Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBefore StartingFor Hypertonic MusclesFor Weak MusclesWith Pelvic Floor DysfunctionBenefitsManaging Side Effects

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Before Starting

For Hypertonic Muscles

For Weak Muscles

With Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Benefits

Managing Side Effects

Pelvic floorexercises can help strengthen weak muscles and relax muscles that are too tight. These muscles hold the pelvic organs—bladder, intestines, urethra, rectum, and additionally the vagina, cervix, and uterus in females, and prostate in males—in place.People of any age can experience pelvic floor conditions that can benefit from pelvic floor exercises.

This article discusses pelvic floor exercises—what they are, how to do them, and potential benefits and side effects.

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Man exercising with pregnant woman lying on grass in lawn

Where Is the Pelvic Floor?All people no matter their sex or gender have apelvic floor. It is located below your abdomen in your pelvis—the curved bone structure between your hips—and supports the organs in your pelvis.

Where Is the Pelvic Floor?

All people no matter their sex or gender have apelvic floor. It is located below your abdomen in your pelvis—the curved bone structure between your hips—and supports the organs in your pelvis.

Before Starting Pelvic Floor Exercises

Before you startpelvic floor exercises, consult with a healthcare provider to ensure your symptoms are related to muscle tightness or weakness and not an underlying health condition likepelvic organ prolapse(when pelvic organs drop because of muscle weakness) orbladder problems(like bladder control loss).

Pelvic floor exercises, or Kegel exercises, are not for everyone. Kegels can help strengthen the pelvic floor, but if your muscles are tight, they can worsen your condition.

Consider seeing a physical therapist specializing inpelvic floor therapyto ensure you perform the most appropriate exercises for your condition.

Pelvic Floor Exercises for Men vs. WomenIn addition to supporting the uterus (womb), vagina, and cervix (the lower, narrow end of the uterus where it enters the vagina) in people withfemale anatomy, it also supports thebladder,rectum(the last section of the large intestine), and urethra (the tube that empties urine from the bladder). Pelvic floor exercises can benefit any person of any gender, regardless of their anatomy.

Pelvic Floor Exercises for Men vs. Women

In addition to supporting the uterus (womb), vagina, and cervix (the lower, narrow end of the uterus where it enters the vagina) in people withfemale anatomy, it also supports thebladder,rectum(the last section of the large intestine), and urethra (the tube that empties urine from the bladder). Pelvic floor exercises can benefit any person of any gender, regardless of their anatomy.

Pelvic Floor Exercises for Tight (Hypertonic) Muscles

Tight (hypertonic) pelvic floor muscles can cause health concerns like bladder problems or pain during intercourse. Exercises for tight muscles focus on relaxing the pelvic floor.

Deep Breathing (Diaphragmatic Breathing)

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A man practicing diaphragmatic breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing reduces muscle tension throughout the body, including the pelvic floor. It also helps to decrease the pain that tight pelvic floor muscles can cause.Perform as follows:

Adductor Stretch

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Woman performing adductor stretch for pelvic floor issues

If the adductors (inner thigh muscles) are very tight, rest your knees on pillows during this stretch to decrease muscle tension.Perform as follows:

Kegel Exercises for Men: How and Why to Do Them

Child’s Pose

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Woman doing child’s pose for pelvic floor health

The child’s pose spreads your pelvic bones apart to help stretch your pelvic floor muscles.Perform as follows:

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Woman doing the happy baby pose for pelvic floor health

If this pose is too difficult, place your hands behind your knees instead.

Pelvic Floor Exercises for Weak (Hypotonic) Muscles

Excess strain on the pelvic floor muscles fromchronic coughing due to smoking, pressure fromchronic constipation, pregnancy, and childbirth can weaken these muscles. Additional factors such as age, weak tissues, and surgery can weaken your pelvic floor muscles.

Here are some exercises to strengthen weak pelvic floor muscles.

Kegels

Woman doing kegels on a yoga mat on the floor for pelvic floor health

Kegels help strengthen muscles that support your bladder.Perform as follows:

Perform Kegels at least three times per day. Once you’ve mastered Kegels lying down, you can do them while sitting or standing.

Kegels and Bridges

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Woman doing kegel hip bridges for her pelvic floor health

Kegels With Clamshells

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Woman doing clamshell exercise with kegels for pelvic floor health

Clamshells strengthen muscles in the hips that work with your pelvic floor muscles.Perform as follows:

Exercising With Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

While some exercises improvepelvic floor function, others can make it worse. One 2018 study looking at elite athletes found that 52% of female athletes in the study experienced urinary incontinence, with the highest rates seen in gymnasts.

Most people are probably not taking to the gym mat regularly, but this study illustrates the effects of high-impact exercise on pelvic floor health.

Some examples of high-impact exercises to avoid when dealing with pelvic floor dysfunction include the following:

Safe, low-impact alternative exercises include:

As your pelvic muscles improve, you can progress to higher-level activities.

Benefits of Pelvic Floor Exercises

Pelvic floor exercises can help treat conditions and symptoms related to both tight and weak pelvic floor muscles.

Hypertonic (tense) pelvic floor muscles can occur from trauma during childbirth and conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.

Hypertonic pelvic floor muscles can cause:

Relaxation exercises can reduce pain and decrease the incidence of incontinence.

For Hypotonic Muscles

Pelvic floor muscles can weaken after childbirth and develop from intense exercises like heavy weight lifting.

Weak pelvic floor muscles can cause:

Strengthening exercises can reduce incontinence and the excessive passing of gas, as well as support internal organs. However, in severe cases, pelvic organ prolapse can require surgery.

Managing the Side Effects of Pelvic Floor Exercises

While pelvic floor exercises should not increase pain, conditions that affect these muscles are often painful.

