Pelvic floor exercises

Your pelvic floor muscles stretch from the bottom of your pelvis and support your bowel, bladder, and uterus for females.

Learn more about:

• Overview
• How to exercise your pelvic floor muscles– female
• How to exercise your pelvic floor muscles – male
• Video: Pelvic floor exercise for females and males
• Seeing a pelvic floor expert

Overview

A strong pelvic floor helps control urination (peeing) and bowel movements, sexual function, and stability of the abdomen (core) and spine. Your pelvic floor can become weak due to age, childbirth, constipation, obesity, coughing a lot, heavy lifting, abdominal or pelvic surgery. Chemotherapy and hormone therapy can also impact the pelvic floor.

How to exercise your pelvic floor muscles – female

Pelvic floor exercises should be done several times a day. You can be standing, sitting or lying down. You can even do them while watching TV or waiting at traffic lights.

1. Start by relaxing all of your pelvic floor (including the muscles around the bottom) and your tummy (abdominal) muscles.
2. Gently lift your pelvic floor muscles up and hold while you continue breathing normally. Keep your upper abdominal muscles relaxed. Try to hold the contraction for up to 10 seconds (while breathing). Then relax your muscles slowly.
3. Repeat the exercise up to 10 times. Rest and completely relax your pelvic floor muscles for 10–20 seconds between each set.

How to exercise your pelvic floor muscles – male

Pelvic floor exercises should be done several times a day. You can be standing, sitting or lying down. You can even do them while watching TV or waiting at traffic lights.

1. Start by relaxing all of your pelvic floor (including muscles around the bottom) and your tummy (abdominal) muscles.
2. Gently lift your pelvic floor muscles up and hold while you continue breathing normally. Keep your upper abdominal muscles relaxed. Try to hold the contraction for up to 10 seconds (while breathing). Then relax your muscles slowly.
3. Repeat the exercise up to 10 times. Rest and completely relax your pelvic floor muscles for 10–20 seconds between each set.

Video: Pelvic floor exercise for females and males

Seeing a pelvic floor expert

Continence nurses and pelvic floor physiotherapists can assess how your pelvic floor is working and tailor an exercise program to your needs.

Ask your doctor or specialist for a referral to a continence nurse or physiotherapist before doing pelvic floor exercises if you:

• have had recent pelvic or abdominal surgery
• have problems with urine or faeces (poo) leaking when coughing, sneezing, laughing or exercising
• often need to go to the toilet urgently
• have difficulty controlling bowel movements and wind
• feel like you haven’t fully emptied your bowel after bowel movements
• have dragging, heaviness or a bulge in the vagina
• experience a lack of sensation or pain during sex.

For suitable exercises, visit Pelvic Floor First. To find a continence nurse or pelvic floor physiotherapist, call the National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66. You can search for a physiotherapist at Australian Physiotherapy Association.

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