Exercises For Overactive Bladder To Reclaim Your Day

If you've ever experienced that sudden, urgent need to pee without warning, you might be dealing with an overactive bladder (OAB). This can be really challenging. When combined with frequent bathroom trips, night time awakenings, or urinary incontinence, this condition can significantly disrupt your daily life.

The good news is that you don’t have to live with it. Doing specific exercises can help you effectively manage OAB symptoms, retrain your bladder, strengthen critical muscles, and regain better control over your body.

So, if you're dealing with bladder control issues, we've put together this practical, movement-based guide for you. Remember to always discuss your symptoms with your GP as they can advise you on whether trialling exercising is a suitable approach for you.

Bladder Functioning And Overactive Bladder

A healthy bladder typically holds between 400–600 ml of urine, with most people feeling the urge to urinate when it reaches about 300 ml. This natural pattern results in urinating approximately 4–8 times daily, with perhaps one night time trip.

However, when you have an overactive bladder (OAB), you'll experience symptoms like a sudden urge to urinate, frequent urination, and urinary incontinence. This happens when the bladder starts sending strong signals too early or contracts too strongly when it shouldn’t.

OAB often comes down to how the brain, bladder, and pelvic floor muscles are (or aren’t) working together.

Top 6 Exercises For Overactive Bladder

An overactive bladder doesn’t just disrupt your day; it chips away at your confidence. But there’s plenty you can do that doesn’t involve a prescription or waiting for a referral.

When done consistently, under the guidance of your GP or pelvic floor physiotherapist, the following movements and exercises can strengthen the muscles that support your bladder, reduce those sudden urges, and help you feel more in control.

1. Bladder training

Bladder training involves gradually resetting the brain-bladder connection. Bladder re-training is best done with the guidance of a health professional so they can personalise the training to your needs. It typically involves stretching out the time between bathroom trips to calm the signals from the brain that cause the sudden urge to pee.

Here's how to do it:

1. Start with a set schedule

The healthcare professional will help choose intervals that are achievable for you initially. For example, if you are going every hou,r then initially they may pick every 60 minutes. They will advise you to go to the loo at those times only, whether you feel the need or not. They will teach you to ensure you're emptying your bladder completely each time.

2. Use urge control techniques

When the urge strikes before your scheduled time, the healthcare professional will often advise you to try:

• Perform five quick pelvic floor squeezes.

• Distracting yourself. For instance, count backwards from 100, list your last five meals, or recite the alphabet in reverse.

• Changing position. Sit on a hard surface or cross your legs.

3. Slowly stretch it out

Once you're comfortable managing your interval, your healthcare team will advise you to increase it by 15–30 minutes each week. Your goal is to stretch it to 2.5 to 3 hours between toilet trips.

2. Pelvic floor exercises (aka Kegel exercises)

These exercises can be helpful for those who have mixed incontinence, i.e. you experience leaks when you cough, sneeze or exercise as well as overactive bladder. Your pelvic floor muscles support your bladder, bowel, and womb. They're a sling of muscles that, once strengthened, can help reduce incontinence symptoms. They are less likely to support with urgency.

These exercises are best done at least initially with the supervision of a pelvic floor physiotherapist to ensure you are doing them correctly and they are right for you.

Technique

1. Identify your pelvic floor muscles. Try tightening the muscles you would use to stop the flow of pee midstream or imagine you’re trying not to pass gas. Feel that squeeze? That’s your pelvic floor.

2. Squeeze and hold these muscles for 3–10 seconds.

3. Fully relax between reps.

4. Aim for 3 sets of 10 a day.

Variations

• Quick squeezes can calm urgent bladder spasms.

• Long holds help build endurance.

• Engage these muscles before coughing, sneezing, or standing up to help prevent stress incontinence alongside OAB.

Tips

• Don’t hold your breath.

• Don’t squeeze your glutes, thighs, or tummy.

• Practice the technique while lying down, sitting, and standing.

It takes a few weeks of pelvic floor muscle training to notice results and a few months to feel stronger control. But if you keep at it, you could see a notable difference in your need-to-go urgency.

3. Squats

Squats are one of the best full-body moves you can do, working the core, glutes, hips, and the pelvic floor. Building strength in these areas helps stabilise the lower body and reinforces the muscles that support the bladder.

How to squat

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your chest lifted and spine neutral.

2. Lower yourself down as if you’re about to sit on a chair, knees tracking in line with your toes.

3. Then, rise back up slowly.

4. Make sure you're feeling the work in your thighs and glutes, not your knees.

Remember to seek advice from a physiotherapist before completing new exercises, especially if you have other underlying health conditions.

