The Truth About Kegels

Should You Be Doing Kegels?

We were told that kegels can and should be done anytime throughout the day, such as sitting at your desk or standing over the kitchen counter. Doing kegels compulsively will not get you the results you want, unless you are in the proper posture.

A kegel should only be done in a full, deep, going-to-the-bathroom-in-the-middle-of-the-woods kind of squat. Squatting isolates and releases the pelvic muscles. When kegels are done in any other position, the pelvic muscle is not completely relaxed and strengthen cannot happen.

To properly do a squat kegel:

1. Keep your feet firmly planted on the ground. If you find your heels popping up, limit your range of motion a little.
2. Your stance should be about shoulder-width with your feet pointed out slightly (no more than 10-20 degrees).  
3. Keep your chest proud and back straight. This isn't so much of an issue when you are doing an unweighted squat; however, while under load, it is very important not to round your back. 
4. Actively pull yourself between your hips. Don't just sink into the squat.  
5. At the bottom of the squat, pause and do some kegel squeezes before exploding back up. Don't bounce up from the squat. This is a grinding movement. 
6. Keep your knees tracking over your feet. Don't let your knees bow inward as you stand back up. This is what makes squatting dangerous for the knees. You can use some cues like thinking that you are riding the horse or trying to push the earth apart with your feet. 
7. Stand all the way up! Just as you shouldn't cut the range short at the bottom of the squat, don't cut it short at the top. Simply stand all the way up -- don't keep slack in the knees and conversely, don't overarch either.

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