Pelvic Floor Exercises for African Women: Benefits and Methods 

By: Amarachi Maduwuba. B.NSc, RN, RM. Health and Wellness Writer and DLHA Volunteer. Medically reviewed by: Rukhsar Jabbar. M.Sc. Physiotherapy.

A black woman doing pelvic floor exercise: Freepik

 

Introduction 

Do you leak urine (pee) a little when you laugh, cough, or sneeze? Or, do you feel pressure in your underside (pelvis) or notice changes during sex like reduced vaginal tightness or difficulty achieving orgasm? These could be signs of weak pelvic floor muscles, a common issue for many women. Pelvic floor exercises can help strengthen these muscles and improve daily comfort.

In this article, you will learn about the following:

• What pelvic floor muscles are
• What pelvic floor exercises are 
• Why you should do pelvic floor exercises
• Who should do pelvic floor exercises 
• Benefits of pelvic floor exercises 
• Complications it done wrongly 

 

What are pelvic floor muscles?

Fig. 1: Side view of pelvic floor muscles in a female. Click on image to enlarge 

 

Your pelvic floor is made up of a group of muscles that has a basin-like shape (see fig. 1). The muscles are what you use to hold your (urine) pee or stool before you are ready to pass them out of your body. The muscles function to:

• Hold your bladder, womb (uterus), and bowel in place in the pelvis ( i.e., deep within the lower belly) and in so doing, stop these organs from dropping down into your vagina or  pressing on your anus, when coughing , sneezing or carrying heavy weights 
• Control the process of urinating (peeing) and defecating (stooling)
• Provide support during childbirth
• Play a big role in your sexual health like supporting and tightening the vagina

When these muscles become weak, all its functions are prevented. 

 

What are pelvic floor exercises?

Pelvic floor exercises, also called Kegel exercises, are exercises that help strengthen your pelvic floor. 

Why should you do pelvic floor exercises?

Your pelvic floor muscles get weak as you grow older, after injury, pregnancy and childbirth either vaginally or through cesarean section.

When this happens, it may not hold your organs well anymore. This can lead to urine or bowel leaking, and in some cases, your pelvic organs may shift or even bulge out through the vagina – a condition called organ prolapse.

Pelvic floor exercises help strengthen the muscles to prevent these problems.

Who should do pelvic floor exercises?

Everyone should do pelvic floor exercises. They help keep your pelvic organs in place and lower the risk of prolapse.

But as a woman, you're more likely to go through things that weaken the pelvic floor. So, these exercises are especially important for you.

For example:

• During pregnancy, your womb gets bigger and puts more pressure on your pelvic floor. Also, pregnancy hormones like progesterone can weaken your muscles even more.

• During childbirth, especially a vaginal delivery, your baby can stretch or injure the pelvic floor. This may cause nerve damage or tears in the muscles and tissues, which weakens support.

• As a woman, you are more likely to experience urinary incontinence than men. This is because many of the common risk factors like pregnancy, giving birth vaginally, being overweight, and having pelvic surgery are women related.

• As you grow older or have more children, your pelvic floor muscles naturally get weaker.

Everyone can benefit from pelvic floor exercises, but as a woman, you have more reasons to begin and keep doing them regularly.

 

How do you do pelvic floor (Kegel) exercises?

Illustration of the steps for doing pelvic floor exercise.

Technique

1.   Empty your bladder before starting

2.   Tighten your pelvic floor muscles and hold for a recommended amount of time

3.   Let the muscles relax completely for the same amount of time

4.   Repeat the contraction and relaxation for like 5-10 seconds each.

 

How to do pelvic floor exercises for best results

Getting the best results from pelvic floor exercises start with doing it right and staying consistent.

• Exercise the right muscles.

• Do it regularly and with consistency.

• Alternate fast and slow contractions, it helps to balance the strain on the muscle.

• During the fast contractions, tighten and relax the pelvic muscles quickly and during slow contractions, hold the contracted muscles for a longer time and then relax.

• Do the exercise under supervision especially when starting out for the first time.

• Stick to your exercise regimen because most times, the exercise is planned according to individual needs.

• Do the exercise for at least eight weeks.

Studies show you need to do the exercises for at least 8 weeks to start seeing results.

 

What are the benefits of pelvic floor exercises?

1. They help prevent prolapse. If you already have a prolapse, doing these exercises regularly can help ease your symptoms.

2. Pelvic floor exercises both before and after childbirth helps to strengthen your pelvic muscles.

Studies show that these muscles work better, become stronger, and you're less likely to have urine or bowel leakage afterwards.

