Yes, you can generally do Kegel exercises during your period, and for most people, it is safe and can even offer some helpful benefits. Doing Kegels on your period is not usually harmful. It’s a form of exercise for the muscles in your pelvic floor, and like many other forms of gentle exercise, it’s typically fine to continue during menstruation unless you have specific medical conditions or experience significant discomfort.
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What Are Kegel Exercises?
Kegel exercises are simple muscle squeezes. They work the muscles that support your bladder, uterus, small intestine, and rectum. Think of these muscles as a supportive hammock at the bottom of your pelvis.
Doing Kegels regularly helps make these muscles stronger. Stronger muscles can help with things like controlling when you pee (bladder control) and can be helpful for overall pelvic health.
Learning to do Kegels is simple, but finding the right muscles is key. You can try to stop the flow of urine when you are on the toilet. The muscles you squeeze to do that are your pelvic floor muscles. Once you know what that feels like, you can do the exercise anytime, anywhere. You don’t need special equipment.
What Is the Pelvic Floor?
Let’s get a clearer idea of what the pelvic floor is. Imagine the very bottom of your body’s core. There are bones there, like your tailbone and your pubic bone. Stretched like a gentle bowl or hammock between these bones are layers of muscles and connective tissues. This is your pelvic floor.
These muscles do important jobs:
- They hold up your organs inside your pelvis (like the bladder and uterus).
- They help control your bladder and bowels.
- They play a part in sexual function.
- They help support your core and lower back.
When these muscles are strong and work well, it helps your body in many ways. If they get weak, it can lead to problems like leaking urine or a feeling of heaviness in the pelvis. Pelvic floor exercises period or any time of the month help keep these muscles fit.
Why Pelvic Floor Health Matters
Keeping your pelvic floor muscles healthy is important throughout your life. Strong pelvic floor muscles help prevent common issues.
Preventing Leaks: One big reason people do Kegels is to help stop accidental leaks of urine (stress incontinence). This can happen when you cough, sneeze, laugh, or jump. Strong pelvic floor muscles provide better support to the bladder and urethra, which is the tube urine comes out of. This extra support helps keep the tube closed when pressure is put on the bladder.
Support During Pregnancy and After Birth: Pregnancy and childbirth put a lot of stress on the pelvic floor muscles. Doing Kegel exercises before, during, and after pregnancy can help these muscles stay strong or recover. This can help with bladder control after birth and may even help with recovery from delivery. The weight of the growing baby pushes down on these muscles for months. Then, the process of birth stretches them. Strengthening them helps them handle this strain.
Improving Sexual Health: Strong pelvic floor muscles can increase sensation during sex. They also play a role in orgasm for some people. Regular Kegel exercises may help with sexual function and satisfaction. These muscles contract during orgasm. Practicing control and strength can enhance this natural process.
Supporting Organs: As mentioned, these muscles hold your organs up. Weak pelvic floor muscles can contribute to pelvic organ prolapse. This is when organs like the bladder or uterus drop down into the vagina. While Kegels can’t fix severe prolapse, they can sometimes help with milder cases or prevent it from getting worse. They add a layer of support beneath the organs.
Better Core Stability: The pelvic floor muscles work with other core muscles, like your abdominal muscles and diaphragm. When they work together well, they provide better support for your spine and overall body stability. This can improve posture and help prevent back pain. Exercising during period pelvic floor muscles helps keep this core connection strong.
Pelvic Floor Health Menstruation: Even during your period, keeping these muscles active supports overall pelvic wellness. Menstruation is a normal part of the cycle, and caring for your pelvic floor health menstruation is part of comprehensive self-care.
Menstruation: A Natural Process
Menstruation, or having your period, is a natural part of a woman’s monthly cycle. It happens when the lining of the uterus sheds. This lining is made of blood, tissue, and mucus. It comes out of the body through the vagina.
Periods can last anywhere from a few days to about a week. They can come with different symptoms for different people. Some common symptoms include:
- Cramping in the belly or lower back.
- Bloating.
