Pelvic floor exercise planner

A few minutes a day helps with leaks, prolapse and recovery after birth. Start from the hold you can do today and build up gradually.

Your details

Seconds you can hold a squeeze now
Sessions a day
Start date

Your daily pelvic floor routine

5 min

a day, in 3 short sessions

  • Session timer 21 steps, 1:30 in all
  • Slow squeezes10 × hold 3 seconds, rest 4
  • Quick squeezes10 quick squeeze and release
  • Each session90 seconds
  • NHS guide3 sessions a day
  • Build upadd a second a week: 10 second holds in 7 weeks
  • This week (Week 1)3 sessions a day: 10 slow squeezes held 3 seconds, then 10 quick
  • Next step (Week 2)3 sessions a day: 10 slow squeezes held 4 seconds, then 10 quick
  • Finishesweek of 6 Jan 2027 (12 weeks from 21 Oct 2026)
  • Too much?Muscles tired and the squeeze fading? Hold for less and do fewer; quality beats count. Pain is a reason to stop and ask.
  • Progression fromNHS pelvic floor routine, adding a second a week; NICE NG123 suggests at least 3 months
  • Add it to your calendarDownload 84 sessions (.ics)

Squeeze as if stopping wind and a wee at the same time, and lift. Keep breathing and do not clench your bottom or thighs. It takes about 3 months to see results, which is why the plan runs for 12 weeks.

Leaking, a dragging feeling or bulge, or no change after 3 months: ask your GP for a referral to a specialist pelvic health physiotherapist. You can self refer in some areas.

The working

Holds and quick squeezes

Each session is 10 slow squeezes, held for as long as you can (up to 10 seconds) with 4 seconds rest, then 10 quick squeezes. At a 3 second hold that is about 90 seconds a session, so three sessions take 5 minutes a day. Add a second each week to reach 10 in 7 weeks. The 12 week plan, about the 3 months NICE suggests, adds one session a day every 2 weeks if you start below 3, and the calendar file puts a daily reminder in your diary.

Doing it right

Finding the muscles

  • Squeeze as if stopping wind and a wee at the same time, and lift
  • Keep breathing; do not hold your breath
  • Do not clench your bottom, tummy or thighs
  • Try lying down first, then sitting, then standing

Who benefits

Not just after birth

Pelvic floor training is the first treatment NICE recommends for stress leaking and prolapse symptoms in women, for at least 3 months. It also helps in pregnancy, after birth, around the menopause and for men after prostate surgery.

The timer

Squeeze along with it

Press start a session and the page talks you through one set at your hold time: each slow squeeze, 4 seconds to relax, then the quick squeezes. It announces each change to screen readers and buzzes on phones that allow it, so you can close your eyes and concentrate on the squeeze.

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

  • Technique checkMany people squeeze the wrong muscles; a physio can check.
  • PainPain during the exercises is a reason to stop and ask.
  • Persistent symptomsNo better after 3 months: see your GP.

Questions

Common questions

How many pelvic floor exercises should I do a day?

10 slow and 10 quick squeezes, 3 times a day.

How long until pelvic floor exercises work?

Usually about 3 months of daily practice.

Can I do pelvic floor exercises in pregnancy?

Yes, they are recommended in pregnancy and after birth.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

L

e

Related

Related calculators