3. They can also improve your sex life. Stronger pelvic muscles mean stronger grip on your  partner's genitals. Hence, stronger sensations and better orgasms for you and your partner.

4. Doctors often recommend Kegel exercises as the first step in treating urinary incontinence because they’re safe and come with very few side effects.

Research shows that they can really help reduce leaking in women living with this condition.

5. Kegel exercises not only strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, they improve the coordination and function of your pelvic floor system.

6. Because the exercises strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, they help delay the onset of age-related muscle problems though they don’t stop them from happening.

 

What if the exercises feel uncomfortable?

Discomfort can be a sign that something’s not right. Maybe you're doing them incorrectly, or they might not be the best fit for your condition.

1. Stop and find out the cause of discomfort. It can be as a result of pain, pressure or muscle fatigue. Also check the location of the discomfort and if it stops after exercise.

2. Check to ensure that you are not exercising the wrong muscles or maybe doing more than the recommended plan for you.

3. Check if your pelvic floor is already too tight. If your muscles are overactive or tight (called hypertonic), Kegels may make things worse. 

4. See a professional pelvic floor therapist. A pelvic floor therapist can check you to find out the cause and recommend an exercise plan for you.

5. Use other alternatives. If Kegels are uncomfortable, you can go for other alternatives like diaphragmatic breathing or belly breathing to promote relaxation. Biofeedback is a neuromuscular technique you can use to train the appropriate pelvic floor muscle for contraction and relaxation.

 

Problem that may occur if pelvic floor exercises are done wrongly 

1. Pelvic pain: Over-tightening pelvic floor muscles can strain them leading to pain and cramping.

2. If your muscles are already tight, Kegel exercise can make it worse.

3. If other muscles like the abdominal muscles are included, they can become fatigued and painful. 

4. If you're bearing down (straining) instead of lifting during the exercise, it increases downward pressure. This can worsen pelvic organ prolapse symptoms (bulging, heaviness).

5. Frustration: You can become frustrated if you don't see results despite your efforts. It can lead to discouragement, anxiety or avoidance especially if there is pain.

 

Conclusion 

Pelvic floor exercises, or Kegels, help strengthen the muscles that support your womb, bladder, and bowel. These muscles often weaken with age, pregnancy, or childbirth, leading to issues like leaking or prolapse. 

Doing Kegels regularly can prevent or relieve these symptoms, boost sexual pleasure, and improve bladder control. 

For best results, do them consistently alternating between quick and slow contractions. If they feel uncomfortable or painful, it may mean you're doing them wrong or your muscles are too tight. 

Always seek advice from a physical therapist, doctor or nurse if you're unsure or not seeing results.

 

FAQ

1. Is there a specific way to do Kegel exercises?

There’s no strict routine, but you should identify the right muscles (those that stop urine flow), squeeze them correctly, and repeat the exercise several times a day.

2. How do I know I’m doing pelvic floor exercises correctly?

Try stopping your urine midstream, the muscles you use are your pelvic floor muscles. If you're not sure, see a pelvic floor therapist to guide you.

3. Can pelvic floor exercises help after childbirth?

Yes. Doing them before and after childbirth can strengthen your muscles, reduce leaking, and support recovery.

4. How long before I see results from Kegel exercises?

You should begin to notice changes after about 8 weeks of doing them regularly and correctly.

 

References 

1. Huang YC, Chang KV. Kegel Exercises. [Updated 2023 May 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-.  Available from here.

2. Ren S, Gao Y, Yang Z, Li J, Xuan R, Liu J, et al. The effect of pelvic floor muscle training on pelvic floor dysfunction in pregnant and postpartum women. Physical Activity and Health. 2020 Jan 1;4(1):130–41. Available from here. 

3. Parra NS, Jaramillo AP, Zambrano J, Segovia D, Castells J, Revilla JC. The Effectiveness of pelvic floor muscle exercise in urinary incontinence: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis. Cureus [Internet]. 2023 Sep 11; Available from: here. 

4.  Grimes WR, Stratton M. Pelvic Floor Dysfunction. [Updated 2023 Jun 26]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from here. 

5. Dar G, Saban TS. The Perception of Pelvic Floor Muscle Function amongst Exercising Women Who Are Repeatedly Instructed to Contract Their Pelvic Floor Muscles. Healthcare. 2022 Sep 14;10(9):1768. Available from here. 

 

Related: 

Health Effects of Exercise in African Females: Myths, Facts and Benefits

Does exercise promote general health? 

 

Published: September 11, 2025

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