Do you really need to do Kegels? Physicians on five common pelvic floor myths

When the pelvic floor is working well, we tend to take it for granted, says Dr Ekene A Enemchukwu. Composite: The Guardian/Getty Images

The pelvic floor is an essential but often overlooked and misunderstood part of the human body. Some people don’t even know they have one.

“We’re never really taught about it,” says Dr Sara Reardon, a board-certified pelvic floor therapist and author of Floored: A Woman’s Guide to Pelvic Floor Health at Every Age and Stage. “We don’t really get any education about how these muscles work and what’s normal.”