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Pelvic Floor Endurance Hold exercise demonstration
Exercise library

Pelvic Floor Endurance Hold

Holding a pelvic floor contraction for progressively longer counts, building the endurance needed for daily continence.

Area
Pelvic health
Stage
Strength phase
Equipment
No equipment

Typical dose: 1 set × 8 reps, 8s hold · 3 times a day · add a second or two to the hold each week. This is a general starting point, not a plan matched to your condition or stage.

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How to do it

No equipment needed - just a bit of space.

Sit, stand or lie in a comfortable position where you can concentrate. Start in whichever position is easiest and work towards doing it sitting and standing over time.

  1. Squeeze and lift the pelvic floor, drawing up and in as in the basic activation.
  2. Hold the lift steady for your target count while breathing normally.
  3. Keep the strength of the lift as even as you can from start to finish.
  4. Fully release, then rest for about the same length of time as the hold before the next one.

Form cues

  • The hold stays fairly steady - holding 5 seconds well beats holding 10 seconds fading.
  • You keep breathing throughout; the hold does not rely on a held breath.
  • You feel a full release at the end of each rep.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the lift slowly slide away while you count.
  • Adding buttock, thigh or tummy squeeze as the muscle tires.
  • Pushing the hold time up faster than the muscle can manage.

Safety: Stop and message your physio if you notice new pelvic pain, a dragging or heavy feeling, or any bleeding.

Part of these recovery programmes

This exercise is one step in a staged plan for the conditions below. Each link opens the full programme and shows where this exercise fits.

Related exercises

Other exercises from the library that pair well with this one.

Pelvic Floor Activation (Basic)A gentle 'lift and squeeze' pelvic floor contraction, the foundation exercise for pelvic floor rehabilitation.Pelvic healthEarly rehabView details Fast-Twitch Pelvic Floor 'The Knack'A quick pre-emptive pelvic floor squeeze timed just before a cough or sneeze, a technique proven to reduce leakage.Pelvic healthStrength phaseView details Deep Core and Pelvic Floor Co-ActivationGently drawing in the lower abdomen together with the pelvic floor, rebuilding coordinated deep core support.Pelvic healthStrength phaseView details Diaphragmatic Breathing for Pelvic FloorSlow belly breathing that gently moves the pelvic floor with the diaphragm, foundational for pelvic floor retraining.Pelvic healthEarly rehabView details

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Written and clinically reviewed by Shivaliba Zala, HCPC-registered physiotherapist (PH155757)

Reviewed 8 September 2026

This exercise is generic - you're not

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