Pelvic Floor Strengthening Workout for Women

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A lot of us have been told that we should do pelvic floor strengthening exercises—but if you don’t really know what they are, or you aren’t sure how to go about them, it can be difficult to put them into practice.

Here are 3 easy pelvic floor strengthening exercises that anyone can do at home! Just remember to speak with your doctor before starting any new exercise program.

If you suffer from a bladder condition like interstitial cystitis (IC), even these low-impact exercises might be too much stress on your system. In general, however, these exercises should be perfectly safe for most women. When in doubt, consult your doctor!

1. Kegel Exercises

To perform a Kegel exercise, try contracting and relaxing the muscles you would use to hold back pee. That muscle action is basically all there is to a Kegel; whether or not it helps strengthen your pelvic floor depends on how many repetitions you do per day, but somewhere between 5 and 15 per day seems to be best.

In general, pelvic floor exercises should be performed several times per day in sets of 10-15 reps each. Resting after doing each set is essential—ideally with your legs crossed (to prevent new urine from trickling into your bladder) and with little-to-no pressure on your bladder so that it can completely empty itself before beginning another set of contractions. You may need to experiment a bit to find what works for you!

#2 Butt Clenching

This one’s a bit simpler—just tighten your butt cheeks together as hard as you can. It’s important to note that butt-clenching and pelvic floor tightening are different concepts—if your goal is pelvic floor strengthening, make sure you are only squeezing those external sphincter muscles!

#3 Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy

If you haven’t had success using DIY pelvic floor exercises, or if your symptoms indicate a potential problem with your pelvic floor, it might be time to talk to a physical therapist who specializes in pelvic pain and/or IC.

PTs can teach you proper form for safe exercises like Kegels and basic abdominal crunches that won’t hurt your body more than they help. They can also provide manual therapy techniques like myofascial release, which apply gentle pressure to relieve muscle tension in your pelvis.

A good PT will be able to show you exactly how far to push yourself, when it’s OK to take a break, and when you should call them up because something doesn’t feel right.

And never underestimate how helpful even just talking about these issues with someone else can be!

Don’t Forget Regular Abdominal Crunches

Even without dealing with pelvic floor issues, it’s still a good idea to incorporate regular ab workouts into your regimen. The most common mistake people make when performing core work is neglecting their lower abs—the area below your navel that looks like an upside-down triangle.

Many of us tend to focus on working out our six-pack (which is actually just upper abdominal muscles), which means we don’t get much use out of some of our hardest-working muscles.

Proper abdominal training should include both upper and lower abdominal exercises; if you aren’t sure how to target these muscles, ask your doctor or physical therapist!