HeldwellFinding your pelvic floor
2 min read
The pelvic floor is a sling of muscles from the pubic bone at the front to the tailbone at the back. It supports the bladder and bowel, and helps you stay dry and in control.
Sit or lie down and relax. Imagine holding back wind, and at the same time stopping a flow of urine. The muscle you feel lifting inside is the one.
Check that your belly, buttocks and thighs stay soft and that you keep breathing. Try the stopping-urine trick only once to learn the feeling, never as a habit: stopping mid-flow can upset normal emptying.
If you feel nothing, or you feel pushing down instead of lifting, that is common. Try lying down with your knees bent, or ask a pelvic health physiotherapist to check.
Heldwell is a self-help tool, not medical care. If you have pain, bleeding, a bulge or heaviness, or trouble emptying your bladder, see a doctor or a pelvic health physiotherapist.