Salud vaginal y vulvar
Your pelvic floor
Revisado: 4 de octubre de 2026
Solo en inglés por ahoraYour pelvic floor muscles support your bladder, womb and bowel. Regular exercises can make them stronger and help with leaks.
What the pelvic floor does
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles under your womb (uterus), bladder and bowel. These muscles support those organs and help you control when you pee, poo and pass wind. To find them, imagine you are trying to stop yourself peeing and holding in wind at the same time. The muscles you squeeze to do this are your pelvic floor.
Why it can weaken
Pelvic floor muscles can weaken after pregnancy and childbirth, as you get older, if you gain weight, and after some types of gynaecological surgery. Straining to poo when you are constipated weakens them too. A long-term cough, for example from smoking, also puts strain on them. When the muscles are weak, you may leak pee or find it harder to control wind or poo.
How to do pelvic floor exercises
Squeeze your pelvic floor muscles, as if holding in pee and wind. Hold the squeeze for a few seconds, then relax for a few seconds. Repeat this 10 times, and aim to do a set 3 times a day. Over time, build up until you can hold each squeeze for 10 seconds. Breathe normally while you do them. Try not to tighten your tummy, thighs, buttocks or chest.
Getting it right
Once you know how to do the exercises, do not do them while you are peeing, apart from an occasional check that you are using the right muscles. It takes time to see a change. Some people have fewer leaks after 4 to 6 weeks, but it can take a few months. If you are not sure you are doing them correctly, a doctor or nurse can help.
Other ways to help a weak bladder
Some everyday habits can also help. Aim to drink 6 to 8 glasses of fluid a day. Cut down on caffeine, which irritates the bladder and can make leaks worse. Alcohol makes you pee more often, so cutting down may help too. Try to avoid constipation, because straining to poo weakens the pelvic floor. If you smoke, stopping can ease the strain that coughing puts on these muscles.
When to get help
Talk to a doctor or nurse if you leak pee or poo, if you are not sure you are finding the right muscles, or if exercises have not helped after a few months. Leaks and weak muscles can often be helped, so there is no need to feel embarrassed about asking. A doctor or nurse can check what is going on and suggest other treatment.
This is general information. If you have leaks, or you are not sure how to do pelvic floor exercises, talk to a doctor or nurse.