- Tender breasts.
- Mood changes.
- Feeling tired.
- Headaches.
These symptoms are normal. They are part of the body’s process. Many people look for ways to feel more comfortable during their period. This is where pelvic floor exercises period might fit in.
Connecting Kegels and Menstruation: Addressing the Question More Deeply
Now, let’s really dig into why people wonder about doing Kegel exercises menstruation.
It’s natural to question if certain activities are okay when your body is going through the process of menstruation. People might worry about:
- Safety: Is it safe to contract muscles around the areas involved in menstruation? Will it cause harm?
- Comfort: Will doing Kegels feel weird or uncomfortable? Will it make cramping worse?
- Flow: Will it affect the amount of bleeding (kegel exercises and menstrual flow)?
These are good questions. The simple answer, as we started with, is yes, it’s generally safe. Let’s look at why and explore the benefits and any potential issues.
Safety of Kegels During Periods: Is It Really Safe?
Yes, doing Kegel exercises during your period is widely considered safe for most people. The muscles you are working are healthy muscles that are designed to be used. Menstruation is a normal bodily function. It doesn’t make these muscles fragile or doing gentle exercise harmful.
Think about it this way: Many people exercise during their periods. They go for walks, do yoga, or even go to the gym. Kegels are a very low-impact type of exercise. They don’t put strain on your joints or cause big movements. You are just contracting and relaxing muscles internally.
The pelvic floor muscles are not directly involved in creating menstrual flow. They are below the uterus and cervix, which are where the flow comes from. Contracting these muscles helps support the pelvic organs and control the opening of the vagina and rectum, but they don’t control the shedding of the uterine lining itself.
So, from a physical safety standpoint, there is no reason why contracting your pelvic floor muscles during your period would cause injury or interfere negatively with the menstrual process itself. Is it safe to do kegels on period? For almost everyone, yes.
Benefits of Doing Kegels During Periods
While safety is important, many people find there are real benefits of kegels during periods. Let’s look at some of these.
Improved Circulation
One potential benefit is improved blood circulation in the pelvic area. When you contract and relax muscles, it helps blood move through those tissues. This is true for any muscle group you exercise. Gentle squeezing and releasing of the pelvic floor can encourage blood flow to the region. Better circulation might help ease some of the congestion or heavy feeling that some people experience during menstruation.
Potential for Period Pain Relief
This is a big one for many people. Some find that doing kegels for period pain relief works for them. How might this happen?
- Muscle Relaxation: Sometimes, period pain is caused by the uterus contracting. This can also cause surrounding muscles, including the pelvic floor, to feel tight or spasmed. Doing gentle Kegels, especially focusing on the relaxation phase after the squeeze, can help release tension in these muscles. Relaxing the pelvic floor might help surrounding muscles relax too, potentially easing cramps.
- Increased Blood Flow: As mentioned, increased blood flow can feel good and help reduce a feeling of stagnation or pressure.
- Mind-Body Connection: Focusing on the pelvic area through Kegels can also be a form of mindfulness. Paying attention to your body and gently working with it might help distract from pain or give you a sense of control.
It’s important to note that Kegels might not make severe cramps disappear, but for some, they can offer a bit of relief or make discomfort more manageable. Pelvic floor exercises period can be one tool in a comfort kit.
Maintaining Strength
If you are already doing Kegel exercises regularly for pelvic floor health, continuing them during your period helps you maintain the strength and tone you’ve built. Stopping for a week each month means a break from training. Consistency is key for muscle fitness. So, exercising during period pelvic floor muscles keeps up your routine.
Promoting Relaxation
The pelvic floor can hold a lot of tension, especially if you are stressed or experiencing pain. Learning to consciously relax these muscles is a crucial part of Kegel exercises. The ability to relax the pelvic floor is just as important as the ability to squeeze it. During a time when your body might be feeling tender or tense, the practice of relaxing these muscles can be calming. This can be a surprising benefit of doing kegels during periods.
