapse. Abdominal strain can also make your pelvic floor muscles spasm, leading to pelvic pain that can be life altering.
If you’re having trouble avoiding this type of strain, a Kegel8 Biofeedback Pelvic Trainer will ensure that you are just activating your pelvic floor muscles and not your abs. Using a Kegel8 unit makes Kegels more effective as it isolates the pelvic floor muscles for you.
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