Do not stop doing the exercises.

You can of course reduce the number of times you do the exercises each day, but continuing to practice the exercises every day should ensure that the incontinency does not return. Should you begin to lose control again, then increase the number of times you do the exercises.

Assessing the strength of your pelvic floor muscles.

A woman can assess the strength of her pelvic floor muscles by inserting two fingers into her vagina and separating the fingers until she can feel the edge of the pelvic floor muscles as a resistance against further spreading of her fingers. She should then contract the muscles as described above and note the amount and strength of movement against the fingers. When the muscles are very weak, little or no movement is felt. When the muscles are very strong, they can be felt as a very firm pressure with marked upward movement against the fingers. Some women find it useful to keep a record of the strength of their pelvic floor muscles assessed in this way, so that they can monitor the beneficial effects of pelvic floor muscles exercises. It is usual to use a zero to five scale for this assessment – Zero – no movement, no pressure; 1 – a flicker, 2 – very weak, 3 – weak, 4 – fair and 5 – strong.

Think about the whole body as well.

Although pelvic floor muscles exercises focus on those muscles particularly involved in continency, it is also important to consider the body as a whole. Being overweight may make pelvic floor exercises less effective in treating incontinence; hence steps should be taken to reduce weight. Getting the body generally fit is also an important step in overcoming the problems of incontinence. Getting as fit as you can improves general well-being and enables