How to Do Kegels During Your Period
Doing Kegels during your period is the same as doing them any other time. The process doesn’t change.
Here are the basic steps:
- Find the Right Muscles: Imagine you are trying to stop yourself from passing gas and also trying to stop the flow of urine at the same time. The muscles you squeeze are your pelvic floor muscles. Make sure you are not squeezing your stomach, buttock, or thigh muscles. It’s a lift and squeeze feeling inside the pelvis.
- Empty Your Bladder: It’s usually best to do Kegels with an empty or mostly empty bladder.
- Get Comfortable: You can do Kegels sitting, standing, or lying down. Find a position that works for you.
- Squeeze and Hold: Contract your pelvic floor muscles. Hold the squeeze for about 3-5 seconds. Breathe normally while you hold. Don’t hold your breath.
- Relax: Release the muscles completely. Relax for the same amount of time you held the squeeze (3-5 seconds). Letting the muscles fully relax is very important.
- Repeat: Do this 10-15 times for one set.
- Do Sets: Aim to do 3 sets of 10-15 squeezes each day.
You can do a mix of short holds (3-5 seconds) and longer holds (up to 10 seconds) as you get stronger. Always focus on the full release after each squeeze.
Doing Kegel exercises menstruation is simply continuing this routine. You might choose a time when you feel most comfortable, perhaps when you are relaxed at home.
Potential Discomfort or Things to Note
While generally safe, it’s important to be aware of your body and how it feels. Discomfort doing kegels period can happen for some people.
Listen to Your Body
This is the most important rule. Your body feels different during your period. Some days you might feel more tired, bloated, or sensitive. If doing Kegels feels painful or makes you feel worse, it’s okay to stop or take a break. You can always start again when your period is over or when you feel better. It’s not about pushing through pain.
Changes in Sensation
You might notice that the sensation of doing Kegels feels different during your period. This is normal. There might be more awareness of the pelvic area, or it might feel a bit more sensitive. This is okay. Just be gentle and pay attention. If the feeling is unpleasant, try a different position or simply do fewer squeezes.
Impact on Flow
Some people wonder about kegel exercises and menstrual flow. Will doing Kegels make you bleed more or less?
Doing Kegels doesn’t change the total amount of blood your body sheds during a period. That amount is set by the hormones and the thickness of the uterine lining. However, contracting the pelvic floor muscles can temporarily affect the rate at which blood leaves the body. For instance, squeezing might briefly hold back flow, and relaxing might allow a bit more to release.
Think of it like squeezing a sponge. If you squeeze, liquid might stop coming out for a moment. If you relax, more might drip out. This is not changing the amount in the sponge, just how it comes out.
Some people find that doing a few Kegels helps them feel like their period is emptying more completely, especially when using a menstrual cup. This is because the contractions and relaxations can help the blood move down. It doesn’t increase the total flow, just helps with the emptying process in the moment.
If you notice any alarming changes in flow (like very heavy bleeding) that seem linked to Kegels, talk to a doctor. But this is highly unlikely.
Expert Views on Kegels and Periods
What do doctors and physical therapists who specialize in pelvic health say about doing Kegel exercises menstruation?
Generally, the expert opinion kegels menstrual cycle is that it is safe and often recommended to continue your Kegels during your period unless you have a specific reason not to, like severe pain or a medical condition that your doctor advises against it for.
Many pelvic health physical therapists encourage consistency. They see Kegels as an exercise for a muscle group, just like exercises for your arms or legs. Unless you are told to stop all exercise during your period (which is rare), there’s no reason to stop Kegels.
They also support the idea that the relaxation part of Kegels can be very helpful during periods, especially for pain relief related to muscle tension.
Experts emphasize listening to your body. If it hurts, stop. If it feels okay, continue. They stress that Kegels are gentle and internal, posing no risk to the uterus or the menstrual process.
So, the consensus among professionals is that continuing your pelvic floor exercises period is fine and potentially beneficial.
Putting It Into Practice: A Simple Plan
Ready to try doing Kegels during your period? Here’s a simple plan.
