Pelvic Floor Exercises

“Pelvic floor exercises benefit people of all ages, but they
are especially important during pregnancy, after childbirth
and after menopause when pelvic floor muscles weaken”.1

Umbrella

What may the Pelvic Floor Exercises Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Kegel Exercises
  • Kegels
  • Pelvic Floor Exercises
  • Pelvic Floor Muscle Control
  • Pelvic Floor Muscle Training Exercises
  • Pelvic Muscle Exercises (PMEs)
  • Pelvic Muscle Strengthening Exercises

Pelvic Floor Muscles

What are the pelvic floor muscles?

DotS the definition of the pelvic floor muscles may vary. In Pelvic Floor Muscles: About the Pelvic Floor – Pelvic Floor Muscles In Men and Women [+ Images] the Continence Foundation of Australia’s definition is:

“A woman’s pelvic floor muscles support the bladder, bowel and uterus (womb). The urethra (urine tube), anus (back passage) and vagina all pass through the pelvic floor muscles”.2

Pelvic Floor Exercises

What are pelvic floor exercises?

DotS the definition of pelvic floor exercises may vary. In Kegel Exercises: What Is A Kegel Exercise? the (United States) Cleveland Clinic explain:

“Kegel exercises (also called pelvic floor exercises) help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Your pelvic floor muscles support organs in your pelvis, like your bladder, bowel and vagina. Your pelvic floor muscles hold your organs in place while also assisting with bodily functions like peeing, pooping and sex. Kegels involve tightening and then releasing the muscles in your pelvic floor to strengthen them.

Doing Kegels can help with issues such as:

  • Urinary incontinence (leaking pee)
  • Urge incontinence (an urgent need to pee)
  • Fecal incontinence (leaking poop)
  • Pelvic organ prolapse (pelvic organs sagging or bulging into your vagina)

Kegels can also improve your sexual health and help improve your orgasms. Men or people assigned male at birth (AMAB) and women or people assigned female at birth (AFAB) can benefit from Kegel exercises”.3

Benefits

What are the benefits of pelvic floor exercises?

In The Bladder and Pelvic Floor: The Pelvic Floor – Pelvic Floor Exercises the (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health explain:

Pelvic Floor Exercises“Pelvic floor exercises benefit people of all ages, but they are especially important during pregnancy, after childbirth and after menopause when pelvic floor muscles weaken”.4

In Pelvic Floor Muscle Training Exercises: Information the (United States) MedlinePlus’ explain:

“Pelvic floor muscle training exercises are recommended for:

  • Women with urinary stress incontinence
  • Men with urinary stress incontinence, most often after prostate surgery
  • People who have fecal incontinence”.5

In Kegel Exercises: What Are Kegel Exercises? the (United States) National Association for Continence (NAFC) include a diagram and elaborate on why:

“Kegels or kegel exercises (also known as pelvic floor exercises) are one of the best ways to improve and maintain bowel and bladder functions. Kegels can be done by both men and women to increase the strength of your pelvic floor and may help to improve or even eliminate bladder leakage”.6

Identifying the Correct Muscles

How may women identify the correct muscles?

In Women: Pelvic Floor Exercise the Continence Foundation of Australia’s, Pelvic Floor First note:

“The first step in performing pelvic floor muscle exercises is to identify the correct muscles”.7

Then, in Women: Pelvic Floor Exercises – How Can I Find My Pelvic Floor Muscles? Method 1 – Stopping the Flow Pelvic Floor First continue:

“There are several ways which may help you to correctly identify the different parts of your pelvic floor muscles. One way is to try to stop or slow the flow of urine midway through emptying the bladder. Stopping the flow of urine repeatedly on the toilet is not an exercise, but a way of identifying your pelvic floor muscles. This should only be done to identify which muscles are needed for bladder control.

If you can, stop the flow of urine over the toilet for a second or two, then relax and finish emptying without straining. This ‘stop-test’ may help you identify the muscles around the front passage which control the flow of urine. It is not recommended as a regular exercise”.8

How Do I Do

How do I do pelvic floor exercises?

Examples of how to do pelvic floor exercises are included in:


Pelvic Floor Exercises

Tips

What are some tips about performing pelvic floor exercises properly?