4. Bridges

Bridges are another simple but powerful move. They target your glutes and lower back while gently activating your pelvic floor.

How to bridge

1. Lie on your back. Bend your knees, and your feet should be flat on the ground, around hip distance apart. Your arms should be by your sides, palms facing down.

2. Lift your hips off the ground, pushing through your feet, until your body forms a line from your knees to your shoulders.

3. Hold for a few seconds, then lower down slowly, controlling the movement.

5. Squeeze and release

This is like a fast version of Kegels—short, sharp squeezes to train your pelvic floor to react quickly and reflexively. It’s great for helping with sudden urges or leaks when you cough, sneeze, or laugh. Remember, these are mainly helpful for stress incontinence rather than urgency or OAB.

How to squeeze and release

1. Sit or stand comfortably.

2. Focus on the same pelvic muscles you’d use to stop the flow of pee.

3. Squeeze quickly, then release. No need to hold, just quick pulses.

4. Do 10 to 20 reps three times a day. It's easy to do while brushing your teeth, waiting for the kettle, or sitting in traffic.

6. Jump rope (if leaks are under control)

Once you’ve regained some basic control over your urinary incontinence symptoms, jump rope can be a brilliant way to build pelvic floor resilience.

It’s a full-body, high-impact movement that strengthens your legs, core, and pelvic floor.

How to approach jump rope

1. Start slow and wear protection if needed (like Jude’s leak-proof pants).

2. Try a few gentle hops or low bounces to see how your body responds.

3. If you notice leaks, pause and go back to strengthening with the earlier exercises first.

Modify these exercises to fit your personal needs and gradually increase the intensity and duration.

Habits That Make A Difference

In conjunction with OAB exercises, consider implementing these habits in your day-to-day:

• Drink smart: Drink 1.5–2 litres of water a day.

• Cut back on bladder irritants: Reduce or eliminate caffeine, alcohol, fizzy drinks, citrus, and artificial sweeteners. Some foods can also trigger night time pees.

• Try to avoid constipation: Eat fibre and stay active.

• Lose excess weight: Even small reductions (in those who are overweight) help reduce pressure on the bladder.

• Stop smoking: Reduces chronic coughing, which can trigger stress incontinence and bladder irritation.

Keep a bladder diary: Write down when you pee, how much, what you drink, and any leaks. This diary is useful for detecting patterns, irritants, and what works for you and for seeing progress when you look back.

When To See A Specialist About OAB

Always speak to your GP first before making any lifestyle changes. Most of the exercises we have listed should be performed only after recommendation from a healthcare professional. Your GP can refer you to a bowel and bladder clinic or to a pelvic floor physio or specialist.

It's also worth seeing your GP if:

• You’re not sure you’re doing the exercises right.

• Leaks or urgency are affecting your quality of life.

• You just want some extra support.

FAQs

What is the cause of an overactive bladder?

While there's rarely a single cause, a few common triggers of OAB include:

• Nerve-related conditions like stroke, multiple sclerosis, or spinal cord injuries.

• Bladder irritation from infections, stones, or even certain foods and drinks.

• Hormonal changes, like low oestrogen during menopause.

• Constipation puts pressure on the bladder.

• Being overweight increases pressure on pelvic structures.

Pregnancy and vaginal delivery can stretch and weaken the pelvic floor muscles. When they’re not doing their job properly, your bladder may become more reactive or harder to control.

Can I buy anything over the counter for bladder support?

Yes, women can purchase the oxybutynin transdermal patch (Oxytrol for Women)—the only FDA-approved over-the-counter medication for OAB. This patch delivers 3.9 mg of oxybutynin over 24 hours, relaxing bladder muscles to reduce urgency and frequency. This is available in the USA rather than the UK.

If you are looking for a food supplement that is designed to support bladder health, then Jude’s Bladder Health Food Supplement, which is rich in pumpkin seeds and soy phytoestrogen, is made specifically to nourish your pelvic floor and bladder.

Does overactive bladder ever go away?

OAB is typically a chronic condition that doesn't resolve on its own. Without treatment, symptoms may persist or worsen over time. However, with appropriate management, including behavioural therapies, medications, and lifestyle modifications, you can significantly improve your symptoms.

The Bottom Line

Overactive bladder is common and frustrating, but it is treatable. Exercises like bladder re-training, pelvic floor training and bladder drills aren’t overnight fixes, but they do work for some people.

Combined with simple lifestyle adjustments, these approaches give your body the best opportunity to regain control. Persist with your efforts, celebrate small victories like reaching the bathroom without rushing, and remember—millions of others share this experience with you.