Pelvic floor muscle-training exercises can strengthen the muscles under the uterus, bladder, and bowel. They can help both men and women who have bladder and bowel control problems. It has been described as pretending that you have to urinate and then holding it. You should feel movement in the muscles: the vagina, bladder, or anus closes and moves upwards. You should not feel other areas of your legs, hips, or pelvis move or lift. It is important to keep other muscles relaxed while performing a pelvic floor muscle exercise. However, many situations exist which create a different picture. Sometimes, the pelvic floor muscles are held tight and cannot relax or let go. Because this is often not recognized by the individual, it might appear there are no contractions. For women who have a tight pelvic floor, concentrating on contracting the muscles would be extremely difficult.

Marita Dowsett, B.P.T., Physio 4 U, Physio4u.net