Starting Slowly
If you are new to Kegels or haven’t done them during your period before, start slowly. Try just a few squeezes. See how it feels. Don’t feel like you have to do a full set of 10-15 right away.
Finding the Right Spot
Choose a time and place where you feel relaxed. This might be when you first wake up, before you go to sleep, or when you have a quiet moment during the day. Being relaxed helps you find the muscles better.
Simple Routine Example
Here’s a simple routine you could try:
| Action | How Long to Hold | How Many Times | How Often |
|---|---|---|---|
| Find muscles & Squeeze | 3 seconds | 5 times | 1-2 times a day |
| Relax Fully | 3 seconds | After each squeeze |
If that feels okay, you can slowly increase the number of squeezes per set (up to 10-15) and the number of sets per day (up to 3). Remember the relaxation is key!
You can integrate this into other activities. For example, do a few Kegels while you are:
- Sitting at your desk.
- Waiting in line.
- Lying in bed.
- Watching TV.
Kegel exercises menstruation don’t need extra time carved out of your day.
When to Talk to a Doctor
While Kegels are safe for most people, there are times when you should talk to a healthcare professional.
- Severe Pain: If doing Kegels causes significant or sharp pain during your period, stop and talk to a doctor or a pelvic health physical therapist. Pain is your body’s way of telling you something isn’t right.
- Unusual Bleeding: If you notice a sudden, dramatic increase in bleeding volume or duration that seems linked to your Kegels, consult a doctor. (Again, this is very unlikely).
- Existing Pelvic Conditions: If you have a diagnosed pelvic floor disorder, like severe prolapse, chronic pelvic pain, or hypertonic (overly tight) pelvic floor muscles, always check with your doctor or physical therapist before starting or continuing any pelvic floor exercises, including Kegels, especially during your period. They can give you tailored advice.
- Trouble Finding Muscles: If you really can’t tell if you are doing Kegels correctly, a doctor or physical therapist can help. They can use techniques like biofeedback to show you if you are squeezing the right muscles. Doing Kegels incorrectly won’t provide the benefits and could potentially worsen some issues if muscles are already too tight.
- Concerns: If you just feel worried or have questions about exercising during period pelvic floor or any other aspect of your menstrual health or pelvic health, talking to a professional is always a good idea.
Don’t hesitate to seek professional advice regarding your pelvic floor health menstruation.
Myths vs. Facts about Kegels and Periods
Let’s clear up some common misconceptions.
| Myth | Fact |
|---|---|
| Doing Kegels during your period is harmful. | False. For most people, it is safe and can be beneficial. |
| Kegels will make you bleed more or less. | False. They don’t change the total amount of flow, though they might temporarily affect the rate. |
| You should completely rest your pelvic floor muscles during your period. | False. Gentle exercise, including Kegels, is usually fine and helps maintain strength. |
| Kegels are only for stopping urine leaks. | False. They help with organ support, sexual function, and core stability too. |
| You can feel your period ‘woosh’ out if you do a Kegel. | Sometimes, yes, especially with a menstrual cup. This isn’t harmful, just helping with emptying. |
Understanding the facts helps you make informed choices about your body and your routine.
Reviewing Pelvic Floor Health Through the Month
Think about pelvic floor health not just during your period, but throughout your entire cycle.
- Follicular Phase (after period until ovulation): Energy levels might be higher. This is a good time for consistent Kegel practice and other pelvic-strengthening exercises.
- Ovulation: Some people notice different sensations in the pelvic area. Continue your Kegels as usual.
- Luteal Phase (after ovulation until period): PMS symptoms like bloating or fatigue might start. You might feel less like exercising. Adjust your Kegel routine as needed – maybe shorter sessions or just focusing on relaxation.
- Menstruation: As discussed, continue if it feels comfortable. Focus on gentle squeezes and relaxation. This is a key time for pelvic floor exercises period if you aim for pain relief.
Being aware of how your body feels at different times of the month can help you tailor your Kegel practice. Consistency over the whole month is more important than intensity during any one phase.
