Another common mistake, says Greenleaf, is performing kegels over the toilet. “Specifically with women, there’s this misconception that kegels are done while you’re urinating. A lot of women will be like, Oh, I’m doing my kegels. I pee, and then I try to hold it in. That is not the way to do it, “she explains. That’s a surefire way to identify the correct muscles to use, she adds,” but what happens is the bladder itself is a muscle, and if the bladder is pushing and you’re tightening up your pelvic muscles, the urine is going to go where the least amount of pressure is — and if that’s not out of your body, [it] can be back up to the kidneys. ”