Health library
How do you do pelvic floor exercises (Kegels)?
Pelvic floor exercises step by step: how to find the right muscles, how to do Kegels, how long they take to work and help for leaking after birth.
Updated
In short
How do you do pelvic floor exercises (Kegels)?
To do a Kegel, squeeze the muscles you'd use to stop peeing or hold in gas, hold for 3 to 10 seconds, then relax for the same time. Repeat 10 times, at least 3 times a day, lying down, sitting or standing. Keep breathing and keep your belly, thighs and buttocks relaxed. Many people notice less leaking after 4 to 6 weeks.
Written by the Gyne team · Medical review: pending
Key takeaways
- Your pelvic floor muscles hold up your bladder, uterus and bowel, and pregnancy and birth can weaken them.
- A Kegel is a squeeze and lift of those muscles, followed by a full relax.
- Aim for 10 squeezes at least 3 times a day, and expect to wait 4 to 6 weeks for results.
- Some leaking after birth is common, but if it's still happening at 6 weeks, talk to your doctor.
- If your pelvic floor is already tight or painful, ask your doctor before doing Kegels.
What is the pelvic floor?
Your pelvic floor is a hammock of muscles at the base of your pelvis. It supports your bladder, uterus and bowel, and helps you control when you pee, poop and pass gas.
Pregnancy puts weight on these muscles, and labor and a vaginal birth can stretch them and the nerves that control the bladder. Strengthening them can help with leaking, support your organs and can make sex feel better too.
How do you find your pelvic floor muscles?
Finding the right muscles is the hardest part. Try one of these:
- Imagine you're trying to stop the flow of pee, and feel the muscles around your vagina and bladder tighten and lift.
- Imagine you're trying not to pass gas, and feel the squeeze around your back passage.
- Lie down with clean hands, put a finger just inside your vagina and squeeze. You should feel the muscles tighten and move up.
- Check that your belly, thighs and buttocks stay relaxed while you squeeze.
How do you do Kegel exercises step by step?
Once you know the feeling, follow these steps. It's easiest to learn lying down, then you can do them sitting or standing.
- Empty your bladder first.
- Long squeezes: tighten and lift your pelvic floor and hold for 3 to 5 seconds at first, building up to 10 seconds.
- Relax fully for the same amount of time.
- Repeat up to 10 times.
- Short squeezes: squeeze quickly, then let go straight away, until the muscles feel tired.
- Do a set at least 3 times a day, for example morning, afternoon and night.
When can you start pelvic floor exercises after birth?
After a healthy pregnancy and a vaginal birth, you can usually start gentle exercise, including pelvic floor squeezes, a few days after birth or whenever you feel ready. Stop if anything hurts.
If you had a C-section, stitches, a bad tear or other complications, ask your doctor or midwife when to start. A C-section doesn't protect your pelvic floor, because pregnancy itself puts pressure on these muscles.
Is it normal to leak pee after giving birth?
Yes, it's common. You might leak a little when you cough, sneeze, laugh, lift your baby or exercise. This is called stress incontinence, and many people have it during pregnancy and after birth.
Most bladder problems from labor and birth get better as the muscles heal. If you're still leaking 6 weeks after birth, talk to your doctor, nurse or midwife. It can be treated, so you don't have to just live with it.
How long do Kegels take to work?
Most people notice fewer leaks after 4 to 6 weeks of regular practice. For some, it takes a few months for leaking to clearly improve.
Keep going once you see results. If you stop, leaking can come back, so it helps to make Kegels part of your routine, like doing a set at every feed.
What mistakes should you avoid with Kegels?
More is not better. Squeezing too hard or too often can make the muscles too tight and cause pain, including pain during sex. Watch out for these common mistakes:
- Doing Kegels while you pee, which can weaken the muscles over time.
- Holding your breath instead of breathing normally.
- Pulling in your stomach, or squeezing your thighs or buttocks.
- Straining on the toilet. Eating fiber and drinking plenty of water helps avoid constipation, which strains the pelvic floor.
When to see a doctor
- You're still leaking pee 6 weeks after birth.
- You can't control gas or poop, or you leak stool.
- You feel heaviness, dragging or a bulge in your vagina, which can be a sign of prolapse, when the pelvic organs drop lower.
- Kegels hurt, or you have pain during sex.
- Leaking starts suddenly with burning or pain when you pee, which can be a sign of a bladder infection.
- The gap between your stomach muscles is still easy to feel 8 weeks after birth.
- You're not sure you're doing Kegels right. A pelvic floor physical therapist can check and teach you.
How Gyne helps
In postpartum mode, Gyne includes simple pelvic floor exercises and a gradual return to movement. They're part of a week-by-week recovery guide matched to how you gave birth.
PostpartumThis guide is general information, not medical advice. Only a doctor can diagnose a condition.