FemiCore vs Kegel exercises: which one for bladder leaks?

What are Kegel exercises and what is FemiCore?

Kegel exercises are squeezes of the pelvic floor, the sling of muscles at the bottom of the pelvis that supports the bladder. MedlinePlus, the health library of the US National Library of Medicine, describes them as a way to strengthen the muscles that support the uterus, bladder and bowel [1]. They cost nothing and need no equipment.

FemiCore is a dietary supplement: one capsule a day with a 350 mg herbal blend (cranberry, bearberry, mimosa pudica, berberine) and a 50 mg probiotic blend with five Lactobacillus strains. According to the maker, it supports bladder control by helping rebalance the urinary microbiome. It is not a drug, and the FDA has not evaluated the maker's claims.

So they work on different things. One trains a muscle. The other, according to the maker, aims at bacteria.

What does the research say about each one?

Kegels have the strongest evidence. A Cochrane review (summary by the UK National Institute for Health and Care Research) pooled 31 trials with 1,817 women. In the trials on stress incontinence, 56% of women who trained reported a cure, against 6% of women who did not. Cure or improvement was reported by 74% against 11% [2]. The review also notes limits: the trials were of moderate quality, most did not describe the training well, and few followed women for long (on average under 12 months).

FemiCore has no studies of its own that we could find. The research behind its idea is a 2014 study in the journal mBio that compared the urinary bacteria of women with and without urgency incontinence. It found a difference in bacteria, not proof that changing them stops leaks [4]. Cranberry, one of the ingredients, has research for repeat infections, not for leaks (see our cranberry guide).

Sources: MedlinePlus, Cochrane review summary, the FemiCore label and the maker's page.

How do you do Kegel exercises?

MedlinePlus gives these steps [1]:

• Find the muscles: they are the ones you use to stop the flow of urine. Keep your thighs, buttocks and belly relaxed.
• Squeeze: empty your bladder, sit or lie down, tighten for a count of 3 to 5 seconds, then relax for 3 to 5 seconds.
• Repeat: 10 times, 3 times a day.
• Be patient: symptoms should improve after 4 to 6 weeks, and leaks can take several months to lessen.

Cautions from the same page: do not practice while urinating more than twice a month, and do not overdo it. Leaks can return if you stop. The NIDDK (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) adds that a health care professional can check you are squeezing the right muscles [3]. If you are unsure, ask a provider or a pelvic floor physical therapist.

Which should you choose?

This is our reading of the sources, not medical advice.

• Leaks when you sneeze, cough, laugh or lift (stress leaks): start with Kegels. They have the evidence, they are free, and the NIDDK lists pelvic floor exercises among the treatments for this kind of leak [3].
• Sudden urges, or a mix of both: see a provider. The NIDDK lists medicines for urgency leaks, and a doctor can tell the types apart. Our guide on sneeze leaks explains the difference.
• You already do Kegels and want extra daily support: FemiCore is one option. Nothing we found shows it adds to the exercises, so judge it with a bladder diary inside the 60-day guarantee.
• You are pregnant, breastfeeding or take medicines: ask your provider first. NCCIH (part of the US National Institutes of Health) says berberine, one of the ingredients, can interact with medicines and should not be used in pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Doing both is possible. The point is not to swap the one with evidence for the one without.

What does that mean for FemiCore?

FemiCore is a daily capsule that, according to the maker, supports bladder control, and it comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee. Our full FemiCore review goes through all nine ingredients, the research behind each, the side effects, the price and the guarantee.

Questions about FemiCore and Kegel exercises

Sources

Public health information and research used for this comparison, checked on Oct 17, 2026.

1. MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine). Kegel exercises - self-care. Link
2. National Institute for Health and Care Research. Pelvic floor muscle training can improve symptoms of urinary incontinence (summary of Dumoulin C, Cacciari LP, Hay-Smith EJC, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2018). Link
3. NIDDK (US National Institutes of Health). Treatments for Bladder Control Problems (Urinary Incontinence). Link
4. Pearce MM et al. The female urinary microbiome: a comparison of women with and without urgency urinary incontinence. mBio, 2014. Link