Weak pelvic floor muscles can lead to problems such as difficulty controlling bladder and/or bowels and sexual dysfunction. This information sheet will explain some exercises you can do which will strengthen your pelvic floor muscles if you perform them regularly.

The pelvic floor muscles

The pelvic floor muscles are just inside your body. They are attached between the bottom of your spine (coccyx) and the bone between your legs (pubic bone).

These muscles support the bladder (where urine is stored) and the bowels. They help to control when you pass urine and empty your bowels. They also assist with good sexual function.

These muscles should be firm and strong. If they are weak, they will not provide the support and control that they should.

How to exercise your pelvic floor muscles

Get into a relaxed, comfortable position, sitting or lying down. Take a steady breath in through your nose. Try to keep your chest and shoulders relaxed and instead feel the breath reach the bottom of your lungs, causing your ribs to widen.

As you breathe out, lift and squeeze the pelvic floor muscles, as though you are trying to stop yourself passing urine and trying to stop yourself passing wind. You are aiming to feel a slight feeling of retraction of the penis/lift testicles, a slight lifting feel behind the scrotum and a tightening in the anus. Don’t try too hard. Ensure you do not hold your breath, squeeze your buttocks, or squeeze your legs together.

Aim to hold for up to 10 seconds. Relax for 10 seconds. Repeat up to 10 times. Now lift and squeeze the pelvic floor muscle and let go straight away. Once fully relaxed, lift and squeeze again. Repeat up to 10 times.

Perform this set of pelvic floor muscle exercises at least once a day. They can be performed up to 3 times a day, but the most important factor is the quality of the set. It is really important that you concentrate when doing these exercises, concentrating on technique, breathing, etc.

Don’t try to rush and no multi-tasking! So one good quality set a day is much better than 3 rushed ones.

How will I know I’m doing the exercises correctly?

Your specialist continence practitioner will explain the exercises to you to help develop a personal exercise plan for you.

To check your technique:

  • Place your fingertips against the skin just behind your scrotum. When you squeeze you should feel the muscles tighten and lift up away from your fingers. Your scrotum should lift slightly and the base of your penis should move towards your abdomen.
  • Whilst passing urine and towards the end of the stream, squeeze your pelvic floor muscles as described. If you can stop the flow of urine, you are squeezing correctly. Only do this once to find the muscles, as doing it regularly may interfere with normal bladder emptying.

It is very important you are squeezing and relaxing the muscles correctly.

It is also important that you try to use the muscles at a time of increased strain e.g when you cough, lift, or stand up from a chair.

When you are about to cough, sneeze, bend, lift, etc, try to remember to gently contract pelvic floor muscles and maintain the contraction whilst you lift, cough, etc. Don’t try too hard. Try to keep the rest of your body relaxed.

You should only contract your pelvic floor muscles when performing the exercises or when tightening prior to coughing, lifting, standing, etc.

Ensure you’re not trying to keep your muscles tight all the time without realising.

If you are unsure or need more help, contact the Bladder and Bowel Team for further advice and support.

How will I remember to do the exercises?

It can be hard to remember to do the exercises but you should persevere. To help you remember, you could try keeping an exercise diary, setting an alarm on your phone or using an app such as Squeezy.

Post Micturition Dribble

If you experience dribbling of urine after you have passed urine you may find the following advice helps: after passing urine, gently massage behind your scrotum, gently massage your scrotum from back to front.

How will I know if I’m getting better?

It can take up to 3 months before you see an improvement.

You should become more aware of your pelvic floor muscles as they become stronger. You may also notice that you have better control over your bladder and/or bowels.

If there is no improvement after 3 months, you should seek further help.

 

Information sheet created by Clare Bolton, Specialist Physiotherapist, October 2025.