Pelvic Floor Training (Kegels)

Pelvic floor training, often called Kegels, is a bodyweight skill exercise that strengthens the muscles that support the bladder, bowel, and pelvis. Done correctly, it also teaches the deeper abdominal layer - the transverse abdominis - to work with the pelvic floor.

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, arms resting at your sides. If that is uncomfortable, sit tall on a firm chair with both feet on the ground. Keep your belly, buttocks, and thighs relaxed throughout.

Find the pelvic floor muscles by imagining you are stopping the flow of urine. Exhale and gently lift those muscles inward and upward. Hold for a brief moment, then inhale and fully release, letting the muscles drop and soften. Repeat, making the relaxation feel as deliberate as the contraction.

Breathe normally: exhale on the lift and inhale on the release. Never hold your breath. To make it easier, practice lying down. To make it harder, practice sitting or standing. If you feel pelvic pain, pressure, or ongoing incontinence, see a pelvic-floor physical therapist before adding this to your routine.

Fault: Holding your breath or bearing down. Fix: Exhale during the contraction and inhale as you fully relax, keeping the effort gentle.

Fault: Squeezing the glutes, abs, or inner thighs instead of the pelvic floor. Fix: Keep those surrounding muscles soft and focus on an internal lift at the base of the pelvis.

Fault: Over-gripping and rushing from one rep to the next without relaxing. Fix: Let the pelvic floor completely release between reps; the release is just as important as the lift.

Fault: Practicing with a full bladder or while urinating to locate the muscles. Fix: Use the urine-flow image only to identify the right muscles, then train with an empty bladder.