Pelvic floor exercise guide | Pelvic Exercises

Pelvic floor exercise guidelines answer these frequently asked questions:

how much pelvic floor exercise is needed for stronger pelvic floor muscles?
how often do I need to do pelvic floor exercises?
how long will it take for my pelvic floor muscles to become stronger?

How much daily pelvic floor exercise?

If you are just starting to exercise pelvic floor muscles, always start with the amount of exercise you are able to manage.

Let's use an example to make this easy to understand. If you can contract your pelvic floor muscles for 5 seconds and you can do this 4 times in a row, then this is where you start. This is one set of exercises − you just need to repeat this two more times today. So based on what you estimate you can do, this is the guide to your daily pelvic floor exercise program.

First set of exercises – In bed before getting up contracting your pelvic floor muscles for 5 seconds, 4 times in a row.
Second set of exercises - At morning tea,contracting your pelvic floor muscles for 5 seconds, 4 times in a row.
Final set of exercises – In bed at night contracting your pelvic floor muscles for 5 seconds, 4 times in a row.

As your pelvic floor strength and endurance improve, you will find that you are able to increase the number of exercises you perform and how long you can hold each exercise for.

Guidelines for stronger pelvic floor muscles

Current research into pelvic floor exercise for strength¹:

Hold each pelvic floor contraction for 3-10 seconds.
Repeat 8-12 pelvic floor muscle exercises in a row (this is one full set).
Perform a total of 3 sets of exercise each day.
Make every attempt to contract the pelvic floor muscles as strong as possible using the correct technique. Tip – if you can’t maintain the correct pelvic floorexercise technique with strong exercises, gradually build up how strongly you contract your muscles when you are able to do so.
Perform pelvic floor muscle exercises every day.

Start at your own level

Obviously everyone is different and different women can hold their muscles on for different lengths of time. You may find you can contract your pelvic floor muscles for longer, even up to 10 seconds. You may find you can contract your pelvic floor muscles up to 8-12 times in a row.

Key points to remember:

start your exercises at a level that is comfortable and manageable for you, even if you start with just a couple of repetitions a day
practice your pelvic floor exercises daily
progress your exercises as your strength and endurance increase to longer stronger exercises

How long does it take for pelvic floor muscles to strengthen pelvic floor muscles?

Studies suggest it takes around 3-5 months of dedicated exercise to fully rehabilitate weak pelvic floor muscles.

Once again, the key point for further pelvic floor strengthening are practicing regularly and progressively challenging your muscles to work harder (with longer and stronger pelvic floor muscles contractions) as your pelvic floor strength improves. Progress your exercises into upright positions such as sitting and standing when you can. This will also promote stronger pelvic floor muscles.

After 3-5 months of training, your pelvic floor muscles should be stronger and notice the benefits of improved pelvic floor control and support.

You will keep your pelvic floor muscles in great shape with a life-long commitment to pelvic floor or Kegel exercises a couple of days every week!

For more detailed information on how to find and strengthen your pelvic floor muscles refer to Inside Out – The essential women's guide to pelvic support by Michelle Kenway Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist & Dr Judith Goh Urogynaecologist.

1These pelvic floor strength training principles are based upon evidence-based physical therapy recommendations taken from Bo K, Aschehoug A, (2007) Strength training. In: Bo K, Berghmans B, Morkved S, Van Kampen M (Eds) Evidence-based physical therapy for the pelvic floor. Philadelphia: Butterworth Heinemann Elsevier pp. 119−132.

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This information is provided for general information only and should in no way be considered as a substitute for medical advice and information about your particular condition.
While every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate, the author accepts no responsibility and cannot guarantee the consequences if individuals choose to rely upon these contents as their sole source of information about a condition and its rehabilitation.