Reverse Kegels: How To Do Them + 7 Benefits Of The Exercise 

Weak pelvic floor muscles or pelvic floor dysfunction can interfere with a lot of areas—beyond just sex. Urinary incontinence (even minor, like peeing when you sneeze or laugh), lower back pain, and increased tension and stress are just a few side effects. To strengthen the pelvic floor, many people engage in Kegel exercises, but what do you do when you need to relax the muscles? Enter: reverse Kegels. 

"A reverse Kegel is a relaxation or lengthening of the pelvic floor muscles," pelvic floor physical therapist Sarah Kostyukovsky, P.T., DPT, OCS, tells mbg. Both women and men can engage in Kegels and reverse Kegels to relax and contract the pelvic floor. "We want to have control over a full range of motion of our pelvic floor just like our biceps or our hamstrings," she explains. 

Reverse Kegels are a technique to relax the muscles, instead of contracting them, which can help with the stiffness and pain and may increase flexibility. 

Both men and women can perform Kegels in any position, but Kostyukovsky says sitting is a nice way to get feedback from the surface. Here's her step-by-step guide for a reverse Kegel: 

"Being able to access the full excursion of our pelvic floor can provide us more strength and power," Kostyukovsky explains. "For women, true pelvic floor relaxation and lengthening are important for childbirth. For women and men, a reverse Kegel can better allow us to empty our bowels." These exercises can be helpful for people with constipation, hemorrhoids, or pelvic pain from tightness or an inability to fully lengthen. 

It's important to see a urogynecologist or physical therapist to assess the pelvic floor muscles before trying to "fix" the problem yourself. While engaging in exercises and relaxation techniques can be a helpful supplemental approach, other approaches like physical therapy and massage therapy may also be necessary. "If you have pelvic floor weakness, a reverse Kegel will not directly improve your pelvic floor contraction," Kostyukovsky explains. 

For some people, results will take effect early on (weeks), but for others, it may take longer (months). "Results depend on the frequency the exercises are performed as well as the technique they are done," Asfaw says. With the right technique and regular practice, she says most people will see about a 30% improvement in symptoms like urinary incontinence, urgency, and frequency type symptoms.

"To truly understand your pelvic floor muscle strength and/or 'tightness' you will need an internal assessment from a trained professional," Kostyukovsky says. Once you know whether Kegels or reverse Kegels are right for your needs, you can get started practicing from anywhere—just be sure your bladder is empty before doing a reverse Kegel and let go of any remaining tension. Consider it a meditative or breathwork moment if that helps. "Tuning into your body and what you feel in your pelvic floor muscles can be beneficial for everyone."