Has your pelvic floor weakened, perhaps during pregnancy or after childbirth? Would you like to know how to gain back strength and control of your pelvic floor muscles?  Read on and I will tell you how I have been able to go from literally wetting myself in dance class, to building up a strong core and pelvic floor.

I will also divulge the top five pelvic floor exercises that have been shown to give the best results in a short period of time.

Before we get there though, let's quickly cover what the pelvic floor is and what its role is.  

"The muscles of the pelvic floor form a large sheet of skeletal muscle attached along the inner walls of the pelvis.  They support support the bowel, uterus, and bladder. When they contract, the openings to the vagina, urethra, and anus are tightened, but when they’re relaxed, you can release the urine respectively the feces from the body. Their main goal is to improve your muscle tone and prevent your organs from dropping." 1 Kenhub.

Suppose you belong to a group of women whose pelvic floor has weakened:
during pregnancy or after childbirth, you go through different conditions such as chronic coughing or obesity, or you suffer from lower estrogen levels after menopause.  In any of these cases, you must have faced discomfort and pain during an intimate experience with your partner or urine leakage while training.

A weakened pelvic floor can not only negatively affect your sex life, but it can also lead to incontinence and passing of wind!

But all is not lost, you CAN heal your pelvic floor, starting with these exercises:

5 Exercises that will get your Pelvic Floor Muscles in Shape!

KEGELS

The most common practice of tightening and relaxing your pelvic floor - Kegels - will undoubtedly help strengthen your pelvic muscles after only a few workouts. Yes, you heard me well! For this exercise, you don’t need any equipment, just a bit of goodwill.

Firstly, you should identify your pelvic muscles by retaining urine when urinating or by holding back gas. Once you become aware of this part of your body, it will be much easier for you to perform Kegels.

Tighten your pelvic muscles and stay in that position for 5 seconds, then relax for 5 seconds. Simple as that! Just Don't hold your breath - remember to breathe like you would through any yoga or training exercise. 

Isolate your pelvic floor muscles - no need to tighten your jaw or screw up your face.  You can tighten your belly too if you wish, as this is also a good exercise to do for your core.  Repeat 10 times and Practice Daily (3 times per day if you want faster progress and results). 

SQUATS

Don’t take squats for granted because they’re your biggest helpers in strengthening the lower part of the body. For this exercise, you’ll need a barbell. If you don’t have one, you can always improvise and utilize dumbbells or kettlebells.

Stand in an upright position with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and put the barbell behind your neck. Flex your knees and then slowly push your hips and butt as if you’re going to sit down. Keep practicing until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Then gradually strengthen your legs and return to the starting position. Repeat for 15 Reps Daily.  

ALTERNATING ARM AND LEG RAISES

This exercise is an excellent practice for the whole body, not just your pelvic floor.  Position your hands and knees on the floor, ensuring your palms are under your shoulders and your knees are under your hips: place a cushion beneath your knees for comfort if needed.  Draw in your Transverse Abdominals first before raising an opposite arm and opposite leg.

Both the arm and leg should be straight and your head should not be extended / looking up, to protect your neck.  Hold at the top for approximately 5 seconds.  Repeat on the opposite side.  Perform ten reps in three sets if possible.

SPLIT TABLETOP

The famous leg move, is the foundation of many Pilates exercises, where you activate the pelvic floor muscles and hips the most, especially when you add the split. For this practice, you’ll need a mat. Lie on the mat with your knees flexed and your shins parallel to the floor. Start this movement by slightly splitting your legs so that each knee falls outward. Lower your knees outwards as long as you feel comfortable. Then gently return your legs to their starting position. For the top results, it would be helpful if you repeat this method 10 to 15 times in three sets.

BRIDGE

Last but no less critical an exercise, is the bridge.  It does wonders for your pelvic floor muscles. In addition to the Kegels, the bridge is one of the most common workouts for strengthening the pelvic floor. If done correctly, it can be beneficial to the entire lower part of your body, from glutes to hamstrings. You won’t need any equipment for this exercise. So let’s start. Lie with your back facing the floor, with your knees raised at a 90-degree, feet flat, your hands next to your body, and your palms facing the floor. Inhale and begin to lift your hips until your body forms a straight line all the way from your knees to your shoulders. Remain in that position for 1 to 2 seconds and then return to the initial pose. You should repeat this exercise 10 to 15 times in two to three sets for the best results. Don’t forget to rest between sets for about 60 seconds.

Now if you've read this far and not started yet, let's get going!

As you can see, these top five pelvic floor exercises for women take very little time and are very easy to do! 

Another way to strengthen the pelvic floor is to use a yoni egg as a tool to assist you.  But start with the exercises we suggest in our practice guides sold with our Love Stone Yoni Eggs first, before moving onto using eggs with the above pelvic floor exercises.  

References:

1. Muscles of the pelvic floor: Anatomy and function | Kenhub