Are You Doing Kegels Wrong? Common Pelvic Floor Mistakes Explained

What if you’ve given Kegels a go and have not experienced any noticeable improvements? Kegel (pelvic floor) exercises are clinically proven to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Depending on your overall health and your commitment to Kegel exercises, you will see results anywhere from 4-12 weeks. However progress is not always easy to identify. Take a look at our advice below to make sure you are not making any common mistakes.

How Do You Know If Your Pelvic Floor Exercises Are Working?

One of the biggest frustrations women face with pelvic floor exercises is knowing whether they’re actually doing them correctly. Because the pelvic floor muscles are hidden internally, it can be difficult to tell if you’re activating the right muscles or making real progress.

A simple way to check is with the “finger test.” After washing your hands, gently insert one or two fingers into the vagina and perform a pelvic floor squeeze. If you are contracting correctly, you should feel a gentle lift and tightening around your fingers — not a pushing down sensation.

Another highly effective option is using a pelvic floor biofeedback trainer. These devices use a vaginal sensor to measure the strength and quality of your pelvic floor contractions in real time, helping you identify the correct muscles and improve your technique.

At Kegel8, we know that confidence and consistency are key to success. Biofeedback training takes the guesswork out of pelvic floor exercises by showing you exactly how your muscles are performing and helping you make every squeeze more effective. Clinical studies show that guided pelvic floor training can significantly improve exercise accuracy and results compared to exercising alone.

The Most Common Pelvic Floor Exercise Mistakes — And How to Fix Them

Pelvic floor exercises sound simple, but the reality is that many women unknowingly perform them incorrectly. In fact, studies show a large number of women struggle to properly identify and activate their pelvic floor muscles without guidance.

At Kegel8, we’ve spent over 20 years helping women strengthen their pelvic floors safely and effectively. Here are some of the most common mistakes we see — and how to avoid them for better results.

1. Pushing Down Instead of Lifting Up

One of the biggest mistakes is bearing down rather than lifting the pelvic floor muscles upwards. This can place extra pressure on already weakened muscles and may worsen symptoms such as leaks, heaviness or prolapse.

A correct pelvic floor contraction should feel like a gentle internal lift and squeeze upwards towards your belly button — similar to stopping the flow of urine or preventing passing wind.

Try this:

• Sit comfortably on a chair
• Relax your thighs, tummy and buttocks
• Imagine lifting your vagina and anus away from the chair beneath you
• Keep your breathing relaxed and steady

If you feel pressure pushing downwards instead of lifting upwards, reset and try again gently.

2. Only Squeezing Part of the Pelvic Floor

Your pelvic floor is a supportive hammock of muscles that surrounds the bladder, vagina and bowel. To fully strengthen the pelvic floor, all areas need to work together.

Many women accidentally tighten their buttocks, thighs or abdominal muscles instead of the pelvic floor itself.

To activate the correct muscles:

• Imagine stopping urine and wind at the same time
• You should feel a subtle lift and squeeze around the front and back passages
• Keep your buttocks, legs and tummy relaxed

A useful trick is to place your hands on your buttocks while exercising. If they tighten, release and try again.

3. Forgetting to Fully Relax the Muscles

A pelvic floor exercise is not just about squeezing — relaxation is equally important. Fully releasing the muscles between contractions allows healthy blood flow back into the tissue, helping the muscles recover, strengthen and function properly.

Constantly gripping or over-tightening the pelvic floor can sometimes lead to pelvic pain and pelvic floor tension.

Think of your pelvic floor like any other muscle group:

• Contract
• Lift
• Hold
• Then fully let go

The relaxation phase is where recovery and rebuilding happen.

Need Extra Help?

If you’re unsure whether you’re exercising correctly, you’re not alone. Kegel8’s clinically developed pelvic floor toners help locate and activate the correct muscles for you, removing the guesswork and making pelvic

Holding your breath

Breathe as normal. You should be able to hold a conversation and do your kegels without anyone knowing - providing you can talk and count at the same time! Most importantly, don't forget to stop when your muscles are tired, don't overdo it.

Bracing too much

If you are intentionally contracting your abdominal muscles while you Kegel then you’re probably not feeling much benefit. You may think that you can get two exercises done at once.

However, activating your core muscles too much can strain your pelvic floor. This can make your pelvic floor muscles spasm, causing pelvic pain. Try to focus on just contracting your pelvic floor muscles when you Kegel. You will probably feel the very bottom of your abdomen tense while you do this, this is fine and will help keep your muscles strong, but it shouldn’t be an intentional movement. If you’re having trouble avoiding this, then you would benefit from using an electronic pelvic toner, which exercises only the pelvic floor muscles.

