Pelvic floor exercises for women

Pelvic floor exercises are a great place to start if you experience urine leakage, weak pelvic floor or a feeling of less control. You are far from alone.

For many women, it starts quietly with coughing, laughing, running or exercising and gradually affects confidence in everyday life.

At MS Insight, pelvic floor training is not just about exercising more, but about understanding why function is impaired and what is most likely needed to restore better control, stability and calmness to the body.

Spend 5-10 minutes on this page and get clarity on the options for you and a stronger pelvic floor.

Advice before you get started

Regularity: Train several times a day for best results.
Breathing: Breathe freely while pinching – do not hold your breath.
Relaxation: Remember to relax completely between each squeeze.
Positions: Exercises can be done lying down, sitting or standing.
Pelvic chair: When regular training isn’t enough.

Michael Strøm

International speaker & expert in shockwave and EMTT treatment for peyronies and erectile dysfunction

Pelvic floor exercises and professional treatment for women

Pelvic floor problems are widespread, and they are far from only relevant for women who have just given birth. Up to one in three women experience incontinence, a feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen or other signs of a weak pelvic floor at some point. Many suffer in silence because the topic is still taboo.

The good news is that the pelvic floor can be trained. For many women, regular pelvic floor exercises provide significant improvement if done correctly and consistently.

But there are also women for whom exercises are not enough. This is where technology-assisted therapy, such as the Pelvic Chair with EMS/HIFEM technology, can provide an extra effect that self-training can’t always achieve.

This guide gives you both: a complete guide to pelvic floor exercises and information on when to consider professional treatment.

Why this solution is different for pelvic floor exercises

In many places, pelvic floor training or pelvic chair is offered as a fixed package solution. Instead, at MS Insight, it starts with an assessment of whether the problem is primarily about muscle strength, function, timing, tissue or a combination.

You always meet Michael directly in the clinic, so assessment and treatment are closely linked from the start. This makes for a more comfortable process and a more targeted plan.

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How to do pelvic floor exercises as a woman

Squats are the most proven way to strengthen the pelvic floor. However, studies show that up to 1 in 3 women squat incorrectly on the first attempt. That’s why it’s important to read the instructions carefully and feel if you’re activating the right muscles.

Step 1: Find the right muscles

Imagine trying to stop the stream of urine in the middle of urination or lifting a small blueberry with your rectum. You should feel an inward and upward movement. Only the pelvic floor has to work.

You’re doing it wrong if you:

Tension in the buttocks
Squeeze your thighs together
Sucking in the stomach
Holding your breath

Step 2: Make sure you can let go again

A squeeze is only half of the exercise. The relaxation is just as important. Feel clearly that the muscles relax completely after each squeeze. Otherwise, an overactive pelvic floor can build up and cause pain.

Step 3: Test if you are pinching correctly

You can test yourself by:

Place a finger lightly on the perineum and feel the area become tight during the squeeze
Lie on your side and place a finger at the rectal opening so you can feel it lightly constrict and pull up
Put 1-2 fingers in the vagina and pinch where you should feel the fingers squeeze lightly

Your training program: frequency, sets and progression

An effective squat program trains three attributes: strength, endurance and responsiveness. Use this program as a starting point.

Exercise 1: Short, powerful pinches

Squeeze with about half of your maximum force. Hold the squeeze for 5 seconds and then relax completely for 5 seconds.

Repeat 10 times. Pause for 1 minute. Do a total of 3 sets.

Exercise 2: Long, sustained squats

Squeeze moderately and hold the squeeze for as long as you can, 20-30 seconds maximum.

Repeat 2 times. Relax at least as long between each squeeze.

Exercise 3: Quick reaction pinch

Make quick, powerful squeezes followed by full relaxation.

Do 10 squats in quick succession. Repeat for 2 sets.

Frequency and progression

Do the program 3-5 times a week. Give it 3 months before you expect a clear effect.

Start lying down. Then progress to sitting and standing and finish with moving exercises such as running or jumping. The difficulty increases with the starting position.

Integrate pinch points into everyday life

Pelvic floor training works best when it becomes a reflex. Learn to actively use your pelvic floor in situations that strain it:

Squat before coughing, sneezing or lifting and hold the squat throughout the load
Pinch when rising from chair and sitting
Pinch at the start of running, jumping or jumping

Make it part of a regular routine – while brushing your teeth, waiting for coffee or watching TV. It takes seconds and has a long-lasting effect.

When are pelvic floor exercises not enough as a woman?

For most women, regular knee exercises provide noticeable improvement – but not for everyone. There are situations where self-training is not enough:

You’ve been doing exercises for 3+ months with no clear progress
You’re unsure if you’re squeezing correctly – and it’s been going on for a long time
Your pelvic floor is so weak that you can’t activate the muscles properly
You are in menopause and experience significant worsening
You have incontinence after pelvic surgery

In these cases, technology-assisted pelvic floor training can be the essential complement or replacement.

When pelvic floor training is not enough

Pelvic floor exercises are a good place to start, but not all women experience enough effect from self-training alone. If you find it difficult to activate your pelvic floor correctly, suffer from incontinence or have a weakened pelvic floor after childbirth or menopause, Pelvic Chair can be a relevant supplement.

Pelvic Chair uses EMS/HIFEM technology to stimulate the pelvic floor muscles while you sit fully clothed in the chair. The treatment creates intense muscle contractions that can help strengthen the pelvic floor in a more targeted way than regular pelvic floor exercises alone can.

It can be especially relevant for women with stress incontinence, mixed incontinence, weakened pelvic floor after childbirth or menopause, or for those who don’t notice a clear improvement with knee exercises.

