Skip to content
Eggsports

Pelvic floor exercise timer: guided slow holds and quick squeezes

A calm, guided timer for pelvic floor muscle training, with how to find the right muscles, common mistakes, and when to see a pelvic health physiotherapist.

Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere.

Ready when you are

Sit or lie comfortably, then press Start.

Takes about 2 minutes.

Your session

What would you like to do?It helps to include both: slow holds and quick squeezes work the muscles in different ways.
times

You rest for the same time after each hold. Start with what you can hold well, and build up.

5 s
2 s10 s

Squeeze for 1 second, then let go fully for 2 seconds.

times
Sound cue

As you go

  • Imagine stopping yourself passing wind and stopping the flow of urine at the same time. That gentle squeeze and lift is your pelvic floor.
  • Keep breathing normally. Holding your breath means other muscles are taking over.
  • Keep your bottom, thighs and tummy soft. If they tense, try a lighter squeeze.
  • Letting go matters as much as the squeeze. Feel the muscles drop back down before the next one.

If you leak, feel heaviness or a bulge, have pain, or can't feel the muscles working, a pelvic health physiotherapist can check your technique and build a plan with you.

This tool gives general wellness information, not medical advice. If something feels wrong, talk to your doctor or midwife.

Quick take: Pelvic floor muscle training means squeezing and lifting the muscles around your bladder, vagina and back passage, then letting them go completely. This timer guides slow holds and quick squeezes at your own pace. Done regularly, the training helps prevent and treat leaks, and a pelvic health physiotherapist can check your technique.

Related reading

How it works

Eggsports Editorial

Your pelvic floor is a sling of muscles that supports your bladder, bowel and uterus. Like any muscle, it responds to regular, gentle training. The timer above keeps the rhythm for you, so you can put your attention where it belongs: on the squeeze, and on the letting go.

How do you find your pelvic floor muscles?

Quick take: Imagine stopping yourself passing wind and stopping the flow of urine at the same time. The gentle squeeze and lift you feel inside is your pelvic floor. Try not to pull your tummy in, keep breathing normally, and keep your bottom and thighs soft. Sitting or lying down makes it easier to start.

NHS guidance suggests finding the muscles by imagining stopping yourself peeing and passing wind, squeezing without pulling your tummy in, and breathing normally and staying relaxed while you practise.[1] You only need to imagine it: there's no need to practise on the toilet.

How often should you do pelvic floor exercises?

Quick take: Little and often works well. The NHS suggests daily practice that includes both long and short squeezes, starting with short holds and building towards 10 seconds. It can take a few months before you notice a difference, so patience is part of the training. Long-term practice keeps helping.

The NHS recommends daily pelvic floor exercises with both short and long squeezes, building the hold gradually towards 10 seconds, and notes that it may take a few months to feel the benefit.[1] UK guidance from NICE encourages women of all ages to do pelvic floor muscle training, and to keep going throughout life, because long-term training continues to help prevent symptoms.[2]

Slow holdsQuick squeezes
What you doSqueeze and lift, hold, then let go for the same timeSqueeze and lift quickly, then let go fully
Timer default10 holds of 5 seconds, 5 seconds of rest after each10 squeezes: 1 second on, 2 seconds off
How to progressLengthen the hold towards 10 secondsKeep each squeeze crisp, with a full release
Signs to ease offYou hold your breath, or other muscles take overThe squeezes blur together without letting go

What are the most common mistakes?

Quick take: The most common mistakes are holding your breath, squeezing your bottom, thighs or tummy instead, bearing down instead of lifting, and not letting go fully between squeezes. In one study, only about half of women did an ideal contraction after brief verbal instruction, so getting it wrong at first is normal.

In a small study of 47 women given brief, standard verbal instructions, 49% performed an ideal contraction. A quarter used a technique that could potentially promote leaking rather than prevent it.[4] The researchers concluded that simple verbal or written instruction isn't adequate preparation for a pelvic floor programme.[4]

This is why the Canadian pregnancy guideline recommends instruction on proper technique,[3] and why the relaxation phase matters as much as the squeeze. Supervised programmes check both your ability to contract and to relax the muscles.[2]

Does pelvic floor training work?

