10/18/2026
World Menopause Day is October 18, and the timing is good: a new randomized trial in Menopause (Sept 2026) found that women in menopause who did guided pelvic floor training had less dryness, urgency and leaking, and better s*xual quality of life than women who only got education.
Notice the word GUIDED. Those women had a program built around their bodies, not a list of Kegels pulled off the internet.
That matters because there’s no one-size pelvic floor plan. Some pelvic floors need strength. Many need to learn to relax first, because a muscle that’s always holding can’t do its job well, and adding Kegels on top can make things like pain, urgency or discomfort with s*x WORSE.
What’s right for you also depends on where you’re starting: your symptoms, how active you are, and the season of life you’re in.
Here’s something anyone can try today, Kegels or not. The next time you sit down, notice whether you’re holding your belly or squeezing low in your pelvis without meaning to. Take three slow breaths, letting your belly and pelvic floor soften as you breathe in. Just noticing that habit tells you something useful about where you’re starting.
If you’re not sure what your body needs, that’s exactly what a pelvic floor PT evaluation is for.
Send this to your mom, your sister, or the friend in her late 30s or older who’s been told leaks and dryness are “just part of it.” She deserves a plan that fits her. 💙