A more advanced approach to treating women

For some women, strength alone is not enough.

When symptoms have been present for a long time or when the body doesn’t respond as expected to exercise alone, tissue conditions, blood supply and local signaling may also come into play. This is where, in some cases, it can make sense to work more broadly than classic knee exercises.

MS Insight therefore assesses whether the pelvic chair should stand alone or whether it makes more sense to supplement with other targeted measures as part of a more advanced strategy.

It can be, among other things:

Shockwave treatment when more targeted tissue stimulation is needed
EMTT treatment when you want to affect tissue, neurological and biological activity in depth as part of an overall plan

This does not mean that everyone should have everything. It means that treatment should be chosen based on what actually appears to be the problem.

What is the pelvic floor?

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that form the bottom of your pelvis. You can think of it as a flexible support that holds your bladder, uterus and rectum in place.

Although the pelvic floor is a small muscle group, it plays an important role in the body. Among other things, it helps with:

Retaining urine, intestinal air and feces
Withstanding pressure when coughing, sneezing, lifting and jumping
Sexual function and the ability to orgasm
Pelvis and spine stability

The pelvic floor muscles work all the time, often without you realizing it. When they weaken, it can be noticeable in everyday life.

Causes of a weak pelvic floor in women

There are many reasons why the pelvic floor can become weak. The most common in women are:

Pregnancy and childbirth, because the pelvic floor is stressed and can weaken after childbirth
Menopause, where decreasing estrogen levels can affect connective tissue and muscles in the abdomen
Overweight, which can increase pressure on the pelvic floor over time
Chronic cough or constipation that can cause repetitive downward strain
Inactivity and age, where muscles can gradually weaken if not actively used

Symptoms you shouldn’t ignore as a woman

A weak pelvic floor can manifest itself in several ways. Typical symptoms can be:

Urine leakage when coughing, sneezing, lifting, running or laughing
Sudden, strong urge to urinate that you find hard to hold back
Sensation of heaviness or pressure in the abdomen
Feeling of a bulge in the vaginal opening
Decreased sexual sensitivity or discomfort during intercourse

If you experience these symptoms, it’s a sign that your pelvic floor needs attention. Start with the exercises above. If you’ve already tried them without satisfactory results, you may benefit from Pelvic Chair treatment.

Are you in doubt? Get clarity on your options

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Frequently asked questions about pelvic floor exercises for women

How do women train their pelvic floor?

Women train the pelvic floor by doing squats, where the muscles around the vagina, urethra and rectum are activated and then completely relaxed again. A good starting point is to squeeze for 5 seconds, release for 5 seconds and repeat the exercise 10 times. The most important thing is that you exercise regularly and don’t tense your stomach, buttocks or thighs during the exercise.

How do you know if you're doing squats correctly?

You are doing squats correctly if you feel a slight inward and upward movement in your pelvic floor. You should be able to breathe freely, keep your abdomen, buttocks and thighs relaxed and release completely after each squeeze. If in doubt, you can test by gently feeling your perineum or vaginal opening, where you should feel a slight contraction.

Can you exercise away a sunken abdomen?

Pelvic floor exercises can’t always eliminate a prolapsed abdomen, but it can often reduce symptoms such as heaviness, pressure and discomfort, especially in mild cases. More severe prolapse may require professional assessment and treatment. That’s why it’s a good idea to seek help if you experience a bulge in the vaginal opening, pain or discomfort in everyday life.

How long does it take to see the effects of knee exercises?

Most women notice a significant improvement after 8-12 weeks of regular training (3-5 times a week). Don’t give up too soon – pelvic floor muscles are like any other muscles: they take time to build up.

Are squats and pelvic floor exercises the same thing?

Yes, squats are the most well-known form of pelvic floor exercises. Both concepts are about activating, strengthening and controlling the pelvic floor muscles. However, pelvic floor exercises can also include relaxation, breathing, coordination and exercises in different positions to make the exercise more functional in everyday life.

Can I squat too much?

Yes, you can. An overactive or overstretched pelvic floor can cause pain, tension and discomfort during intercourse. If you experience soreness or tension, exercises can make the damage worse. Instead, seek guidance to relax your pelvic floor.

Are knee exercises enough or do I need treatment?

For many, exercises are sufficient. But if you’ve been trying for 3 months without progress, or you can’t activate your muscles properly at all, you should get an individual assessment. A free phone call is always the first step.

What is the difference between Pelvic Chair and squats?

Squats activate the muscles voluntarily – but only to the extent your nervous control allows. The HIFEM technology in Pelvic Chair activates 100% of the muscle fibers with supramaximal contractions you can’t achieve on your own. It is suitable for severe weakness or lack of muscle activation.

Is Pelvic Chair treatment painful?

No, it isn’t. The treatment is non-invasive and painless. You sit in the chair fully clothed and feel muscle contractions – not pain. The intensity is continuously adjusted.

Do you only treat women?

No, I don’t. I treat both women and men. Men with incontinence after prostate surgery or men who want pelvic floor support during shockwave therapy can also benefit from Pelvic Chair.

Have a no-obligation conversation about pelvic floor exercises and treatment as a woman

Are you unsure if your pelvic floor exercises are working – or would you like to know if Pelvic Chair is relevant for you? You are always welcome to contact me by phone: 41 40 08 58 or email: michael@msinsight.dk. Otherwise, you can fill out the contact form with your details and a brief description of your problem. I’ll get back to you quickly with a customized solution proposal so we can find the best way forward together.