Guide
Pelvic floor training: exercises for everyday life
Pelvic floor training means deliberately tensing and relaxing a muscular layer in your pelvis. You don’t need any equipment or a particular place, just a few minutes a day. The most important thing is to find the muscle in the first place, because without that you miss the target.
- The pelvic floor is a muscular layer that closes off your pelvis at the bottom. It supports the organs and keeps the bladder and bowel closed.
- You find it by tightening as if you were trying to stop the flow of urine. Your abdomen, buttocks and thighs stay relaxed.
- Four simple exercises are enough to start. More important than the exercise itself is doing it regularly.
- Five minutes a day over several weeks does more than one long session a week.
- Pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, strenuous sport and aging in men are the stages when the topic comes up.
What is the pelvic floor and what does it do?
The pelvic floor is a muscular layer that closes off your pelvis at the bottom. It stretches between the pubic bone, the tailbone and the two sitting bones, a bit like a small trampoline.
This layer has three jobs. It supports the organs in the pelvis, that is, the bladder and bowel, and in women also the uterus. It keeps the openings closed and opens them when you want it to. And it stabilizes your core together with the diaphragm, abdomen and back.
The pelvic floor lies deep inside; you can’t see it and barely feel it in everyday life. That’s exactly why it’s rarely trained, even though it works along with every step and every cough.
How do I find it and how do I engage it correctly?
Sit upright with your feet flat on the floor. Now tighten as if you were trying to stop the flow of urine and hold back gas at the same time. The feeling is a lift inward and upward, not a push downward.
Place one hand on your abdomen and one on your buttocks. Both should stay relaxed. If your abdomen tightens or you squeeze your buttocks together, you’re doing too much with the wrong muscles.
Keep breathing calmly while you tense. Holding your breath is the most common mistake, because it raises the pressure in your abdomen, and that pressure pushes straight down.
A warning missing from many websites: don’t practice stopping while you’re actually urinating. As a one-off test to find the muscle it’s fine, but as an exercise it harms the bladder over time.
Four exercises to get started
The quick pulse
Tense your pelvic floor firmly for one second and release immediately. Ten times in a row, then a ten-second break. Three rounds. This trains the quick reaction you need when coughing and sneezing.
The long hold
Tense and hold for five seconds, then release slowly over five seconds. Keep breathing calmly. Eight repetitions. If holding is hard, go down to three seconds; that’s not a step backward.
The elevator
Imagine your pelvic floor riding up three floors. Tense in stages, pause briefly at each one, then ride back down in stages. Five repetitions. This trains fine control.
Tensing before the load
Consciously tense your pelvic floor before you cough, sneeze, laugh or lift something heavy. This isn’t an exercise session but a habit. And it’s exactly this habit that’s most valuable in everyday life.
You can do these four exercises sitting down, at the bus stop, at your desk or while brushing your teeth. Nobody will notice.
Why consistency matters more than intensity
The pelvic floor is a muscle and behaves like any other: it responds to repeated stimuli over a longer period. A single long session does little; five minutes on six days a week does a lot.
Expect several weeks before you notice a difference. That’s normal and not a sign that you’re doing it wrong. If you stop after ten days, you haven’t given the muscle a chance.
Link the exercise to something you do every day anyway. After brushing your teeth, before your first coffee, at a red light. A fixed link lasts longer than a good intention.
In which life stages does the topic become important?
Pregnancy
For months, the weight presses downward and the tissue becomes softer. Gentle exercise is usually possible during this time, but check with your midwife or your doctor.
After childbirth
Wait until your postnatal recovery class begins, usually six to eight weeks after the birth. After a C-section or a perineal tear, follow the timing your doctor gives you.
Menopause
Falling estrogen levels change the connective tissue. Many women notice for the first time during this phase that their pelvic floor is weakening. A good moment to start.
Impact and weight-bearing sports
Jumping, running and heavy lifting increase the pressure in the abdomen. The pelvic floor then has to hold against it reflexively. If you do a lot of this, you should train it specifically as well.
Men from around 50
Men have a pelvic floor too, and theirs also weakens over the years. After prostate surgery, exercise is a standard part of aftercare; the practice in charge of your care provides the instructions.
Where a pelvic floor chair can complement your training
Some people simply can’t find the muscle. They tense and feel nothing, or they unknowingly tense their abdomen and buttocks too. For them, practicing on their own is frustrating at first because there’s no feedback.
This is where a pelvic floor chair can complement your training. It contracts the deep muscles via a magnetic field without you having to control them yourself. You sit on it fully clothed for 28 minutes and, for the first time, clearly feel where this muscle actually is.
It doesn’t replace your own exercise. On the chair you don’t learn to tense your pelvic floor yourself before coughing or lifting, and that’s exactly what matters in everyday life. That’s why we deliberately say: practice first, add the chair, not the other way around.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the pelvic floor?
The pelvic floor is a muscular layer that closes off the pelvis at the bottom. It stretches between the pubic bone, the tailbone and the two sitting bones. It supports the bladder, the bowel and, in women, the uterus, and keeps the openings closed.
How do I find my pelvic floor?
Tighten the muscles as if you were trying to stop the flow of urine or hold back gas. The feeling is a lift inward and upward. Your abdomen, buttocks and thighs stay relaxed. But don’t practice stopping while you’re actually urinating; over time, that’s not good for the bladder.
How often should I practice?
Five minutes every day is better than half an hour once a week. The muscle responds to regularity. Expect several weeks before you notice a difference.
Can I do pelvic floor training wrong?
Yes. The most common mistakes are pushing down instead of lifting inward, holding your breath, and tensing your buttocks and abdomen along with it. If you’re unsure, have a physiotherapist show you once.
What does a pelvic floor chair add?
A pelvic floor chair contracts the deep muscles via a magnetic field without you having to control them yourself. That can be a complement if you find it hard to engage the muscles on your own. It’s not a substitute for your own exercise, because on the chair you don’t learn to use your pelvic floor in everyday life.
Further reading
Legal notice
Important information about our sessions:
The sessions offered at Good Vibes with the electromagnetic chair (HIFEM technology) serve exclusively to activate the body, support general well-being and promote muscle tone. They are a wellness and lifestyle offering.
Our sessions are expressly NOT medical treatment, NOT curative treatment and NOT therapy within the meaning of the German Therapeutic Products Advertising Act (HWG). They replace neither a visit to a doctor nor medical diagnostics or therapy.
We make no claims about curing, alleviating or preventing diseases. We cannot guarantee any individual effects; they depend on numerous personal factors.
In the case of health complaints, existing conditions, pregnancy, a pacemaker, metal implants, acute inflammation or other medical concerns, please consult your doctor or therapist before every session.
Participation in our sessions is at your own risk. We accept no liability for health consequences resulting from failure to consult a doctor or from concealing contraindications.
This article is not a substitute for medical advice. Last updated: September 18, 2026.