Summary The pelvic floor forms the inferior boundary of the abdomino-pelvic cavity. The co-ordinated action of the muscles which surround this cavity generates intra-abdominal pressure, with the pelvic floor muscles acting before the pressure rise to maintain organ support and urinary and faecal continence. When the pelvic floor muscles lose their automatic co-ordinated function, it is the timing of muscle recruitment, as well as the endurance and strength, which is deficient. This paper presents a theory on how automatic pelvic floor muscle activity operates in healthy women, discusses how it is lost, suggests a non-invasive way of testing it, and proposes a programme to restore the automatic recruitment timing of the muscles, as well as their endurance and strength, to optimise rehabilitation outcomes.