Pelvic floor exercises

The pelvic floor muscles sit at the bottom of your pelvis, between your legs.  They are attached between the tailbone (coccyx) at the back and the bone at the front of your pelvis (pubic bone), and to each side onto your sit bones.

They help to support the pelvic organs such as the bladder, the womb (if you have one) and the bowel.  These muscles work to help to keep the bladder and bowel openings closed to stop leakage and they relax when you pass urine (pee) and empty your bowels (poo).  These muscles also help with sexual function.
Like other muscles in your body, the pelvic floor muscles should be worked to keep them healthy and strong. They can also become damaged and weak due to injury or lack of use.

This picture is looking into the pelvis from above.

These images are looking into the pelvis from the side:

Risk factors for your pelvic floor

Watch the video below about why everybody needs to do pelvic floor exercises. Common things that may weaken the pelvic floor muscles are listed below

How to find the pelvic floor muscles

It can sometimes be hard to find the pelvic floor muscles when you cannot see them. See the videos below to help find your pelvic floor muscles.

How to exercise the pelvic floor muscles

What can you do?

To make the pelvic floor muscles stronger and reduce your symptoms you need to exercise the muscles with specific pelvic floor exercises or sometimes known as Kegel’s.

For women: Follow the instructions in the NHS Fife Pelvic Floor Exercises Stage 1 Leaflet  
For men: Follow the instructions in the NHS Fife Pelvic Floor Exercises for Men Leaflet

Once you have mastered the beginner exercises, it is important to progress these exercises so the muscle strength continues to improve.

Read the NHS Fife Pelvic Floor Exercises Stage 2 Leaflet
Read the NHS Fife Pelvic Floor Exercises Stage 3 Leaflet