I can’t hold for 8 secs and when l laugh l wet my pants a bit. Is that normal?

It’s really good that you are aware of Pelvic Floor muscles and can feel that your ability to hold is less than 8 seconds. Holding for 8 seconds can be a bit tricky if you haven’t done any pelvic floor muscle training before. It’s possible that your pelvic floor muscle needs a little more practice to build up some endurance. I often see people who can only hold for 3 or 4 seconds, so that’s what I get them to start with. You can practice shorter holds until you get stronger and add a few extra seconds to your practice each week.

Wetting your pants as an adult is never something to be brushed off as normal, even if it is really common. If you wet your pants just a little when you laugh, this might be because your pelvic floor muscles can’t keep squeezing until the joke is over. This would be called stress incontinence.
If laughing makes your bladder empty completely this might be urge incontinence or giggle incontinence. A Pelvic Health Physiotherapist or Continence Nurse can teach you strategies to suppress urgency and improving your pelvic floor endurance can help as well.

It’s always worth seeing your doctor to make sure you haven’t got a urinary tract infection and if simple self help strategies don’t work you should definitely seek extra help. There are relaxation techniques, medications and many other things that a doctor or continence adviser might suggest.