Pelvic floor exercises
What are pelvic floor exercises (Kegel exercises)?
Pelvic floor exercises help strengthen the muscles that support your bladder, rectum (back passage) and sex organs. These muscles help with bladder and bowel control.
You can do pelvic floor exercises while you are standing, sitting or lying down. It is easier to start doing them lying down with your knees bent up. When you get more confident at doing them, you can try sitting or standing. When done correctly, no one will know you are doing them.
Your specialist may suggest pelvic floor exercises to prevent or help bladder or bowel problems after treatments affecting the pelvis, such as pelvic radiotherapy or surgery for bowel cancer.
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How do I do pelvic floor exercises?
You squeeze and relax the muscles around your anus, as if you are trying to stop yourself passing wind.
Then squeeze the muscles as if you are trying to stop a flow of urine halfway through.
Try not to squeeze your buttocks, thighs or tummy muscles or hold your breath.
Now try to do both exercises at the same time and hold. When you can do that, start holding for longer.
You need to practise strong, long squeezes and short squeezes. For example, try to do:
- 10 slow squeezes lasting 10 seconds each with a 4-second rest between each squeeze
- 10 fast squeezes at a speed of 1 per second.
It takes at least 3 months to strengthen pelvic floor muscles. You need to do the exercises regularly and keep doing them. Aim to do the sets of slow and quick squeezes 3 times every day. Try doing them at the same times each day to get into a routine. It can be helpful to set reminders on your phone or use a pelvic floor exercise app.
Further support
Some people find it difficult to know which muscles to squeeze. If you are unsure or your symptoms are not getting better, ask your doctor to refer you to a specialist. They can check you are doing the exercises properly and give you advice.
The NHS website and Bladder and Bowel Community also have information about pelvic floor exercises.
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About our information
This information has been written, revised and edited by Macmillan Cancer Support’s Cancer Information Development team. It has been reviewed by expert medical and health professionals and people living with cancer.
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References
Below is a sample of the sources used in our late effects of pelvic radiotherapy information. If you would like more information about the sources we use, please contact us at informationproductionteam@macmillan.org.uk
Urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse in women: management. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (NICE) guideline Reference number:NG123 Published: 02 April 2019 Last updated: 24 June 2019. Available at https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng123 [accessed March 2026]
LUTS in men. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (NICE) Last revised in June 2025. Available at https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/luts-in-men/ [accessed March 2026] [accessed March 2026]
C Helissey, S Cavallero, C Brossard et al. Chronic Inflammation and Radiation-Induced Cystitis: Molecular Background and Therapeutic Perspectives. PubMed. 2020 Dec 24;10 Available at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33374374/ [accessed March 2026]
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