Assessed, not assumed
Establishing whether the floor is underactive or overactive before a single exercise is prescribed.
Women's Wellness
Pelvic Floor Strengthening
The muscle group nobody discusses, doing work nobody notices until it stops.
- 45 minutes
- Session length
- 8 to 12 weeks
- Typical course
- Short sets, daily
- Home work
Overview
The pelvic floor is a sling of muscle supporting the bladder, bowel and uterus, controlling continence and contributing to core stability and sexual function. Pregnancy, delivery, menopause, chronic straining, heavy lifting and simple ageing all place demands on it, and when it stops coping the effects are physical — not, as many people are told, simply inevitable.
Assessment matters here more than anywhere. A pelvic floor can be weak, but it can equally be overactive and unable to relax — and the two require opposite treatment. Strengthening an already overactive floor makes symptoms worse, which is why unguided Kegels so often fail.
Consider this if
- Leaking with coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting or exercise
- A sudden urgent need to pass urine that is hard to defer
- A feeling of heaviness or dragging in the pelvis
- Reduced sensation, discomfort during intercourse, or difficulty with bowel emptying
What it does
Pelvic Floor Strengthening
Correct technique
A large proportion of people perform pelvic floor contractions incorrectly when working from instructions alone. This is taught and checked.
Continence improved
Supervised pelvic floor training is the recommended first-line treatment for stress urinary incontinence.
EMSELLA available
For those who cannot contract effectively or want to accelerate progress, the EMSELLA chair delivers thousands of supramaximal contractions per session, fully clothed.
Inside a session
History
A private, unhurried conversation about symptoms, obstetric history and what you want back.
Assess
Establishing whether the floor is weak, overactive or poorly coordinated, using the assessment method you consent to.
Teach
Correct contraction and, just as importantly, correct release — with feedback so you know you have it.
Progress
Loading through the positions and activities where you actually have symptoms.
Common questions
Is leaking normal after childbirth?
It is common. It is not something you have to live with. Supervised pelvic floor training resolves or substantially improves symptoms for a large majority of women, including years after delivery.
Are Kegels enough on their own?
Only if done correctly, and only if weakness is genuinely the problem. Many people contract the wrong muscles, hold their breath, or have an overactive floor that needs releasing rather than tightening. That is what the assessment is for.
Do men need this too?
Yes. Male pelvic floor dysfunction is under-recognised, particularly after prostate surgery, and it responds to the same structured training.
This page is general information, not a diagnosis or a treatment plan. What is right for you is decided at assessment. If your symptoms are severe, worsening quickly, or follow an injury, seek medical care first.
Also in this discipline
Not sure this is the right one?
That is what the first consultation is for. Ninety minutes of assessment before anything is recommended — including recommending nothing.