When it comes to bladder weakness and incontinence, many people suffer in silence too uncomfortable to tell anyone. One US study reported that on average women wait 6.5 years and men 4.2 years after beginning to experience their symptoms before they seek advice. The ramifications of this delay on both physical and emotional well-being is immense. High levels of depression are noted amongst sufferers.

So, what causes the bladder to stop functioning correctly, and leaking when it shouldn't?

Common causes include pregnancy/childbirth and ageing with twice as many women suffering than men. Between 25-30% of women aged between 45 and 65 are thought to suffer with some form of incontinence. However, Urge Incontinence is said to affect the same amount of men as women, reaching as many as 40%. The NHS estimates that between three and six million...

Incontinence remains a taboo topic of conversation, with many sufferers too embarrassed to broach the subject with a doctor.. In a 2004 US survey, it was reported that on average women wait 6.5 years and men 4.2 years after beginning to experience their symptoms to seek advice^[1].  Currently it estimated that there are three-six million people in the UK with some form of incontinence, with between 25-30% of women aged between 45 and 65 thought to suffer^{[2] [3]}. Avoidance tactics due to embarassment often result in anxiety, depression and even impact on overall physical health.

So why does bladder weakness occur? 

The main culprit is a weak pelvic floor which often develops as a result of pregnancy/childbirth or ageing.  However we should not accept bladder weakness as an inevitable part of growing older. The most common forms of incontinence include over-active bladder (the need to urinate often- defined as more than 8 times in a 24...

You might have heard of your 'pelvic muscle', your 'Kegel muscle' or your 'PC muscles', but did you know that your pelvic floor is not just a single muscle, rather a layer of muscles, fibres and ligaments that work together to support your pelvic organs and give you urogenital control.

Your Pelvic Floor Muscles

Your pelvic floor muscles, or 'Kegel muscles' are made up of three main layers of pelvic muscle:

The superficial group: This is the group of muscles that are found at the entrance to the vagina. This is the group that helps with sexual function and help you to control the bladder. After childbirth, these muscles can become weak. They can also weaken over time due to aging and the menopause.

The urogenital muscle group: This is the group of muscles that surround the urinary and genital muscles, and are responsible for bladder function.

The deep pelvic floor muscle group: This is called the...

Medically reviewed by Amanda Savage, edited 20/07/2023

Pelvic floor exercises are a crucial part of both men's and women’s daily exercise routines. These muscles are critical for supporting a range of pelvic organs including your bowel, bladder, and reproductive system. Strengthening your pelvic floor helps you get on top of potential health problems later down the line, like bowel or bladder leakage, risk of organ prolapse or decrease in intimate sensation.

Worryingly, 50% of women that perform pelvic floor exercises do them incorrectly. Luckily, you’ll find everything...

Kegel (pelvic floor) exercises are clinically proven to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Depending on your overall health and your commitment to Kegel exercises, you will see results anywhere from 4-12 weeks. However progress is not always easy to identify. What if you’ve given Kegels a go and have not had any noticeable benefit? Take a look at our advice below to make sure you are not making any common mistakes.

How Do You Know They Aren't Working?

Use a biofeedback pelvic trainer to measure the squeeze of your pelvic floor, insert the vaginal probe and contract your pelvic floor muscles. The tool can confirm you are contracting the correct muscles and how effective you are doing it. It teaches you how to make each squeeze more valuable, and as a result it can improve the effectiveness of your pelvic floor exercises by almost 25%!

Medically reviewed by Amanda Savage 20/07/2023

If you are struggling to get started with your pelvic floor exercises, or are worried you are not doing them correctly, pelvic exercise tools will improve the efficiency of every squeeze you make. Or, if you’re Kegel-savvy, your pelvic floor exercises will already be second nature and you can use pelvic exercise tools as an added challenge or to mix up your exercise routine.

Manual pelvic floor exercises are defined as those that require you to contract and relax your pelvic floor muscles yourself. You can squeeze again a resistance tool, such as a vaginal cone, to work your muscles harder. You can use an electronic biofeedback tool to confirm that you are squeezing the correct muscles and track your progress by giving your squeeze a value...

Your pelvic floor muscles do a lot for you; they support all of your pelvic organs, they help stabilise and support your spine, they help guide your baby during childbirth, they even contribute to your relationship by being responsible for intimate sensation for women and erectile function for men. So isn’t it time you gave these muscles a little TLC?

We all know that Kegel (pelvic floor) exercises are essential in maintaining a strong pelvic floor. But did you know there are other things you can introduce into your life to improve the health of your pelvic floor muscles. Here are 5 things you can do, starting right now:

1. Improve Your Posture...

The pelvic floor muscles form the base of your pelvis. They act as a hammock reaching across from your coccyx (tailbone) at the back of your pelvis, to the front at the pubic bone. They are also attached to both sides of your pelvis so they can support all the pelvic organs staying in their naturally elevated positions. Your vagina/penis, urethra and anus all pass through the pelvic floor muscles to the outside. For them all to function correctly, you need a strong pelvic floor.

The pelvic floor muscles themselves cannot be seen from the outside but their effects can be felt by you and your partner. For women try the finger test; insert a couple of fingers into your vagina and squeeze your pelvic floor muscles. You should feel a gentle squeeze on your fingers if you are contracting your muscles in the right way. Your partner should be able to feel this squeeze when you have penetrative sex. Another way to be aware of these muscles is when you go to the bathroom; try stopping your...