STOP Doing Kegels While You Are Going To The Bathroom

It is one of the most common pieces of advice floating around for "testing" your pelvic floor strength: Try stopping your stream of urine mid-flow to see if you can do a proper Kegel.

While using this cue as a quick, one-time sensory test might make sense in theory, doing Kegels while actively urinating is a habit you should avoid entirely.

Stopping your urine flow on the toilet disrupts your body's natural reflexes and can lead to incomplete bladder emptying, urinary tract infections (UTIs), and long-term pelvic floor dysfunction.

Understanding the physiology of your urinary reflex explains why performing Kegels on the toilet does more harm than good, along with how to safely train your pelvic floor instead.

The Neuro-Physiology of Urination: How Your Bladder Works

Urination is not just a passive release; it is a coordinated interplay between your brain, sacral nerves, and pelvic floor muscles.

• The Filling Phase: As your bladder fills with urine, the bladder wall stretches, sending sensory signals up your spinal cord to your brain.

• The Urge to Void: Around one-quarter full, you get a mild sensation that you could go if a bathroom is convenient. As it reaches full capacity, those stretch signals intensify, prompting you to seek a restroom.

• The Reflex Loop: Once your brain determines it is safe to urinate and your bottom hits the toilet seat, your sacral nerves fire a signal that commands your pelvic floor muscles to completely relax. Simultaneously, your internal urinary sphincter releases and your detrusor (bladder) muscle contracts to push urine out.

Why Kegels on the Toilet Ruin Your Bladder Reflex

When you force a pelvic floor contraction mid-stream, you disrupt this delicate reflex loop.

Contracting your pelvic floor sends an immediate "stop" signal back to your brain, communicating that it is no longer safe to urinate. This creates a confusing feedback loop where your bladder muscle stops contracting before your bladder is completely empty.

Risks of Doing Kegels While Urinating

01

Retained urine

(incomplete bladder emptying)

02

Increased risk of urinary tract infections

03

Confusion in the automatic sacral nerve reflex loop

04

Unconscious pelvic muscle guarding and strain

05

Urinary urgency and increased voiding frequency

06

Bladder muscle (detrusor) incoordination & weakening

Repeatedly stopping your stream trains your pelvic floor to contract when it should be relaxing, which can lead to chronic urinary frequency, hesitation, or pain.

How to Properly Practice Your Kegels

Kegels should only be performed on an empty bladder when you are resting—never while actively going to the bathroom.

If you want to strengthen your pelvic floor safely, focus on executing proper upward lifts using tactile biofeedback (like sitting on a rolled towel) and maintaining continuous diaphragmatic breathing off the toilet.

To learn step-by-step biofeedback tricks, breathing cues, and proper position progressions, check out our guide on how to perform a Kegel properly.

If you are recovering from prostate surgery or managing surgical trauma in the pelvic region, read our breakdown on pelvic floor physical therapy after prostatectomy.

Let Your Body Relax

The bathroom should be a place where your pelvic floor completely releases—not a place to squeeze in an extra workout set. Reserve your Kegel routines for when you are lying on your mat or sitting at your desk.

If you struggle with urinary hesitation, persistent urge leakage, or incomplete bladder emptying, reach out to a certified pelvic health physical therapist for guidance.

Remember, at Rehab and Revive®, we heal smarter, not harder®.