Let’s talk about Kegels: kee-gels or is it kay-gels? Either is correct, so it doesn’t matter how you say it! This term means a shortening contraction of the pelvic floor muscles, just like a biceps curl is a shortening contraction of the biceps muscle. The name for this exercise comes from gynecologist Arnold Kegel, who published the first paper in 1948 on doing these exercises to improve common symptoms after childbirth.
Performing Kegel exercises is a very common recommendation by healthcare providers for pelvic floor symptoms; however, most people don’t perform the exercises correctly, don’t know how many to do, or how to progress them appropriately. We’ve got you covered.