Meet your pelvic floor
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that helps support the organs in your pelvis and contributes to bladder and bowel control. Pelvic health matters across genders and life stages.
Pelvic-floor muscle training can help with some bladder symptoms, but symptoms do not always mean these muscles need more strengthening. Pain or difficulty relaxing deserves an individual assessment.
Notice a gentle lift
A common cue is to imagine stopping wind, with a gentle squeeze and lift. Another is imagining stopping urine. These are mental cues: regularly interrupting your urine stream is not a training routine.
Keep breathing. Notice whether you are strongly squeezing your buttocks or thighs, bracing your belly, or bearing down. If you cannot identify the movement comfortably, a pelvic-health physiotherapist can help you learn it.
Let the contraction finish
Release fully between contractions. A timer can guide a session, but it cannot tell whether your muscles have contracted or relaxed correctly.
Longer holds and more repetitions are not automatically better. Progress should account for comfort, technique, and recovery. Stop a movement that causes pain rather than trying to finish the count.