Treatments that can help decrease this pain include:

How Long Does It Take to Improve Your Pelvic Floor Muscles?Whether you are trying to decrease tightness in your pelvic floor muscles or improve your strength, it can take several months (or longer) to see improvements. If you do pelvic floor exercises consistently and are concerned that your symptoms aren’t changing, consider seeing a physical therapist specializing in pelvic health.

How Long Does It Take to Improve Your Pelvic Floor Muscles?

Whether you are trying to decrease tightness in your pelvic floor muscles or improve your strength, it can take several months (or longer) to see improvements. If you do pelvic floor exercises consistently and are concerned that your symptoms aren’t changing, consider seeing a physical therapist specializing in pelvic health.

Summary

Pelvic floor muscles can be too tight (hypertonic) or too weak (hypotonic)—both causing unwanted side effects such asincontinence, the excessive passing of gas, and pain. Exercises can be performed to either stretch and strengthen these muscles, depending on your underlying issue. A physical therapist who specializes in pelvic health therapy can provide you with an individualized exercise plan.

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9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cho ST, Kim KH.Pelvic floor muscle exercise and training for coping with urinary incontinence.J Exerc Rehabil. 2021;17(6):379-387. doi:10.12965/jer.2142666.333Eunice Kennedy ShriverNational Institute of Child Health and Human Development.Pelvic floor disorders (PFDs).National Association for Continence.How to relax your pelvic floor.National Association for Continence:Ask the doc: Can kegels really help my OAB symptoms?Gong W.The effects of the continuous bridge exercise on the thickness of abdominal muscles in normal adults.Journal of Physical Therapy Science. 2018;30(7):921-925. doi:10.1589%2Fjpts.30.921Princeton University.Pelvic stabilization, lateral hip and gluteal strengthening program.Karmakar D, Dwyer PL.High impact exercise may cause pelvic floor dysfunction: FOR: Scale, strengthen, protect!.BJOG. 2018;125(5):614. doi:10.1111/1471-0528.15025National Association for Continence.What is a hypertonic pelvic floor?Hwang SK.Advances in the treatment of chronic pelvic pain: A multidisciplinary approach to treatment.Mo Med. 2017;114(1):47-51.

9 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cho ST, Kim KH.Pelvic floor muscle exercise and training for coping with urinary incontinence.J Exerc Rehabil. 2021;17(6):379-387. doi:10.12965/jer.2142666.333Eunice Kennedy ShriverNational Institute of Child Health and Human Development.Pelvic floor disorders (PFDs).National Association for Continence.How to relax your pelvic floor.National Association for Continence:Ask the doc: Can kegels really help my OAB symptoms?Gong W.The effects of the continuous bridge exercise on the thickness of abdominal muscles in normal adults.Journal of Physical Therapy Science. 2018;30(7):921-925. doi:10.1589%2Fjpts.30.921Princeton University.Pelvic stabilization, lateral hip and gluteal strengthening program.Karmakar D, Dwyer PL.High impact exercise may cause pelvic floor dysfunction: FOR: Scale, strengthen, protect!.BJOG. 2018;125(5):614. doi:10.1111/1471-0528.15025National Association for Continence.What is a hypertonic pelvic floor?Hwang SK.Advances in the treatment of chronic pelvic pain: A multidisciplinary approach to treatment.Mo Med. 2017;114(1):47-51.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Cho ST, Kim KH.Pelvic floor muscle exercise and training for coping with urinary incontinence.J Exerc Rehabil. 2021;17(6):379-387. doi:10.12965/jer.2142666.333Eunice Kennedy ShriverNational Institute of Child Health and Human Development.Pelvic floor disorders (PFDs).National Association for Continence.How to relax your pelvic floor.National Association for Continence:Ask the doc: Can kegels really help my OAB symptoms?Gong W.The effects of the continuous bridge exercise on the thickness of abdominal muscles in normal adults.Journal of Physical Therapy Science. 2018;30(7):921-925. doi:10.1589%2Fjpts.30.921Princeton University.Pelvic stabilization, lateral hip and gluteal strengthening program.Karmakar D, Dwyer PL.High impact exercise may cause pelvic floor dysfunction: FOR: Scale, strengthen, protect!.BJOG. 2018;125(5):614. doi:10.1111/1471-0528.15025National Association for Continence.What is a hypertonic pelvic floor?Hwang SK.Advances in the treatment of chronic pelvic pain: A multidisciplinary approach to treatment.Mo Med. 2017;114(1):47-51.

Cho ST, Kim KH.Pelvic floor muscle exercise and training for coping with urinary incontinence.J Exerc Rehabil. 2021;17(6):379-387. doi:10.12965/jer.2142666.333

Eunice Kennedy ShriverNational Institute of Child Health and Human Development.Pelvic floor disorders (PFDs).

National Association for Continence.How to relax your pelvic floor.

National Association for Continence:Ask the doc: Can kegels really help my OAB symptoms?

Gong W.The effects of the continuous bridge exercise on the thickness of abdominal muscles in normal adults.Journal of Physical Therapy Science. 2018;30(7):921-925. doi:10.1589%2Fjpts.30.921

Princeton University.Pelvic stabilization, lateral hip and gluteal strengthening program.

Karmakar D, Dwyer PL.High impact exercise may cause pelvic floor dysfunction: FOR: Scale, strengthen, protect!.BJOG. 2018;125(5):614. doi:10.1111/1471-0528.15025

National Association for Continence.What is a hypertonic pelvic floor?

Hwang SK.Advances in the treatment of chronic pelvic pain: A multidisciplinary approach to treatment.Mo Med. 2017;114(1):47-51.

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