If you have ever leaked a little when you sneeze, laugh, or rush to the bathroom, you are not alone. Up to 30% of adults in Singapore experience incontinence and most people never talk about it.

The good news is that the right exercises can help. You do not need a gym or any equipment. You just need a little time each day.

Why exercise helps

Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles at the base of your pelvis. They support your bladder, uterus, and rectum. When they are strong, they prevent leaks. When they weaken, leaks happen.

These muscles can weaken due to ageing, childbirth, menopause, or prostate issues. Sometimes there is no obvious reason at all. Either way, incontinence is more common than most people realise and it is not something you just have to put up with.

Research shows that pelvic floor exercises help with all types of urinary incontinence. And studies confirm this is true across all age groups, including older adults. It is never too late to start.

Exercise 1: Kegel exercise

Kegel exercises are one of the most well researched ways to strengthen the pelvic floor. The idea is simple: you contract and release the muscles that control urine flow, over and over, until they get stronger.

Lie down or sit comfortably. Squeeze the muscles you would use to stop yourself from urinating midstream. Hold for three to five seconds. Release fully and rest for three to five seconds. Do ten repetitions and aim for three rounds a day.

Do not tighten your stomach, thighs, or buttocks. Breathe normally throughout. It should feel like a small internal lift, nothing more.

A good habit to build: do a quick squeeze just before you cough, sneeze, or stand up. Over time your body starts doing this on its own and leaks in those moments become less frequent.

Exercise 2: Half bridge

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip width apart. Arms flat by your sides. Slowly lift your hips off the floor by squeezing your glutes and pelvic floor as you rise. Hold for three to five seconds at the top. Slowly lower back down. Do ten repetitions.

Move slowly and with control. It is not about how high you can lift. It is about feeling the engagement through your pelvic floor as you go up and come back down. If getting onto the floor is difficult, a firm mattress works just as well.

Exercise 3: Cat stretch

This one is a little different. Instead of contracting the pelvic floor, the cat stretch helps it relax and move through its full range of motion. A pelvic floor that can fully release is just as important as one that can squeeze. Too much tension can actually make urgency and leaks worse, not better.

Start on all fours with hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Breathe in and let your belly drop towards the floor, gently arching your lower back. Breathe out and round your spine up towards the ceiling, tucking your chin to your chest. Follow your breath and move slowly. Repeat eight to ten times.

If getting onto all fours is not possible, a similar rocking motion can be done seated at the edge of a chair instead. And if you find that stress tends to make your symptoms worse, this is a good exercise to end on. The slow breathing helps calm the nervous system, which has a real effect on bladder urgency.

How often should you do this?

Start with once a day. All three exercises together take about ten to fifteen minutes.

After two to three weeks, build up to twice a day if it feels comfortable. Overdoing pelvic floor exercises can cause muscle fatigue and actually increase leakage, so build up slowly. Most people start noticing a difference within six to twelve weeks.

If waking up at night to use the bathroom is also something you are dealing with, that is a separate condition worth reading about. And if you have been wondering whether incontinence can actually be cured, the answer is more hopeful than most people expect.

In the meantime

Exercises take time to work and leaks can still happen while you are building the habit. That is completely normal.

Many people managing incontinence use adult diapers or adult pull-up pants as everyday protection while they work on strengthening their pelvic floor. There is nothing wrong with that. The important thing is finding a product that actually fits well and feels comfortable to wear. Ill-fitting adult diapers are one of the most common complaints we hear, which is why Aire pull-up pants are designed specifically for Asian body sizes and made for Singapore's heat and humidity. If you are looking for heavier protection, Aire tape diapers are built for overnight wear and higher absorbency needs.

Not sure which adult diaper or pull-up pant is right for you or your loved one? We offer free sample for you to try before buying the whole pack. If you need more help deciding, we have a guide on what to look for when choosing an adult diaper in Singapore and one on getting the right size.

Part 2 is coming next week with three more exercises: chopping wood, salutation, and chair pose.