Bad posture

As well as causing back pain, slouching/poor posture has a negative effect on your pelvic floor. Exercising with poor posture will strain your pelvic floor rather than exercise it. Sitting up straight while you do Kegels makes them 24% more effective. When your torso is properly aligned, everything is much more supported and your pelvic floor can contract more efficiently.

Make sure your bum is at the back of your chair and your spine is lengthened. A posture cushion in a sturdy chair can help you to do this, or a yoga ball; sit up straight with your feet on the floor hip width apart. Balance evenly on your pelvis, look forwards and concentrate on lengthening your spine as you contract.

Giving up

Kegels need to be a part of your daily routine; the recommendation for manual kegel exercises is 10-20 contractions, 5 times per day, every day - do you hit that target?

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."

Make kegels part of your routine

If you do not routinely complete your Kegel exercises, you are unlikely to see an improvement. Manual exercises need to be completed daily, or you can use an electronic toner just once a week to maintain your pelvic floor after following our 12 week pelvic floor exercise plan. Here are some good times of day to introduce Kegels:

1. When you brush your teeth – Kegel exercises are essential to your health, just like brushing your teeth. So why not do them at the same time, morning and night.
2. When you're at a red light - We travel almost every day. Use this time wisely; every time you hit a red light – Kegel, every time you’re bus or train comes to stop – Kegel!
3. When you cough, laugh or sneeze - Make it a habit to squeeze your pelvic floor muscles when you cough, laugh or sneeze. These are the times your bladder and bowel are put under pressure and you will be more vulnerable to little embarrassing accidents.
4. When you're doing your chores - ‘Whistle while you work’, how about Kegel while you work? Pick a chore: vacuuming, ironing, pot washing; and Kegel while you do it!
5. During the TV adverts - Kegel during the opening credits, again during the ad breaks and then during the closing credits. If you are using an electronic toner, you may feel a tingling or 'knocking' sensation in your pelvis, but it wont be enough to distract you from your favourite show.
6. Before or after sex or masturbation - Use your electronic toner before sex to invigorate and awaken your tissues making orgasms more frequent and powerful. Use afterwards to give your pelvic floor a cool down after its cardio workout!
7. While browsing the internet or reading a book - Many of us bring our tablet or laptop into bed with us, why not bring your electronic toner too. Whilst you read the latest news, watch funny cat videos and answer emails, it's a great time to start a programme.

What to do if the pelvic floor exercises still don't work

There is a possibility that your muscles are too weak for manual Kegel exercises to be effective. Or you may have some nerve damage as a result of a pelvic surgery or childbirth, which can prevent you from voluntarily contracting and relaxing these muscles. 64% of GP's, Consultants and Healthcare Professionals recommend using an electronic pelvic toner as a first course of action. The NMES used by electronic pelvic toners are more than twice as effective as manual pelvic exercises, and can bring back the sensation which allows you to voluntarily contract and relax these muscles.

If you believe there is a medical reason why you are unable to improve the strength of your pelvic floor, please speak to your GP or Gynecologist.

Enlist a personal trainer

Don’t worry, we’re not suggesting you hit the gym and find a training buddy for your kegels!

The Kegel8 Trainer is your at-home personal trainer for pelvic floor exercises. The on-screen display shows you when you are squeezing the right muscles, and how effectively too! It even measures the strength of your pelvic floor muscles with its unique Squeeze Scale™ so you can measure your results!

If you believe there is a medical reason why you are unable to improve the strength of your pelvic floor, please speak to your GP or Gynaecologist.

"Bought this after I saw it on This Morning with Dr Chris Steele... It is amazing that I think I have been squeezing the wrong muscles - it wasn't until the probe was in place that I realised how to use the correct muscles."

                                               Review by Pru

Sources

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Mayo Clinic. (Reviewed 2024). Pelvic organ prolapse. [online]. Mayo Clinic, 2024. [viewed 18/12/2024]. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pelvic-organ-prolapse/care-at-mayo-clinic/mac-20360560

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NICE. (2006). Insertion of biological slings for stress urinary incontinence in women. [online] National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), 2006. [viewed 18/12/2024]. Available from: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ipg154

NICE. (2007). Faecal incontinence in adults: management. [online] National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), 2007. [viewed 18/12/2024]. Available from: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg49/resources/faecal-incontinence-in-adults-management-pdf-975455422405

Price, N. Dawood, R. Jackson, S. R. (2010). Maturitas. Pelvic floor exercise for urinary incontinence: A systematic literature review. [online] 67(4), p309-315. [viewed 18/12/2024]. Available from: https://www.maturitas.org/article/S0378-5122(10)00317-8/abstract