Can Kegels make things worse?

Short answer: Yes — if you’re doing them when you shouldn’t.

Kegels are everywhere. Google pelvic floor, and you’ll see the same advice:

• “Do your Kegels.”
• “Squeeze like you’re holding in pee.”
• “Do 100 a day and your problems will go away.”

But here’s what most people don’t realize:

• 👉 Kegels are not for everyone.
• 👉 And yes — they can actually make things worse.

At YFS (Your Form Sux), we treat pelvic floors that are too weak, too tight, too disconnected — or just plain confused. And trust us: Kegels are not a magic fix.

First: What Are Kegels Actually Doing?

A Kegel is a contraction of the pelvic floor muscles — the ones that support your bladder, bowel, reproductive organs, and deep core. Think of them as the “floor” of your core system.

When done correctly, Kegels can:

• ✅ Improve control over bladder/bowel
• ✅ Support core strength
• ✅ Help post-birth recovery
• ✅ Boost pelvic circulation and sexual function

Sounds good, right?
But only if your pelvic floor actually needs strengthening.

So… When Do Kegels Make Things Worse?

1. When Your Pelvic Floor Is Already Tight or Overactive

If your muscles are already tense, clenched, or “on” all the time, adding more squeezes is like tightening a knot in a rope — it just makes everything more restricted.

Symptoms of an overactive pelvic floor:

• ⚡ Pain during sex
• ⚡ Constipation or straining
• ⚡ Pelvic pressure or tailbone pain
• ⚡ Incomplete peeing or pooping
• ⚡ Leaking despite doing Kegels

👉 In this case, Kegels can increase symptoms, not fix them.

2. When You’re Doing Them With Poor Technique

Here’s what most people get wrong:

• ❌ Clenching their glutes or inner thighs instead of isolating the pelvic floor
• ❌ Holding their breath
• ❌ Never fully relaxing between reps
• ❌ Doing them in poor posture

This turns your “Kegel workout” into a whole-body stress pattern — not functional strength.

3. When You Haven’t Been Assessed by a Pro

Pelvic floors are like fingerprints — everyone’s is different.
Some people need to strengthen.
Some need to release.
Some need to coordinate breath + movement + load.

👉 Doing Kegels blindly is like doing bicep curls for shoulder pain — it might help, or it might totally miss the point.

What Should You Do Instead?

Get assessed.

A pelvic floor physiotherapist (like the team at YFS) can:

• ✅ Check whether your pelvic floor is too weak, too tight, or just uncoordinated
• ✅ Teach you how to properly contract and relax your pelvic floor
• ✅ Give you exercises that match your actual symptoms and goals
• ✅ Integrate your pelvic floor with breath, core, and movement — not just isolated squeezes

Final Word: Kegels Aren’t Bad — But They’re Not a Cure-All

They’re a tool.

But if you’re doing Kegels just because TikTok, Google, or your doctor said so — without knowing what your pelvic floor actually needs — you might be slowing your progress or worsening your symptoms.

At YFS, we cut through the noise and build plans that actually work — for your body, your life, and your goals.

Think your Kegels might be doing more harm than good?
Book a pelvic floor consult at YFS — we’ll figure out what your system actually needs and help you train it the right way.