In Kegel Exercises: A Step By Step Guide for Women on How To Do Kegel Exercises the NAFC elaborate on:

Pelvic Floor Exercises“So, how do you know you are doing kegels properly? Like any exercise, it can be difficult to know at first. But with a daily commitment, it becomes instinctive. Here are a few tips for doing kegel exercises:

  • Which muscles do I use?…
  • How many should I do per day?…
  • Work both your fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibers…
  • Things to watch out for…
  • Repeat your exercises 3 times a day…
  • Give yourself encouragement…”.9

Suitable or Not

Are pelvic floor exercises suitable for everyone?

The JH note:

“Note that pelvic floor strengthening exercises are not suitable for everyone. If you experience vaginal or pelvic pain, you may need a special program to learn how to relax your pelvic floor muscles”.10

Health Care Provider

What if I would like to find out if pelvic floor exercises could help me?

If you would like to find out if pelvic floor exercises could help you, it may be in your best interest to choose to talk to your health care provider about this. Together you may clarify your symptoms, discuss your options and if required, agree on who may be the most appropriate health care provider to help you.

In Kegel Exercises – A Step By Step Guide: Signs of Pelvic Floor Strength Improvement the NAFC encourage us to seek help:

“Women and men who have difficulty performing kegel exercises on their own may find biofeedback therapy helpful. With professional instruction from a nurse specialist or pelvic floor therapist, many people experience significant improvement in pelvic floor muscle strength, tone, and function with a good regime.

It’s crucial to remember that incontinence and pelvic floor symptoms almost always have solutions and shouldn’t be shrugged off as normal. You can try these exercises regardless of how long you have had your symptoms. Even if you have been experiencing leakage for as short as 1 month or as long as 10 years, it is never too late to try Kegels”.11

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Pelvic Floor Exercises?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

Where may I find Links related to Pelvic Floor Exercises?

Your Country may have Links similar to:

Links

This Links List to third party websites is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive. Inclusion on this Links List does not imply endorsement or recommendation. Non-inclusion on this Links List does not imply non-endorsement or non-recommendation. Third party websites are not under the control of Meno Martha International Menopause Directory. Third party websites may contain explicit medical images and/or sexual references. Please read Meno Martha International Menopause Directory’s Links Policy before proceeding to a Link. Please contact Webmaster if you experience a problem with a Link.

New or Updated

  1. 5 Pelvic Floor Exercises for Anyone and Everyone [+ Video]
  2. About Pelvic Floor Disorders
  3. Bladder
  4. Bladder Training: Tips and Techniques To Regain Control
  5. Bladder and Bowel Health
  6. Continence.org.au [Continence Foundation of Australia]
  7. Fact Sheets, Patient Summaries and Downloads
  8. Fact Sheets, Patient Summaries and Downloads: Additional Downloadable Content – First Visit With A Urogynecologist
  9. Fact Sheets, Patient Summaries and Downloads: Additional Downloadable Content – Talking to Your Doctor
  10. Fact Sheets, Patient Summaries and Downloads: Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises and Bladder Training
  11. Fact Sheets, Patient Summaries and Downloads: Pelvic Organ Prolapse
  12. Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause
  13. Glossary
  14. How Incontinence Affects Your Style Choices: Absorbent Products for the Way You Live
  15. How Physical Therapy Can Treat Incontinence
  16. How To Exercise Without Wetting Yourself
  17. How and Why To Do Pelvic Floor Exercises
  18. Kegel Exercises
  19. Kegel Exercises
  20. Kegel Exercises
  21. Kegel Exercises for Men: Understand the Benefits
  22. Kegel Exercises – Self-Care
  23. Kegel Exercises: A How-To Guide for Women
  24. Kegel Exercises: A Step By Step Guide for Women on How To Do Kegel Exercises
  25. Kegel Exercises: How Do You Exercise Your Pelvic Muscles?
  26. Kegel Exercises: What Are Kegel Exercises?
  27. Lifting the Lid on Prolapse
  28. Menopause
  29. NAFC’s Review of 3 Popular Kegels Apps [National Association for Continence, United States]
  30. Nafc.org: Learning Library [National Association for Continence, United States]
  31. Pelvic Floor Disorder Awareness [+ Video]
  32. Pelvic Floor Health | Dr Louise Newson LIVE
  33. Pelvic Floor Muscle Training As Treatment for Female Sexual Dysfunction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
  34. Pelvic Floor Muscle Training Exercises
  35. Pelvic Floor Muscle Training for Women
  36. Pelvic Floor Muscle Training for Women: How Do I Do Pelvic Floor Muscle Training?
  37. Pelvic Floor Muscles
  38. Pelvic Floor Muscles In Women: About the Pelvic Floor [+ Video: Female Pelvic Floor Muscle – 3D Animation]
  39. Pelvic Organ Prolapse
  40. Pelvic Organ Prolapse: Featured Video [+ Video: Let’s Talk About Prolapse]
  41. Pelvicfloorfirst.org.au
  42. The Bladder and Pelvic Floor
  43. The Pelvic Floor
  44. Urinary Incontinence
  45. Urinary Incontinence: 10 Ways To Stop Leaks [+ Video]
  46. Voices for PFD [Pelvic Floor Disorders]
  47. Video Series: Continence FAQs – FAQ #1: Why Do I Leak When I Cough, Sneeze or Laugh?
  48. Video Series: Continence FAQs – FAQ #2: How Much Urine Leakage Is Normal?
  49. Video Series: Continence FAQs – FAQ #3: What About Bowel Leakage?
  50. Women
  51. Women: Exercising Your Pelvic Floor Muscles?
  52. Women: Pelvic Floor Exercise
  53. Working Your Pelvic Floor

Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. The Bladder and Pelvic Floor: The Pelvic Floor – Pelvic Floor Exercises. Last Updated: 10 April 2025 | Last Reviewed: 17 January 2024. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/bladder/the-bladder-and-pelvic-floor Accessed: 15 April 2025
  2. Pelvic Floor Muscles: About the Pelvic Floor – Pelvic Floor Muscles In Men and Women. Last Updated: 27 May 2024. Last Reviewed: 23 March 2020. Continence Foundation of Australia https://www.continence.org.au/about-continence/continence-health/pelvic-floor Accessed: 15 April 2025
  3. Kegel Exercises: What Is A Kegel Exercise? Last Reviewed: 01 February 2023. Cleveland Clinic https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/14611-kegel-exercises Accessed: 15 April 2025
  4. The Bladder and Pelvic Floor: The Pelvic Floor – Pelvic Floor Exercises. Last Updated: 10 April 2025 | Last Reviewed: 17 January 2024. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/bladder/the-bladder-and-pelvic-floor Accessed: 15 April 2025
  5. Pelvic Floor Muscle Training Exercises: Information. Review Date: 01 October 2024. MedlinePlus https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003975.htm Accessed: 15 April 2025
  6. Kegel Exercises: What Are Kegel Exercises? National Association for Continence https://www.nafc.org/kegel-exercises Accessed: 15 April 2025
  7. Women: Pelvic Floor Exercises. Pelvic Floor First https://www.pelvicfloorfirst.org.au/pages/pelvic-floor-muscle-exercises-for-women.html Accessed: 15 April 2025
  8. Women: Pelvic Floor Exercises – How Can I Find My Pelvic Floor Muscles? Method 1 – Stopping the Flow. Pelvic Floor First https://www.pelvicfloorfirst.org.au/pages/pelvic-floor-muscle-exercises-for-women.html Accessed: 15 April 2025
  9. Kegel Exercises: A Step By Step Guide for Women on How To Do Kegel Exercises. National Association for Continence https://www.nafc.org/kegel-exercises Accessed: 15 April 2025
  10. The Bladder and Pelvic Floor: The Pelvic Floor – Pelvic Floor Exercises. Last Updated: 10 April 2025 | Last Reviewed: 17 January 2024. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/bladder/the-bladder-and-pelvic-floor Accessed: 15 April 2025
  11. Kegel Exercises: Signs of Pelvic Floor Strength Improvement. National Association for Continence https://www.nafc.org/kegel-exercises Accessed: 15 April 2025
Topic Last Updated: 15 April 2025 – Topic Last Reviewed: 15 April 2025

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