# Pelvic floor basics

> The muscles you never think about, until you do

Category: Movement & sleep · 2 min read · Written by the Splash team · Sources checked October 2026
URL: https://splash.care/learn/movement-sleep/pelvic-floor

## Quick answer

- The pelvic floor supports your bladder, bowel and womb.
- Daily squeeze-and-relax exercises help at any age, but can take a few months to show results.
- Leaks, heaviness or pain are treatable, so ask for help.

Your [Pelvic floor](https://splash.care/learn/glossary/pelvic-floor) is a sling of muscles supporting your bladder, bowel and womb. Strong, flexible pelvic floor muscles help with bladder and bowel control, and can make sex feel better too.

[Pregnancy](https://splash.care/learn/fertility-ttc/early-pregnancy-signs), birth, getting older, constipation, coughing and heavy lifting can all strain them, so pelvic floor exercises are useful at any age, not just after having a baby. The NHS says they can be effective at reducing leaks, but you may need to do them for a few months before you see the benefit.

## How to do them

1. Sit, stand or lie comfortably. Imagine you are trying to stop yourself weeing and passing wind at the same time. That is the muscle.
2. Squeeze it quickly, without pulling your tummy in, hold for 2 seconds, then relax.
3. Repeat 10 times, breathing normally.
4. Build up gradually to holding each squeeze for up to 10 seconds, with a rest between.
5. Practise every day.

> **Splash says:** link it to a habit, like waiting for the kettle or brushing your teeth. A phone reminder works too.

**Myth:** You should practise by stopping your wee midstream.

**Fact:** Stopping your wee is a way to find the muscles once, not an exercise. Cleveland Clinic warns that stopping and starting your wee regularly can lead to infection.

> Relaxing matters as much as squeezing. Some people have pelvic floor muscles that are too tight, which can cause problems like painful sex. Cleveland Clinic says the goal is balance: strong enough to support you, and flexible enough to relax. A pelvic health physio can help with both weak and tight muscles.

### When to see a doctor

See a GP if you leak wee when you cough, laugh or exercise, feel a heaviness, pressure or bulge in your vagina, have pain during sex, or struggle with bowel control. These are common and very treatable.

## Sources

1. [NHS: Urinary incontinence, 10 ways to stop leaks (pelvic floor exercises)](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/urinary-incontinence/10-ways-to-stop-leaks/)
2. [NHS: Pelvic organ prolapse](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pelvic-organ-prolapse/)
3. [Cleveland Clinic: Pelvic floor muscles](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22729-pelvic-floor-muscles)
4. [Cleveland Clinic: Kegel exercises](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/14611-kegel-exercises)

This is general information, not medical advice. Splash can’t diagnose. If you’re worried, talk to a GP, pharmacist or sexual health clinic. In an emergency call 999 (UK) or 911 (US).