Quick take: For many women, yes. In a Cochrane review, women with stress urinary incontinence who did pelvic floor training were eight times more likely to report being cured than those who didn't. In pregnancy, training probably lowers the chance of leaks in late pregnancy, though the evidence for treating leaks that continue after birth is less clear.

The Cochrane review found that 56% of women with stress urinary incontinence reported cure after pelvic floor muscle training, compared with 6% without it.[5]

The science: What the pregnancy and postnatal trials show

A second Cochrane review, in pregnancy and after birth, found that continent women who trained during pregnancy probably had a 62% lower risk of reporting leaks in late pregnancy, and a 29% lower risk three to six months after birth.[6] For women whose leaks continued after birth, there was no clear evidence of a difference at six to twelve months, with low-quality evidence.[6]

When should you see a pelvic health physiotherapist?

Quick take: See a pelvic health physiotherapist, through your doctor or midwife, if you leak urine, wind or stool, feel heaviness or a bulge in your vagina, have pelvic pain, or can't feel the muscles working. UK guidance recommends at least three months of supervised training for stress or mixed urinary incontinence, including in pregnancy.

NICE recommends a supervised programme of at least three months for women, including pregnant women, with stress or mixed urinary incontinence, and at least four months for some women with symptoms of prolapse.[2] It also recommends that programmes are supervised by a physiotherapist or another professional with the right expertise, who can assess your contraction and relaxation and tailor the plan to you.[2]

Frequently asked questions

Can I do pelvic floor exercises while I'm pregnant?

Yes. UK guidance encourages women who are pregnant or have recently given birth to do pelvic floor muscle training, because it helps prevent symptoms such as leaks. The Canadian pregnancy guideline also supports daily training and recommends getting instruction on technique.

When can I start after giving birth?

UK guidance encourages women to do pelvic floor muscle training before leaving maternity care and during routine postnatal care. Start gently, with short, comfortable holds. If you had stitches, a tear or a caesarean, or anything hurts, ask your midwife or doctor before you begin.

What if I can't feel anything happening?

That's common, and it's not your fault. Written or spoken instructions alone often aren't enough to learn the movement, which is why guidelines recommend training supervised by a physiotherapist. A pelvic health physiotherapist can check what your muscles are doing and guide you.

Does the timer save my sessions?

No. The timer runs in your browser and doesn't store or send anything. The sound cue is off unless you turn it on, and it plays only on your device.

Sources

  1. NHS (2023). Urinary incontinence: 10 ways to stop leaks. nhs.uk. www.nhs.uk/conditions/urinary-incontinence/10-ways-to-stop-leaks/
  2. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2021). Pelvic floor dysfunction: prevention and non-surgical management. NICE guideline NG210. NICE. www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng210
  3. Mottola MF, Davenport MH, Ruchat S-M, Davies GA, Poitras VJ, Gray CE, et al. (2018). 2019 Canadian guideline for physical activity throughout pregnancy. British Journal of Sports Medicine. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2018-100056
  4. Bump RC, Hurt WG, Fantl JA, Wyman JF (1991). Assessment of Kegel pelvic muscle exercise performance after brief verbal instruction. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. doi:10.1016/0002-9378(91)90085-6
  5. Dumoulin C, Cacciari LP, Hay-Smith EJC (2018). Pelvic floor muscle training versus no treatment, or inactive control treatments, for urinary incontinence in women. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD005654.pub4
  6. Woodley SJ, Lawrenson P, Boyle R, Cody JD, Mørkved S, Kernohan A, Hay-Smith EJC (2020). Pelvic floor muscle training for preventing and treating urinary and faecal incontinence in antenatal and postnatal women. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007471.pub4

Your garden starts here

Free to download. Your first egg is waiting.

Get on iOSGet on Android