Ask Dr. Dawn

Updated: Jun 16

“I’ve been doing Kegels, but I’m still leaking. What am I doing wrong?”

Answer:

This is by far one of the most common questions I get from women — and it reflects a much

bigger problem in how we’ve been taught to understand the pelvic floor.

Let me start by saying this: it’s not your fault.

If you’ve been diligently doing Kegels and still struggling with bladder leaks, pelvic heaviness,

or core weakness, you’re not alone — and you’re not broken.

The truth is, Kegels alone aren’t the only solution for most women.

Here’s why:

The pelvic floor is part of a larger system — it works in coordination with your diaphragm, deep

abdominals, and back muscles to support your bladder, bowel, uterus, and spine. When one

part of that system is overactive, underactive, or out of sync, symptoms like leaking, urgency,

pain, or pressure can show up.

Kegels — or pelvic floor contractions — can help, but only if they’re done correctly and as part

of a whole-body, functional movement approach.

In fact, many women are:

● Overdoing Kegels (creating too much tension, not enough release, remember to relax

fully when doing them). Work on belly breathing and diaphragmatic breathing before just

clenching so this allows the muscle to relax first.

● Doing them in isolation (without breathwork, core engagement, or posture alignment)

Think of squeezing on the exhale of your breath!

● Or doing Kegels when they actually have a tight or hypertonic pelvic floor (and need to

focus on relaxation first). Make sure you are working on hip stretches like a “figure 4” or

“pigeon” type stretch to open up the pelvis first so the muscles can lengthen.

Think of it like trying to fix a sinking boat by just bailing water, without checking for where the

leak is coming from. You’re working hard, but not solving the root issue.

Instead of focusing only on “squeezing,” as the only solution lies in reconnecting with your

body, learning how your pelvic floor responds to movement, breath, and load. That means

working from the inside out, and often starting with breathwork, gentle core retraining, and

posture awareness — before adding exercises like bridges or squats that integrate pelvic floor

engagement naturally.

One of my specialities is helping women over 40 reclaim control of their core and pelvic floor —

not with endless Kegels, but with targeted, functional movement that supports the real

demands of your life. That means picking up groceries, sneezing, laughing, or getting back to

the workouts you love without fear.

So if you’ve been doing Kegels faithfully and still not seeing results — it’s time to stop blaming

yourself. The problem isn’t your effort — it’s that you’ve been given an incomplete or outdated

solution.

The good news? Your body is capable of healing — and it starts by taking a more holistic,

evidence-based approach. You don’t need to live with leaks, pressure, or shame. You just

Recent Posts