Dr. Kegel for Women
Pelvic floor training for women, planned around your goal
Leaking when you laugh, pressure after birth, pain with sex — common, and trainable. First check whether you need strength or relaxation, then pick your goal.
Guides by goal
- Bladder leakage when you sneeze, cough or laugh: what helps firstLeaking when you sneeze, cough or laugh is stress incontinence. NICE puts 3 months of pelvic floor training first. The knack, habits and when to see a doctor.
- Diastasis recti exercises after pregnancy: what helps, what to avoidAb gap after birth? In one study 60% of first-time mothers had diastasis recti at 6 weeks. Check yours at home, then try exercises by phase and what to avoid.
- Hypertonic pelvic floor: what helps, and why kegels can make it worsePain with sex or tampons, or kegels that made it worse? Signs of a tight pelvic floor, a gentle relax-first routine and when to see a doctor or pelvic PT.
- Peeing during exercise: why it happens and how to train for itPeeing a little on double unders, runs or heavy lifts? Why it happens even without a baby, the knack, breathing and a 12-week plan — and when to see a doctor.
- Postpartum pelvic floor exercises: a phased plan from birth to month 6Leaking or heaviness after birth? Gentle pelvic floor exercises from the first days, a plan to month 6, running after 12 weeks and when to call your doctor.
- Reverse kegels for women: a gentle way to relax your pelvic floorTight pelvic floor or kegels that made it worse? Reverse kegels for women step by step, reverse kegel vs kegel, a gentle 4-week plan and when to see a PT.
- How to do kegels right: steps, mistakes and a 12-week plan for womenOnly 49% of women did an ideal kegel after brief verbal tips in one study. Find the right muscles, avoid common mistakes and follow a 12-week plan for women.
Detailed answers
- Incontinence 3 to 6 months postpartum: what's normal, how to trainCommon, but not one to wait out: 31% of first-time mothers leaked at 6 months in one study. What's normal at 3–6 months, how to progress and return to running.
- Incontinence 6 to 12 months postpartum: why it's worth getting helpCommon, but not something to accept: only 1 in 4 women who leaked 6 weeks to 1 year after birth sought help in one study. What's normal now and what to do next.
- Leaking urine 1 year postpartum or later: it's not too late to trainIt's common: 3 in 4 women leaking at 3 months still leaked 12 years later in one study. Training helps at any age. A restart plan and when to see a doctor.
- Leaking urine in the first 2 weeks postpartum: common, and what helpsYes, very common: 51% of women leaked in the first week after birth in one study. What's normal in weeks 1–2, gentle squeezes and when to call your midwife.
- Leaking urine 3 to 6 weeks postpartum: before your 6-week checkStill common: 23% of women leaked at one month in one study, down from about half in week one. What's normal at weeks 3–6 and what to ask at your 6-week check.
- Leaking urine 6 to 12 weeks postpartum: common, and what helps nowYes, it's common: 33% of women leak in the first 3 months after birth. What's normal at 6–12 weeks, how to train now, when to run and when to call your doctor.
- Leaking while running: common, trainable and not a reason to quitCommon, yes; normal, no. In one survey 42% of women with symptoms had stopped high-impact exercise. Why runs cause leaks, a step-by-step plan, when to get help.
- Peeing when jumping, jump rope or double unders: why, and what helpsVery common, even without a baby: 80% of elite teen trampolinists leaked in one study. Why jump rope and double unders trigger it and how to train for it.
- Pelvic floor after birth: when to start kegels, week by weekUsually within days of birth, even with stitches; after a c-section, once the catheter is out. How to build up week by week and when to call your doctor.
- Peeing when lifting weights: why deadlifts and squats cause itCommon: 43.9% of 480 competitive women powerlifters leaked in 3 months, most often on deadlifts. How breathing, bracing and load help, and when to see a doctor.
Free tools
5 min · free
Kegel timer
Guided squeeze-and-relax sets with sound and vibration cues.
Open tool →5 min · freeReverse kegel timer
Breath-paced pelvic floor relaxation for tightness and pain.
Open tool →2 min · freeTight or weak?
Find out whether to strengthen or relax your pelvic floor first.
Open tool →1 min · freeAm I doing kegels right?
A 60-second technique check with fixes for common mistakes.
Open tool →4 min · freePelvic floor strength self-test
Hold, reps and quick flicks — get a baseline and a starting level.
Open tool →3 min · freeBladder diary
A 3-day diary that stays on your device. Print it for your doctor.
Open tool →3 min · freeDiastasis recti self-check
Step-by-step finger-width check with what your result means.
Open tool →1 min · freePrintable kegel chart
A one-page 30-day kegel plan and log to tick off every day.
Open tool →Apps, devices and treatments
- Emsella chair review: cost, evidence, side effects and alternativesEmsella costs about $199–$700 a session in US clinics (checked Sep 2026). What the evidence shows, reported side effects, and a free plan to try first.
- Emsella vs kegels: cost, evidence and which to try firstAn Emsella course runs about $1,200–$3,000+ out of pocket (checked Sep 2026); kegels are free and first-line. What the evidence shows and which to try first.
- INNOVO pelvic floor shorts review: status, evidence and alternativesINNOVO’s US store says it’s no longer taking orders (checked Sep 2026). How the e-stim shorts worked, pros and cons, and options from free kegels to e-stim.
- Kegel apps for women, compared: 6 apps scored on the same 6 testsWe scored 6 kegel apps for women on the same 6 tests: program, technique, clinical input, price, privacy, access. Our women’s app isn’t out, so it isn’t ranked.
- Kegel app free tiers compared: what 5 apps give you for $0We scored 5 kegel apps on what you get for $0: routine, progression, relax cues, privacy, access. Plus Squeezy free via your physio, and a no-install timer.
- Perifit vs Elvie Trainer: price, sensors, games and which fits youPerifit Care from $149, Elvie Trainer commonly listed at $199 (checked Sep 2026). Sensors, apps and who each suits — plus a free plan to try first.