Concluding Thoughts: Empowering Your Choices
So, to wrap up: Can you do Kegel exercises during your period safely? Yes! Is it safe to do kegels on period? Absolutely, for most people.
Pelvic floor exercises period are a valid and potentially beneficial part of your self-care routine. They support pelvic floor health menstruation, offer potential benefits like kegels for period pain relief, and help you maintain the strength you’ve built.
Listen to your body, start gently if needed, and don’t push through pain. If you have any concerns, especially if you have existing health conditions, talk to a healthcare provider or a pelvic health physical therapist.
Taking care of your pelvic floor is important always, and your period doesn’t have to be a time when you stop. By continuing your Kegel exercises menstruation, you are actively supporting your body’s strength and comfort during a natural monthly process. Empower yourself with knowledge and choose what feels right for your body each day.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Is it really safe to do Kegel exercises on my period?
A: Yes, for the vast majority of people, it is safe to do Kegel exercises during your period. These exercises work muscles that are separate from the menstrual process itself.
Q: Will doing Kegels during my period increase my menstrual flow?
A: No, doing Kegels does not change the total amount of blood you shed during your period. It might temporarily affect the rate of flow or help with emptying, but it doesn’t increase the overall volume. This is a common question about kegel exercises and menstrual flow.
Q: Can Kegel exercises help with period pain?
A: Yes, some people find that doing gentle Kegel exercises, particularly focusing on the relaxation part, can help ease period cramps or general discomfort. They can potentially improve circulation and release muscle tension in the pelvic area, offering kegels for period pain relief.
Q: Should I stop doing my pelvic floor exercises period starts?
A: There is no need to stop your pelvic floor exercises just because your period starts, unless you experience pain or discomfort, or if a doctor has advised you to stop. Continuing your routine can help maintain pelvic floor health menstruation.
Q: What if I feel discomfort doing Kegels period?
A: If you feel discomfort, sensitivity, or pain when doing Kegels during your period, stop. Listen to your body. You can try again another day, do fewer repetitions, or wait until your period is over. Your comfort is important. Discomfort doing kegels period is a sign to be gentle or take a break.
Q: What is the expert opinion on Kegels during the menstrual cycle?
A: Most experts, including doctors and pelvic health physical therapists, agree that continuing Kegel exercises during the menstrual cycle is safe and can be beneficial for maintaining pelvic floor health. They recommend listening to your body. This is the general expert opinion kegels menstrual cycle.
Q: Do Kegels affect using menstrual products like tampons or cups?
A: No, doing Kegels does not interfere with using tampons or menstrual cups. In fact, some people find that gentle Kegels can help position or remove a menstrual cup more easily.
Q: How often should I do Kegel exercises menstruation?
A: You can follow your usual routine of doing Kegels 3 times a day during your period, if it feels comfortable. If you are using them specifically for potential pain relief, you might do a few sets when you feel cramps starting, focusing on relaxation.
Q: Is exercising during period pelvic floor safe if I feel tired?
A: If you feel very tired during your period, it’s okay to adjust any exercise routine, including Kegels. You could do fewer repetitions or sets, or just focus on gentle contractions and relaxation. The goal is to support your body, not exhaust it. Exercising during period pelvic floor is about gentle movement.
Q: Can Kegels worsen bloating during my period?
A: There’s no evidence that Kegels worsen bloating. Bloating during menstruation is usually related to hormonal changes and water retention, not muscle activity in the pelvic floor.
Q: Are there specific benefits of kegels during periods compared to other times?
A: The general benefits of Kegels (strength, control, support) apply at all times. However, the specific potential benefits during periods are related to improved circulation and possible reduction in menstrual cramps through muscle relaxation, offering unique benefits of kegels during periods.
Q: Where can I get more information about pelvic floor health menstruation?
A: You can talk to a gynecologist, a urogynecologist, or a physical therapist who specializes in pelvic health. They can provide personalized advice and guidance on pelvic floor health menstruation and throughout your life.