If you have been looking into ways to manage incontinence, you have probably come across both Kegel exercises and bladder training. They are often mentioned together, but they are not the same thing, and they do not work the same way. Doing one when you actually need the other is a common reason people feel like nothing is working.
Here is a clear breakdown of what each one actually does and how to know which applies to you.
What Kegel exercises do
Kegel exercises are about strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, the group of muscles that support your bladder from below. When these muscles are weak, they cannot hold against sudden pressure, and urine leaks out.
Think of it like any other muscle in the body. With consistent training, it gets stronger and more responsive. The research backs this up: pelvic floor muscle training is recommended as a first-line treatment for stress incontinence, with improvement rates of between 48% and 80% in studies when done correctly and consistently over time.
Consistency is what makes the difference. Research shows that training needs to continue for at least 15 to 20 weeks before significant results are seen, and guided or supervised training produces better outcomes than figuring it out alone. Our guide on how to do Kegels daily covers what good technique looks like and how to build the habit.
Kegels work best for: Stress incontinence, where leaks happen during coughing, sneezing, laughing, or physical activity.
What bladder training does
Bladder training works completely differently. It is not about muscle strength at all. It is a behavioural technique that retrains how your bladder signals and how you respond to urgency.
With urge incontinence, the bladder muscle starts contracting before it is actually full, sending a sudden, intense signal that you need to go right now. The goal of bladder training is to gradually teach the bladder to wait. You do this by resisting the urge for a few minutes at a time, using slow breathing and distraction to get through it, then slowly extending that window over several weeks.
Evidence suggests bladder training is a reasonable first-line approach for urge incontinence and may reduce episodes of accidental urination compared to no treatment. Combining it with pelvic floor exercises tends to produce better outcomes than either approach on its own. Our post on bladder training explains how to get started and what to expect week by week.
Bladder training works best for: Urge incontinence, where leaks are preceded by a sudden strong need to go that is hard to hold back.
So which one do you need?
It depends on what is triggering your leaks.
If leaks happen during a physical action like coughing, sneezing, laughing, or standing up, stress incontinence is the more likely cause. Start with Kegels.
If leaks are driven by a sudden, overwhelming urge that comes on quickly and is hard to delay, urge incontinence is more likely. Bladder training is the better starting point, alongside cutting back on bladder irritants like caffeine and alcohol.
If you are unsure which pattern fits you, a GP or pelvic floor physiotherapist can assess which type is dominant and guide you on where to begin.
Can you do both?
Yes, and for many people doing both makes sense. Kegels build the muscular foundation, while bladder training addresses the behavioural pattern. They target different parts of the problem, so they complement rather than replace each other.
The important thing is not to give up too quickly. Both approaches take weeks to show results, and most types of incontinence can be meaningfully improved with the right combination of strategies.
In the meantime, having reliable protection takes the pressure off while you work on the longer-term approach. Aire offers a free sample pack so you can find what works before committing to a full order.
References
PMC, National Library of Medicine. Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercise and Training for Coping with Urinary Incontinence. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
McMaster Optimal Aging Portal. Bladder Training for Overactive Bladder: Where Does the Evidence Stand? mcmasteroptimalaging.org
Cleveland Clinic. Urge Incontinence. my.clevelandclinic.org
