The purpose of this investigation was to study adherence to exercise, pelvic floor muscle (PFM) function and strength and patient satisfaction 5 years after cessation of organized PFM exercise for stress urinary incontinence. All 23 women who had taken part in an “intensive exercise group” in a randomized trial 5 years ago participated in the follow‐up study. Structured interview, vaginal palpation and vaginal squeeze pressure were used to assess the condition, PFM function and muscle strength, respectively. Seventy percent of the women were exercising the PFM once a week or more often. Two women were not able to correctly contract the PFM. Mean PFM strength was 18.1 cm H2O. Three had undergone surgery since the initial study. Sixty‐one percent were satisfied with their co