Empower: ARC Accelerator 2025

Three to five million women in the UK have urinary incontinence, yet many are told it is normal and left without effective help. The problem is that pelvic floor muscle exercises can prevent and treat incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse—which affects about 40% of older women—but healthcare providers often lack the training to support women, and women themselves lack confidence in what to do. EMPOWER provides evidence-based educational materials and exercise resources for women of all ages, working with health and fitness providers, industry, and researchers to widen access to effective interventions. If successful, the project could change a widespread but under-treated health issue. Instead of accepting leaking as normal, women would have clear, practical guidance on pelvic floor exercises. Health providers would gain the skills to offer confident, consistent advice. The impact would be direct: improved quality of life for millions of women, reduced costs for health services, and fewer disposable incontinence products entering the environment. This is an applied intervention project, not fundamental science—its value lies in closing the gap between what is known to work and what is actually delivered.