Kegel exercises are touted by many as a useful way to gain all kinds of benefits in your sexual regions. They haven’t always had the best press recently though, as more research into their benefits has revealed some downsides to them that weren’t originally known. If you’ve found any of these articles talking about the dangers or dark side of Kegels, you might be left wondering if they are actually safe. Don’t worry, Kegel exercises are perfectly healthy and harmless, as long as you are performing them correctly and utilising them at the correct times.

How do I know when I should be doing Kegels?

Whether or not you should be performing Kegel exercises comes down to the condition of your pelvic floor muscles. These muscles form a large hammock across the bottom of your pelvis keeping all of the organs of your lower body in good condition and stops them from falling out. When you perform good effective Kegel exercises you strengthen these muscles, making it easier to keep everything in place and control your natural bodily functions.

It can be difficult to identify the condition of your pelvic floor on your own, but for some loose guidelines read through our articles on loose and tight vaginas for some examples of reasons your pelvic floor might be too tight or too loose. Either way, if you are ever unsure of your condition, you should consult your doctor and they’ll be able to examine you properly and design an appropriate course of action for you.

When Kegels are safe

If you are suffering from loose pelvic floor muscles, performing Kegels will help you to tighten them back up. This can bring you all kinds of benefits, dealing with incontinence problems, issues in your sex life, and helping to rebuild your pelvic floor after you give birth. You need to be careful not to overdo it though, as constantly tightening your floor can lead to some problems such as premature ejaculation, or pain during intercourse.

When Kegels are unsafe

If your pelvic floor is already tight, then Kegels will only make the problems worse. In this case, we need to loosen the pelvic floor and relax the muscles in order to regain a healthy balance in the pelvic floor. In this case, the reverse Kegel is more useful than the actual Kegel. This is where you press the muscles of the pelvic floor downwards rather than upwards, stretching them back out rather than clenching them tight.

Whichever situation you find yourself in, any healthy Kegel regime can be boosted to be even more effective by making regular use of a set of Kegel balls.